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This 7CD box centres on Jerry Garcia’s five studio collections, each of which is expanded with copious supplementary sides -- including an entire full-length disc of Outtakes, Jams & Alternatives boasting even more. The package includes a 128-page booklet with the appropriate historical essays, discographical details and a beaucoup of photos. Here is a breakdown of the contents:

• Garcia (1972) was the epitome of a solo album, as only Garcia (guitars/bass/keyboards/vocals) and Dead drummer Billy Kreutzmann (drums) contributed instrumentally. The platter yielded the timeless gems “Deal,” “Bird Song,” “Sugaree,” “Loser,” “To Lay Me Down” and “The Wheel” -- each of which stayed in the Dead’s catalogue for the remainder of their existence. The oddly-named “Late For Supper,” “Spidergawd,” “Eep Hour” and “An Odd Little Place” are somewhat more avant-garde exercises in excess -- although Deadheads will inevitably enjoy their spacey and psychedelic nature. Alternates of “Sugaree,” “Loser,” the “Late For Supper/Spidergawd/Eep Hour” trifecta, and “The Wheel” (offered in a pair of different forms) are but a few of the extras.
  
  
• Garcia (1974) was again the name emblazoned atop the guitarist’s follow-up. Early promotional copies were marked by a banner proclaiming “Compliments Of …” above the title. The name stuck and became a factor when distinguishing the two releases. John Kahn (bass) took on the role of producer by choosing and arranging the songs and picking the musicians Stalwarts Ron Tutt (drums), Larry Carlton (guitar), Merle Saunders (organ), Amos Garrett (trombone), Merry Clayton (vocals) and Bobbye Hall (vocals) all dropped by to lend a hand. They animate a disparate host of covers, ranging from Irving Berlin’s “Russian Lullaby” to Chuck Berry’s “Let It Rock,” as well as Motown (“When The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game”) and the Rolling Stones (“Let’s Spend The Night Together”).  The add-ons are an equally eclectic congregate, drawing on Jesse Winchester’s “That’s The Touch I Like” and “Lonesome Town,” a tune made famous by Ricky Nelson, among others.
  
  
• Reflections (1976) is considered by many Deadheads as Garcia’s finest long player away from the Grateful Dead. Granted, that is somewhat of a misnomer, as they perform on half of the record. Robert Hunter provides lyrics for “Might As Well,” “They Love Each Other,” “It Must Have Been The Roses,” “Comes A Time” and “Mission In The Rain” -- all of which found a place in the Grateful Dead’s live repertoire. Incidentally, the Dead only played the latter a total of five times, all during June of 1976. However,  this one is brought to life by all-stars Nicky Hopkins (piano), John Kahn (bass/synthesizer/vibraphone), Larry Knechtel (fender rhodes) and Ron Tutt (drums). Stylistically, the breadth spans a reflects a wide spectrum of influences, like the reggae-informed “Catfish John,” Allen Toussaint’s “I’ll Take A Melody” and former head-Midnighter, Hank Ballard’s “Tore Up Over You”. The bonus sides are interesting, especially Elisabeth Cotton’s “Oh Babe, It Ain’t No Lie” and the lengthy jazzy excursion “Orpheus” -- marking the only Grateful Dead performance.
  
  
• Cats Under The Stars (1978) was the first platter to bear the Jerry Garcia Band (JGB) moniker, consisting at the time of Garcia (guitar/vocals), John Kahn (bass), Ron Tutt (drums) and current Grateful Dead members Keith Godchaux (keyboards) and his wife Donna Jean Godchaux (vocals). The classics “Rubin and Cherise,” “Rhapsody In Red,” “Gomarrah,” and “Cats Under The Stars” all quickly became staples in the JGB’s songbook. They documented, but never issued, a few numbers that make their way into their concerts, including a slinky reworking of Roy Hamilton’s hit “Don’t Let Go” and Smokey Robinson’s  “The Way You Do The Things You Do”. These are but two of seven archival cuts augmenting the eight-song LP.
  
  
• Run For The Roses (1982) is filled with firsts and lasts. While it is the final collection of new material that Garcia would oversee, it was the first to include Melvin Seals (keyboards), who remained with the JGB for the next 13 years. Not to be missed are the Robert Hunter collaborations “Valerie,” “Run For The Roses,” and along with Kahn, the sleeper “Midnight Getaway”. With the exception of the alternate mix of “Valerie,” the bonus tracks predate the 1981 sessions and are evidence that sometimes the best stuff is left to languish in the vaults. From what is presumably an abandoned project are five memorable covers that must have made an impact on Garcia, as they were all later revisited. The Grateful Dead adopted “Alabama Getaway” and a reworking of the traditional folk “Fennario,” aka “Peggy-O” aka “Pretty Peggy-O”, and the JGB frequently embraced Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue” and “Simple Twist Of Fate,” as well as the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence”.

Even the bounty of sonic booty on each respective disc couldn’t hold all of newly-uncovered finds. Hence, Outtakes, Jams & Alternates, a compendium spanning the entire project and emphasized by heretofore unreleased takes of “Deal,” “Let’s Spend The Night Together,” “Mississippi Moon,” “Catfish John,” and an acoustic “Lonesome Town.” The sizable jams are underscored by “Iko, Iko” plus vintage R&B medleys coupling “Hully Gully” alongside “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” as well as “Hey Bo Diddley” with “Hide Away”. Arguably, the proverbial icing is the unrefined, loose and wholly emotive take of Warren Zevon’s “Accidentally Like A Martyr”. That title may best describe the irrefutable and perhaps unintended legacy that Jerry Garcia left outside of the double-edged comfort zone and pressure cooker of the world he created within the Grateful Dead. All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions is a recommended investment for all inclined parties. Potential consumers should also note that for a limited time, those who purchase through the official Jerry Garcia website -- http://www.jerrygarcia.com -- will receive All Good Things Redux containing four recently unearthed versions of “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Russian Lullaby,” “They Love Each Other Jam,” and “Visions of Johanna”.

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Jerry Garcia:

Jerry Garcia - Guitar / Vocals
And he had a LOT of friends....

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