Happy 4th of July (early)! Is there anything more American than the Dead? This version is Live from NY, April 6th, 1971. In case you didn’t know, Phil Lesh (1940–2024) was an American musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, serving as their bassist for their entire 30-year run. A classically trained multi-instrumentalist, he revolutionized the role of the bass in rock music by treating it as a lead instrument rather than just a timekeeper.
Instead of strictly locking into the rhythm, Lesh developed a fluid, melodic style of “lead bass” that wove in and out of Jerry Garcia’s guitar melodies. He was the intellectual force in the band. Coming from a background in jazz and avant-garde classical music, he pushed his bandmates to embrace free-form improvisation.
Bob Weir (1947–2026) was an iconic musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member and rhythm guitarist of the legendary rock band the Grateful Dead. Over his six-decade career, his distinct, nimble playing defined the band’s improvisational sound, later keeping their musical legacy alive with spinoffs like Dead & Company.
Born in San Francisco, Weir co-founded the Grateful Dead in the 1960s alongside Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. While Garcia handled the lead guitar, Weir developed a uniquely inventive, shifting rhythm guitar style that anchored the band’s famous marathon jams. Weir also contributed as a vocalist and co-writer on some of the band’s most recognizable tracks, including “Truckin’,” “Sugar Magnolia,” and “Cassidy”
Video Information
Bass Used: Hofner Club with Thomastik-Infeld Flats
Guitar Used: Guild Starfire I Jet 90
DI Box: Grace M303 Active
Outboard effects: API Select Tranzformer Compressor
Audio Interface: Antelope Zenith 2
My Home Page:
https://jaysbasstabs.com
Add comment