March 23, 2001

Working at the global headquarters of Phil Lesh & Friends is truly a dream come true. Often during the week Phil will stop by and share his thoughts on a dizzying array of topics over munchies in the kitchen. I thought that it would be great to let you share in these conversations. The topics discussed are far reaching: music (of course), art, food, kids, books, philosophy --- just about anything... Enjoy! J.C. Juanis

This will be a continuing conversation. To participate in the conversation send your thoughts to: ThePhilZoneQuest@aol.com

JC: Phil, I know that Florida holds a very special place in your heart. Could you describe the moment that you learned that the doctors at the Mayo Clinic had found a compatible liver for you?

Phil: I was watching my kids on the beach goofing around and saw a pod of dolphins suddenly appear and frolic along the surf line right in front of us- minutes later, we went into the house; the phone rang, it was my doctor with the word. I felt like a ray of light had struck me.

JC: The theme of the tour, Here Come Sunshine has a lot of meaning to all of us; from our Sunshine (Jimmy) to beginning our tour in the Sunshine state at the Sunrise Music Theater. Can you share a little bit of the plans that you have in store for our Florida "phans"?

Phil: The theme of the whole tour is to celebrate the Spring: the season of rebirth in the natural world after the rigors of winter. The sun has been resurrected from the realm of night and the days grow steadily longer. Life bursts forth anew with unstoppable force- the whole world shivers with joy. To celebrate the spring and the return of the sun, at selected shows I will be reading stanzas from the "Invocation to the Sun", the Prologue to Nikos Kazantzakis' epic poem "The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel". This is also intended as a prefatory event to the themes of our Summer tour, which we'll be announcing soon.

JC: You were sharing your thoughts about the lawsuit over Jerry Garcia's guitars earlier, would you care to share them online?

Phil: The band had an agreement; for many years they drew a salary but took no profits- all earnings went into the partnership. In return the company paid for the band members' equipment including instruments. Whether or not Jerry wrote a personal check or a company check the guitars were his to bequeath to whomever he wanted. On an ethical level, the Grateful Dead would not have existed without Jerry. Grateful Dead Productions exists because of him and even today he helps to pay the salaries of the people who run it. Jerry was not one who thought long-term, but he took the time and energy to let us know that he wanted Doug Irwin to have the guitars. His wishes should be honored.

JC: Thanks, and one more quick question. What did you do on your birthday?

Phil: I rented a fast convertible and my wife and I drove out to the beach...

Stay tuned for more with Phil... coming soon...