Merle Saunders passed away yesterday. R.I.P., big guy.

I once had an interesting run-in with Merle's family at his 65th birthday party/show at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

Kari and I were chilling in the upstairs "poster room" during the show. A group of folks -- who clearly didn't look like tonight's show-goers -- were getting together for a giant family photo. They were dressed to the 9's. The matriarch of the clan was trying to get them all into the frame, and it was apparent that SHE should be the centerpiece of the photo (given that Merle was onstage at the time.)

So I went over and offered my services (I do this a lot, a hobby I picked up since I tend to live in touristy places), got her into the shot, stood up on a chair, and assuming it turned out at the printers I took a very fine family portrait of Merle Saunders' clan. My absolute pleasure!

For those who don't know, Merle was an awesome, soulful B-3 Hammond Organ player who worked w/ Jerry Garcia a lot in the 70's and was also instrumental in Garcia's recovery in 1987 after his coma episode. The man could play the organ but I think it was his heart that had the most impact on the music around him. My favorite stuff w/ Garcia and Saunders is the Reconstruction band (large band w/ horns) they had going in the late 70's and of course the Garcia/Saunders outfit from earlier in that decade. Finally, those two guys are reunited and jazzin' up the afterlife.