Man, oh man...have i ever gave a JGB a bad review???...Sorry, i can't dig this Sara Fulcher at all, i guess she has a good voice, but she won't stop singing! It's brutal, too much, overkill. I know she's "vamping or whatever but she's no Mel Torme. If you're not a big fan of Donna Jean you will be now. In fact Donna always sounds great with Jerry Band.

I won't get carried away with my writing like I'm apt to do over everything so I'll just write a few words. My first Jerry tapes outside of the Grateful Dead were of 1980 to 1983, especially the FM Saddlerack. Also the pre-1975 Garcia stuff, especially special was live from Pacific High recording studio and other stuff around then. I believe the tape I had was also an FM and consisted of Kreutzman on drums. I wore that tape out long before Jerry passed. Much of those songs are on here although obviously uniquely played again. I had heard some samples prior to purchasing this, Vol. 12, rather spur of the moment and locally. First song Expressway(To your Heart) starts in a familiar fashion and then the improv vocals of Sarah Fulcher kick in. I felt she sounded great and that the music took on an extra magically enthusiastic nature as was often the nature when Jerry seemed thrilled by whatever he was playing. On my first listen through I have to admit that Sarah mostly repeating the same words grew tiresome except for when she would just harmonize to the music. The rest of Disc one went by in a joyous blur and I never once tired of her singing again. Id like to say Honey Chile caught my attention especially but that wouldn't be true as all tracks grabbed me. Cd2, love the Jerry led I Know It's A Sin. From there things just grow. Find a Rainbow reminds me a little of Dear Prudence as Jerry would play it many years later. I'll sum it up by saying just look at the track listing and remember how inspired the sound is and then I realize how much of a treat this one is. I've not been disappointed by any of the other releases in this series or stand alone releases or the old Pure Jerry series(im still missing 2 of those releases and the 1839 Theatre show I've purchased a few copies ,with different coloring even, because of various circumstances including being ripped off and loaning another to someone during a darker period where my mind and body are lucky to have survived). Back to Vol. 12, Sarah backs Jerry wonderfully when appropriate. I love this era (actually I love all eras) but I find a strange connection to this time period even though I was only a kid at the time. Something mysterious to my ears and to my memories of those years. The music was so exploratory for non-Grateful Dead and I remember that during these years life was an adventure as we moved and traveled all across most of the lower 48 and by late 70s we crossed the Pacific for a couple of years. Upon our return is when i can concretely place my first solid memories of Jerry and The Dead and JGB or atleast the music. Have older memories of the music but I can't piece that time, place, responsible person together. That being said, I love how this release is so many things at once. Thank you for picking another great one.