NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Phil Lesh

Phillip Chapman Lesh (born March 15, 1940 in Berkeley, California) is a musician and founding member of the rock band, Grateful Dead; he played bass guitar in that group throughout their entire 30-year career. is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in northern California, in the United States. ... Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in northern California, in the United States. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs; especially LSD.[1] by using lyrics that describe dreams and refer to drug use using bizarre sounds created by altering the instruments and vocals with electronic effects such as heavy distortion... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... Bob Dylans folk-rock album, Blonde on Blonde Folk-rock is a musical genre, combining elements of folk music and rock music. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, popping or using a pick. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... This article is about the band. ... The Other Ones (1998-2002) was a band formed by the surviving members (Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir) of the Grateful Dead after the 1995 death of Jerry Garcia. ... The Dead is a rock band comprised of former members of the Grateful Dead. ... Phil Lesh & Friends is an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, bassist of the Grateful Dead. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in northern California, in the United States. ... â€œInstrumentalistâ€ redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the band. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, popping or using a pick. ...

Lesh started out as a violin player, but in high school, he switched to trumpet and had a keen interest in avant-garde classical music and free jazz; he also studied under the Italian modernist Luciano Berio at Mills College (classmates included minimalist composer Steve Reich, and future Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten). While still a college student he met then-bluegrass banjo player Jerry Garcia. They formed a friendship and eventually Lesh was talked into becoming the bass guitarist for Garcia's new rock group, then known as the Warlocks. He joined them for their third or fourth gig (memories vary) and stayed until the end. Lesh noticed that another group had made a record under the name Warlocks when he found their album at a store. He suggested to the other band members that they change their name. The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ... The trumpet is a musical instrument in the brass family. ... 20th century classical music, the classical music of the 20th century, was extremely diverse, beginning with the late Romantic style of Sergei Rachmaninoff, Impressionism of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, and continuing through the Neoclassicism of middle-period Igor Stravinsky, and ranging to such distant sound-worlds as the complete... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Luciano Berio (October 24, 1925 â€“ May 27, 2003) was an Italian composer. ... Founded in 1852 and established in Oakland, California, in 1871, Mills College is an independent liberal arts womans college, with graduate programs for women and men. ... Stephen Michael Reich (born October 3, 1936) is an American composer. ... This article is about the band. ... Tom Constanten Musician, primarily keyboardist, born March 19, 1944, best known for his stint with the Grateful Dead from 1968-1970. ... Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music which has its own roots in Irish, Scottish and English traditional music. ... For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument of African American origin adapted from several African instruments. ... Jerome John Jerry the Bulldog Garcia (August 1, 1942 â€“ August 9, 1995) was an American musician, songwriter, and artist best known for being the lead guitarist and vocalist of the psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...

Lesh had never played bass before joining the band, which meant he learned "on the job", but it also meant he had no preconceived attitudes about the instrument's traditional "rhythm section" role. Indeed, he has said that his playing style was influenced more by Bach counterpoint than by rock or soul bass players (although one can also hear the fluidity and power of a jazz bassist such as Charles Mingus or Jimmy Garrison in Lesh's work). Rhythm section refers to the musicians whose primary jobs in a jazz or popular music band or ensemble is to establish the rhythm of a song or musical piece, often via repeated riffs or ostinati. ... â€œBachâ€ redirects here. ... For other uses, see Counterpoint (disambiguation). ... This article is about the novel Soul Music. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 â€“ January 5, 1979) was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. ... Jimmy Garrison (March 3, 1933 â€“ April 7, 1976) was an American jazz double bassist best known for his long association with John Coltrane from 1961 â€“ 1967. ...

