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It was a big stew, and Phil Lesh was a main ingredient.
Bass-playing in a rock context is oftentimes the lone bastion of conservatism: Just keep the beat.
Leshs mission statement rejected that.
Lesh spent his entire career holding that line, and these ten tracks showcase how.
The Other One is a quintessential early Grateful Dead jam that never left their set list.
This is a half-hour exploration that jazzes its way into atonal space, but Lesh never loses the groove.
And whats the first thing you hear when the tune fades in?
Phil Lesh bah-bum-bah-bum-ing along.
For a regular pop song, thats all the bass player would do.
But he sure put his stamp on the transition.
(Lesh called these rave-ups.)
But the best for jamming and for Lesh was Hard to Handle.
If Phils thunga-thunga-thung riff doesnt get you moving, check your pulse, because you might be dead.
The Music Never Stopped,Dicks Picks Vol.
I cant really select a specific Dark Star for this list (thats too personal, man!).
The high point is this 16-minute version of Eyes of the World.
Lesh then encouraged audience members to do the same.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed The Phil Zone as a post-Grateful Dead project.
