Legion of Mary (band)
| Legion of Mary | |
|---|---|
| Origin | San Francisco Bay Area |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active | 1974–1975 |
| Labels | Rhino |
| Associated acts | Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band |
| Past members | |
| Jerry Garcia Merl Saunders John Kahn Martin Fierro Paul Humphrey Ronnie Tutt |
|
Legion of Mary was an American rock band, formed by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and his friend and musical collaborator Merl Saunders.[1][2][3]The first shows, in the San-Francisco Bay Area, were performed under the name of "Merl & Jerry". The band lasted from July 12, 1974 to July 5, 1975. Its members included Garcia (guitar and vocals), Saunders (keyboards), John Kahn (bass guitar), Martin Fierro (saxophone and flute) and Paul Humphrey (drums). Ronnie Tutt replaced Humphrey as the band's drummer in February 1975.[4]
In their concerts, Legion of Mary played rock music that had an eclectic mix of influences, including blues, funk, reggae, rock and roll, and especially jazz.[5] Performances included extended improvisation solos, which Garcia made famous with his role in the Grateful Dead. Their only official recording was released on Rhino Records in August 2005, under the name Legion of Mary: The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. 1; it is a two-disc set of live material.[6]
[edit] Notes
- ^ McNally, Dennis (2002). A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead. New York: Broadway Books. p. 480. ISBN 0767911865.
- ^ Jackson, Blair (1999). Garcia: An American Life. New York: Penguin Books. p. 263. ISBN 0140291997. http://books.google.com/books?id=JouSOka9hFEC&pg=PA263&dq=garcia+%2B+%22legion+of+mary%22.
- ^ Clarke, John Jr. "Former Grateful Dead Keyboardist Merl Saunders Dies", Rolling Stone, October 24, 2008.
- ^ Scott, John W.; Dolgushkin, Mike; Nixon, Stu (1999). DeadBase XI: The Complete Guide to Grateful Dead Song Lists. Cornish, New Hampshire: DeadBase. pp. 403–405. ISBN 1877657220.
- ^ Trager, Oliver (1997). The American Book of the Dead: The Definitive Grateful Dead Encyclopedia. Fireside. ISBN 0684814021. http://books.google.com/books?id=TbRsHp57CqwC&pg=RA2-PT101&dq=garcia+%2B+%22legion+of+mary%22.
- ^ Metzger, John. Legion of Mary album review, The Music Box, Vol. 12 No. 8.