Lesh, along with Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, and Jack Casady, was an innovator in the new role that the electric bass developed during the mid-1960s. These players adjusted the bass so that it was louder and had a plush, pervasive timbre. Previous to this, bass players in rock had generally played a conventional timekeeping role within the beat of the song, and within (or underpinning) the song's harmonic or chord structure. While not entirely abandoning these aspects, Lesh took his own improvised excursions during a song or instrumental. This was a characteristic aspect of the so-called San Francisco Sound in the new rock music. In a great Dead jam, Lesh's bass is, in essence, as much a lead instrument as Garcia's guitar. Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. ... John Symon Asher Jack Bruce (born May 14, 1943) is a Scottish-born musician, composer and singer. ... John Alec Entwistle (October 9, 1944 â€“ June 27, 2002) was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, and horn player, who was best known as the bass guitarist for rock band The Who. ... Jack Casady (born John William Casady, April 13, 1944 in Washington D.C), is an American musician considered one of the foremost bass guitarists of the rock music era. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, popping or using a pick. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... In music, timbre, or sometimes timber, (from Fr. ... The first two measures of Mozarts Sonata XI, which indicates the tempo as Andante grazioso and a modern editors metronome marking: = 120. â€œAndanteâ€ redirects here. ... putang ina. ... For other uses, see Song (disambiguation). ... Harmony is the use and study of pitch simultaneity, and therefore chords, actual or implied, in music. ... Typical fingering for a second inversion C major chord on a guitar. ... Improvisation is the practice of acting and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of ones immediate environment. ... The San Francisco Sound refers to rock music performed live and recorded by San Francisco-based rock groups of the mid 1960s to early 1970s. ... A jam session is a musical act where musicians gather and play (or jam) without extensive preparation or predefined arrangements. ... Lead guitar refers to a role within a band, that provides melody or melodic material, as opposed to the rhythm of the rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. ...

Lesh was not a prolific composer or singer with the Grateful Dead, although some of the songs he did contribute—"New Potato Caboose", "Box of Rain", "Unbroken Chain", and "Pride of Cucamonga"—are among the best-loved in the band's repertoire. His interest in avant-garde music was a crucial influence on the Dead, pushing them into new territory, and he was an essential part of the group and its mystique, best summed-up in the Deadhead truism: "If Phil's on, the band's on". Also, a snippet of tape of Lesh on trumpet in college can be heard on the Bob Weir-composed "Born Cross-Eyed." Box of Rain is a song by the Grateful Dead, off their 1970 album American Beauty. ... A black-and-white photo of the above symbol was featured inside the album jacket of the self-titled Grateful Dead album along with the address below. ... Robert Hall Weir (October 16, 1947â€“) is an American guitar player, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. ...

After the disbanding of the Grateful Dead, Lesh continued to play with its offshoots The Other Ones and The Dead, as well as performing with his own band, Phil Lesh and Friends (one memorable tour paired him with Bob Dylan). This article is about the band. ... The Other Ones (1998-2002) was a band formed by the surviving members (Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir) of the Grateful Dead after the 1995 death of Jerry Garcia. ... A cemetery, a place of the dead The dead are those who have died, as opposed to those who are still living. ... Phil Lesh & Friends is an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, bassist of the Grateful Dead. ... This article is about the recording artist. ...

Additionally, Lesh and his wife Jill administer their charitable organization, the Unbroken Chain Foundation. The couple have two children together. Grahame, age 20, is a sophomore at Stanford University. Brian, age 17, is a junior in high school. Both Grahame and Brian follow in their father's musical footsteps, and the three frequently play together both publicly and privately.

In 1998 Lesh underwent a liver transplant as a result of chronic Hepatitis C infection; since then, he has become an outspoken advocate for organ donor programs and when performing regularly encourages members of the audience to become organ donors (tracks identified as the "donor rap" on the live recordings of his various performances). Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... This page is for the disease. ... Organ donation is the removal of specific tissues of the human body from a person who has recently died, or from a living donor, for the purpose of transplanting them into other persons. ...

In April, 2005, Lesh's book Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead (ISBN 0-316-00998-9) was published. The book takes its name from the lyrics of a Grateful Dead song entitled "Unbroken Chain," off their album From the Mars Hotel. "Unbroken Chain" is one of the few songs Lesh sings. To date, this is the only book about the Grateful Dead written by a member of the band. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel is the seventh studio album by the Grateful Dead. ... This article is about the band. ...

On October 26th, 2006, Lesh released a statement on his official website, revealing that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and would be undergoing an operation in December 2006 to have it removed. On December 7th, 2006, Lesh released a statement stating that he had undergone prostate surgery with the cancer being removed.

See also

This article is about the band. ... Phil Lesh & Friends is an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, bassist of the Grateful Dead. ...

