How Sweet It Is (Jerry Garcia Band album)

How Sweet It Is is the second live album by the Jerry Garcia Band. Like the band's self-titled first live release, it was recorded in the spring and summer of 1990 at The Warfield in San Francisco, California.^[1] It was released on CD in 1997, two years after Jerry Garcia's death. It was released as a two-disc LP on April 22, 2023.^[2]

How Sweet It Is
Live album by Jerry Garcia Band
Released	April 15, 1997
Recorded	April–August 1990
Genre	Rock
Label	Grateful Dead Records
Producer	John Cutler & Steve Parish
Jerry Garcia Band chronology
Jerry Garcia Band (1991) How Sweet It Is (1997) Don't Let Go (2001)
Jerry Garcia chronology
That High Lonesome Sound (1996) How Sweet It Is (1997) Breakdown (1997)

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
The Music Box	[4]

On Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine said, "... How Sweet It Is captures the Jerry Garcia Band running through a selection of originals and covers. While it isn't as fluid or surprising as the double-disc 1991 set Jerry Garcia Band, which was culled from the same shows, it's nevertheless an entertaining set, especially for devoted fans, who will cherish previously unheard Garcia covers of songs like 'Think' and the title track."^[3]

In The Music Box, John Metzger wrote, "How Sweet It Is is the long-awaited follow-up to the two-disc Jerry Garcia Band set that was released in 1991. Culled from the same period of live performances, this effort delivers ten more songs that explore the magical relationship between Jerry Garcia, bassist John Kahn, and keyboardist Melvin Seals."^[4]

Track listing

1. "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland) – 6:20
2. "Tough Mama" (Bob Dylan) – 5:41
3. "That's What Love Will Make You Do" (James Banks, Eddie Marion, Henderson Thigpen) – 8:03
4. "Someday Baby" (Lightnin' Hopkins) – 8:54
5. "Cats Under the Stars" (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia) – 8:59
6. "Tears of Rage" (Dylan, Richard Manuel) – 7:54
7. "Think" (Jimmy McCracklin, Deadric Malone) – 7:18
8. "Gomorrah" (Hunter, Garcia) – 6:38
9. "Tore Up over You" (Hank Ballard) – 7:19
10. "Like a Road Leading Home" (Don Nix, Dan Penn) – 10:12

Personnel

Jerry Garcia Band

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals
• Melvin Seals – organ
• John Kahn – bass
• David Kemper – drums
• Gloria Jones – vocals
• Jackie LaBranch – vocals

Production

• Producers – John Cutler, Steve Parish
• Recording and mixing – John Cutler
• Engineers – Jeffrey Norman, Dave Roberts
• Mastering – Joe Gastwirt
• Sound – Mike Brady, Uwe Willenbacher
• Photography – Ken Friedman
• Cover photography - Mike Conway
• Design – Gecko Graphics
• Liner notes – Steve Silberman

References

1. How Sweet It Is at the Grateful Dead Family Discography
2. "Jerry Garcia Band: How Sweet It Is". Record Store Day. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. How Sweet It Is at AllMusic. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
4. Metzger, John (September 1997). How Sweet It Is, The Music Box. Retrieved May 25, 2013.