Merl Saunders (sometimes spelled Merle), born February 14, 1934 in San Mateo, California, and died October 24, 2008, was an American multi-genre musician who played piano and keyboards, favoring the Hammond B3 organ. Musical career In the 1970s, Saunders began collaborating with Jerry Garcia, with the Grateful Dead and with Garcia's bands The Legion of Mary and Reconstruction. He's led his own bands, as Merl Saunders and Friends, playing live dates with Garcia