Phil Lesh's Band Adds New Style
to Legacy of Grateful Dead
By: John M. Moran, Staff Writer
The Hartford Courant
Published: Nov 22, 2001

Six years after the death of guitarist Jerry Garcia, the musical spirit of the Grateful Dead lives on.

Proof positive wheeled through Wallingford Thursday in the form of the band called Phil Lesh & Friends, led by former Dead bass player Phil Lesh.

Though other former members of the Dead continue to tour in various musical configurations, Lesh's band seems the nearest heir to the road-warrior legacy of touring each spring, summer and fall.

The jam-ready quintet powered through two lengthy and satisfying sets chock-full of Dead tunes, along with a handful of classic rock covers and a smattering of newer material.

Lesh and his able sidemen aren't so much interested in mimicking the Dead's sound (which would be a futile effort, in any case), as they are in taking the music into new regions of style and improvisation.

One noticeable result is the bluesy edge to many of the tunes, courtesy of guitarists Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring, both former members of the Allman Brothers Band. These guys know their way around a blues lick and aren't afraid to show it off, as they did with a pyrotechnic guitar duel on the encore, "Soulshine."

The improvised intensity and the psychedelic swirl of the music remained strong on Dead tunes and covers alike. Lesh, still sprightly at age 61 and running on a transplanted liver, manages to roll back the years with a constant flurry of bass rumblings.

Lesh and Friends showed a willingness to tackle songs form the Dead catalog that were rarely heard even when Garcia was alive. Examples from Tuesday's performance included "New Speedway Boogie," "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo," and a sparkling rendition of "St. Stephen."

Keyboardist Rob Barraco did a capable job on many vocals once handled by Garcia. Lesh chipped in with a decent take at "Scarlet Begonias," a polyrhythmic monster that segued into a fast-paced version of "Fire on The Mountain."

The band also raged widely outside the Dead musical terrain. Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," got an urgent and gritty treatment, thanks to Haynes' scowling guitar work and rough-hewn vocals. The Beatles' "Revolution" provided a pounding closer to the second set. "Rock-N-Roll Blues," a tune written by Lesh and Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, added a refreshing element of newness to the performance.

All of this was, of course, well received by a packed house of fans who ranged from teenagers to grandparents. No, it wasn't the Grateful Dead. But for those who loved their music, it was a well worth listen anyway.

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