Like the work at his day job with the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia’s time with his eponymous Jerry Garcia Band offered discernible hot streaks. As the JGB lineup solidified alongside the repertoire, the sextet rose to its potential as an equally reliable, smoking ensemble. No question, this six-CD collection documenting a three-show run at the famed Warfield in the winter of 1991 had the heater on high.

By 1991, the Warfield was a comfy clubhouse for Garcia and his faithful. The Dead’s residency in the previous decade established the theater as a hometown haven, and JGB inherited the same favor. It shows in the performances, with the band and its captain crackling with electric goodness. Nimble and full of ideas, Garcia leads his group through two sets a night loaded with familiar entries and fabulous playing. Thankfully included is the March 1st, 1991 appearance that ranks consistently in the upper tier of favored JGB shows of the decade- night two of the stay, with its mythic “Don’t Let Go.”

There are a few repeats across the setlists, but barely enough to notice. And, with Garcia and his group approaching most of the tunes with a jazzer’s mentality- establishing the song, then launching into journeys of improvisation- every moment is of discovery, despite how engrained some of the songs had become. In fact, it’s that worn-in and established confidence in each other that allows the ensemble to float and flash through the selections; mostly showcasing Garcia’s longstanding affinity for R&B standards such as “The Way You Do The Things You Do,” “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love,” and “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” astride his homages to his contemporaries- Bob Dylan, or Jimmy Cliff, or Eric Clapton.

Sonically, it’s recorded very well- courtesy of Dead sound tech, producer, and archivist, the late John Cutler- with Garcia’s healthy vocals and shimmering guitar right up front, amidst a balanced presentation. There is also an illustrative essay from Dead authority, Blair Jackson, that frames nicely the trio of shows, with an insider’s detail and affection for the music. It’s a praiseworthy assemblage of performance and posterity as a ‘90s love letter to (or from) the Warfield, as Garcia and his band steam up the windows on a three-night homecoming in the City by the Bay.