Merl Saunders

Keyboardist Merl Saunders helped bring the Hammond B-3 organ to prominence throughout the '70s, playing its warm tones on recordings and live dates with numerous renowned jazz, blues, and rock artists. In addition to his work as both a bandleader and session player, Saunders became well-known for frequent collaborations with Grateful Dead singer/guitarist Jerry Garcia. In addition to sitting in with the Dead, Saunders worked with Garcia in multiple side projects, releasing live documents like 1973's fiery Live at the Keystone and later playing side by side in performance-focus...