I knew there’d be a Henry tribute to Phil so I finally came looking for it. Thank you. ❤️🩹 on that first stack of tapes someone handed me in the early 1990s with a “you should check these guys out”, it was that bassist’s playing that made the first biggest shocking impression on me. It just felt like everyone in the band was able to be free because nothing was anchored in place by the standard type of pattern-playing, repetitious, or vamping bass. These two songs Playing in the Band and Dark Star (more than any others in tape stack one) were completely new worlds to me. As far as high school me was concerned at that time here was the only band in history with a bassist that was as or more interesting than everyone else in the band, yet he was never just taking a turn soloing. I’d truly never heard a band before where I felt like if these guys can’t hear each other, they can’t do this.
Of course in the many years since then, and in huge part because GD music forced me to immediately go looking, many worlds of improvised music found me. William Parker, Peter Kowald, Barry Guy, Richard Davis, Barre Phillips, etc have all shown me grand vistas of bass playing/interacting in countless bands of mind-warping power. Thank god. And thank Phil and the Grateful Dead for leading me into new worlds.
And thank you Henry. In early summer of 1995 I got the tape of the 2/14/95 Valentines show and that Playing in the Band I must say probably turned me obnoxious to my couple GD pals for a while. For the most part, in my opinion Jerry did not often have IT guitaristically in “my era” of catching the GD in concert. That 2/14/95 Valentines Playing in the Band had me cranking the tape for anyone who would listen after I told them Jesus lord get Phil on bass with Weir and this Henry guy and THIS will be the heavyweight Grateful Dead music of my era. I still believe it. Still wish it would have happened for at least 8 or 20 concerts. Many years later I again felt similarly about your Jazz Free disc with Nels and Weasel Walter, even though I know Weasel would jump off the Golden Gate Bridge before he’d ever join anyone in taking The Other One or Caution or Playin’ out for a ride into the unknowns. Still, it pleases me to try to hear it in my mind. Thank you, Henry.
Nice
I knew there’d be a Henry tribute to Phil so I finally came looking for it. Thank you. ❤️🩹 on that first stack of tapes someone handed me in the early 1990s with a “you should check these guys out”, it was that bassist’s playing that made the first biggest shocking impression on me. It just felt like everyone in the band was able to be free because nothing was anchored in place by the standard type of pattern-playing, repetitious, or vamping bass. These two songs Playing in the Band and Dark Star (more than any others in tape stack one) were completely new worlds to me. As far as high school me was concerned at that time here was the only band in history with a bassist that was as or more interesting than everyone else in the band, yet he was never just taking a turn soloing. I’d truly never heard a band before where I felt like if these guys can’t hear each other, they can’t do this.
Of course in the many years since then, and in huge part because GD music forced me to immediately go looking, many worlds of improvised music found me. William Parker, Peter Kowald, Barry Guy, Richard Davis, Barre Phillips, etc have all shown me grand vistas of bass playing/interacting in countless bands of mind-warping power. Thank god. And thank Phil and the Grateful Dead for leading me into new worlds.
And thank you Henry. In early summer of 1995 I got the tape of the 2/14/95 Valentines show and that Playing in the Band I must say probably turned me obnoxious to my couple GD pals for a while. For the most part, in my opinion Jerry did not often have IT guitaristically in “my era” of catching the GD in concert. That 2/14/95 Valentines Playing in the Band had me cranking the tape for anyone who would listen after I told them Jesus lord get Phil on bass with Weir and this Henry guy and THIS will be the heavyweight Grateful Dead music of my era. I still believe it. Still wish it would have happened for at least 8 or 20 concerts. Many years later I again felt similarly about your Jazz Free disc with Nels and Weasel Walter, even though I know Weasel would jump off the Golden Gate Bridge before he’d ever join anyone in taking The Other One or Caution or Playin’ out for a ride into the unknowns. Still, it pleases me to try to hear it in my mind. Thank you, Henry.
Lovely tribute. RIP Phil Lesh 🙏☮
A fitting tribute for a sonic cosmonaut
Great tribute to the great Phil Lesh
I Phil Ya's, Well Done & Way Out, 🎍✨️😎Real Gone❣️💫