Phil Lesh, founding member and bass player of the Grateful Dead, has passed. He was 84.
Whether you're a fan of the Dead or not, there's no question that the band had an enormous impact on American music - and part of their sound derived from bluegrass (in the form of Jerry Garcia). Lesh was a classically-trained musician who developed a unique approach to the bass guitar, and was also a driving force behind the bands extended jams.
Phil Lesh's influence got me to buy a semi-hollow bass in the Sixties. He and Jack Casady changed the way bass was played in rock bands. A student of contemporary classical (mainly experimental) music, he brought his sensibilities to a rock band willng to try a new approach - to an audience willing to listen (and dance). He had a good sense of irony, too. When describing his new Alembic bass, he mentioned all the new electronic features, but added that, well, he was just playing rock 'n' roll on it.
I had the good fortune to see him twice with the Dead, in '67 at a free concert at Place Ville Marie in Montreal (photo), and at the Festival Express in Toronto in '70, where, from the first bars of music, the Dead had the crowd on its feet swaying and dancing.
R.I.P. to a musical pioneer.
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