Keyboardist Merl Saunders [ tickets ], who recorded with musicians including Jerry Garcia, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis and B.B. King, died Friday (10/24) in San Francisco of complications from a stroke he had in 2002, according to a Reuters report. He was 74.

Saunders began his musical career in San Francisco at a high school event with classmate Johnny Mathis; but it was his longtime collaboration with Garcia that garnered him lasting notice.

He played on the Grateful Dead [ tickets ]'s 1971 album "Grateful Dead," and continued working with Garcia until his 1995 death. The two recorded several albums together, including "Heavy Turbulence," "Fire Up" and "Live at the Keystone."

In 1990, Garcia and Saunders recorded the album "Blues from the Rainforest," which achieved success on the New Age charts.