References

External links

Categories: Grateful Dead | 1940 births | American rock bass guitarists | Grateful Dead members | People associated with the hippie movement | People from the San Francisco Bay Area | California musicians | Taper-friendly musicians | Organ transplant recipients | Cancer survivors | Living people This article is about the band. ... Jerome John Jerry the Bulldog Garcia (August 1, 1942 â€“ August 9, 1995) was an American musician, songwriter, and artist best known for being the lead guitarist and vocalist of the psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead. ... Robert Hall Weir (October 16, 1947â€“) is an American guitar player, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. ... Bill Kreutzmann (born May 7, 1946 in Palo Alto, California) was the drummer for legendary rock band the Grateful Dead for their entire 30-year career. ... Mickey Hart (born September 11, 1943) is best known as one of the two drummers from the rock band the Grateful Dead. ... This page is about a musician. ... Brent Mydland (October 21, 1952 â€“ July 26, 1990) was the fourth keyboardist to play for the United States rock band the Grateful Dead. ... Keith Godchaux (July 19, 1948 - 23 July 1980) (piano) and Donna Jean Thatcher Godchaux Mackay (born August 22, 1947) (singer) are best known for having been members of the Grateful Dead. ... Keith Godchaux (July 19, 1948 - 23 July 1980) (piano) and Donna Jean Thatcher Godchaux Mackay (born August 22, 1947) (singer) are best known for having been members of the Grateful Dead. ... Vince Welnick (February 21, 1951 â€“ June 2, 2006) was an American keyboardist, best known for playing for the Grateful Dead from 1990 until their end in 1995. ... Tom Constanten Musician, primarily keyboardist, born March 19, 1944, best known for his stint with the Grateful Dead from 1968-1970. ... The Other Ones (1998-2002) was a band formed by the surviving members (Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir) of the Grateful Dead after the 1995 death of Jerry Garcia. ... The Dead is a rock band comprised of former members of the Grateful Dead. ... Jerome John Jerry Garcia (August 1, 1942 â€“ August 9, 1995) was famous as guitarist and primary singer of the psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead, though his extensive career involved many other projects. ... Ratdog, also known as Bob Weir and Ratdog, is an American rock band. ... Phil Lesh & Friends is an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, bassist of the Grateful Dead. ... The Rhythm Devils is a super group comprised of Grateful Dead drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, former Phish bassist Mike Gordon and former The Other Ones, Heart of Gold Band, current band Zero and Steve Kimock Band member, Steve Kimock. ... Missing Man Formation (1998) is the name of a band put together by former Grateful Dead keyboard player Vince Welnick, featuring Vince, Steve Kilmock, Prairie Prince, Bobby Vega and others, and is also the title of their first (and only to date) album. ... New Riders of the Purple Sage New Riders of the Purple Sage was a 1970s country rock band from Marin County, California. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Legion of Mary was a side project of the Grateful Deads lead guitarist, singer, and defacto leader Jerry Garcia. ... Reconstruction was a band that John Kahn put together to play when Jerry was busy with the Grateful Dead. ... This article or section needs to be wikified. ... Kingfish is an American rock band led by Matthew Kelly, a musician, singer, and songwriter who plays guitar and harmonica. ... This article is about the band. ... Eric Andersen (born February 14, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter. ... John Perry Barlow (born Jackson Hole, Wyoming, October 3, 1947) is an American poet, essayist, retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and former lyricist for the Grateful Dead. ... Dark Star Orchestra (or simply DSO) is a U.S. tribute band to the Grateful Dead, formed in 1997 and based in Chicago. ... A black-and-white photo of the above symbol was featured inside the album jacket of the self-titled Grateful Dead album along with the address below. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... Bill Graham (January 8, 1931â€“October 25, 1991) was a very well-known American rock concert promoter, who was prominent from the 1960s until his death. ... Gerrit Graham (born: 27 November 1949 in New York, New York) is an American actor and writer. ... Several cameras captured the Grateful Deads Final run at the Winterland Arena in San Francisco, CA. Filmed over 4 nights in October of 1974, released in 1977. ... Record label of the Grateful Dead. ... Richard Alden Griffin (June 18, 1944 - August 18, 1991) was an American artist and one of the leading designers of psychedelic posters in the 1960s. ... David Grisman David Grisman (born March 23, 1945 in Hackensack, New Jersey) is a noted bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. ... Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954 in Williamsburg, Virginia) is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. ... Robert C. Hunter (born June 23, 1941) is an American lyricist, singer songwriter, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. ... Jazz is Dead is a Grateful Dead cover-band composed of Jimmy Herring, Bobby Lee Rodgers and Jeff Sipe (guitar, bass, drums, respectively) that interprets classic Dead songs with jazzy influences and without vocals. ... Alton Kelly is an American artist best known for his psychedelic art, in particular his designs for 1960s rock concerts and albums. ... Steve Kimock (born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) is an American rock musician and guitarist. ... Although often uncredited, Ned Lagin played keyboards at a number of the Grateful Deads live shows between 1970 and 1975. ... Dick Latvala (26 July 1943 - 6 August 1999) was a tape archivist for the Grateful Dead. ... Branford Marsalis. ... Stanley Mouse Miller (1940-present) is an American artist best known for his psychedelic art designs for 1960s rock concert posters, as well as Grateful Dead album cover art. ... The Rex Foundation [[1]] was started by members of the Grateful Dead and friends as a non-profit organization to proactively provide extensive community support to creative endeavors in the arts, sciences, and education. ... Merl Saunders (sometimes spelled Merle), born February 14, 1934, is a multi-genre musician who plays piano and keyboards, favoring the Hammond B3 organ. ... Laurence Shurtliff (1947 - May 16,2006) (a. ... This article is about the LSD chemist and Grateful Dead soundman. ... Sunshine Daydream is a semi-official movie based on the Grateful Deads concert to benefit the Springfield Creamery in Springfield, Oregon. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Wall of Sound was an enormous sound system designed specifically for the Grateful Dead by legendary soundman and LSD chemist Owsley Bear Stanley. ... The Wharf Rats are a group of concert-goers who have chosen to live drug and alcohol free. ... The Grateful Dead in the early 1980s. ... The Grateful Deads first studio album, recorded on Warner Bros. ... Anthem of the Sun is the second studio album by the Grateful Dead, released in 1968. ... Aoxomoxoa is the third studio album by the Grateful Dead. ... Workingmans Dead (Warner Brothers 1969) is one of the most commercially successful albums by the American rock/folk group the Grateful Dead. ... American Beauty is the fifth album by the Grateful Dead. ... Wake of the Flood is the sixth studio album by the Grateful Dead. ... Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel is the seventh studio album by the Grateful Dead. ... Blues for Allah is a 1975 album by the Grateful Dead. ... Terrapin Station is the ninth studio album by the Grateful Dead, and was originally released on July 27, 1977. ... Shakedown Street is the tenth studio album by the Grateful Dead. ... Go to Heaven is a 1980 album by the Grateful Dead. ... Track Listing Touch of Grey Hell in a Bucket When Push Comes to Shove West L.A. Fadeaway My Brother Esau Tons of Steel Throwing Stones Black Muddy River Personnel Jerry Garcia Mickey Hart Bill Kreutzmann Phil Lesh Brent Mydland Bob Weir ... Built to Last is a 1989 album by the Grateful Dead. ... Live/Dead is a 1969 live album by the Grateful Dead. ... Grateful Dead is an eponymous live double album by the Grateful Dead, released in 1971. ... Europe 72 is a 1972 live triple album by The Grateful Dead, from performances on their Spring 1972 tour of Western Europe. ... Despite its title, History of the Grateful Dead, Volume 1 is not a retrospective collection. ... Generally considered by Dead Heads to be the Grateful Deads worst live album, Steal Your Face was popularly called Steal Your Money upon its original release (June of 1976). ... Reckoning is a 1981 live double album by the Grateful Dead. ... Dead Set is a 1981 album by the Grateful Dead. ... Dylan & The Dead is a collaborative live album by Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead, released in 1989 by Columbia Records. ... Without a Net is a recording of the Grateful Dead performing live in concert. ... One From the Vault is a 1975 live recording of the Grateful Dead, released in 1990. ... Somewhere toward the middle of the second set of a Grateful Dead concert came a period of improvosation. ... Disc: 1 1. ... Grayfolded is an album produced by John Oswald featuring the legendary Grateful Dead song Dark Star. Track Listing Grayfolded is taken from over 100 performances of Dark Star between 1968 and 1993. ... Hundred Year Hall is a double live album by the Grateful Dead. ... Dozin At The Knick is a recording of the Grateful Dead performing live in concert at the Knickerbocker Theatre in Albany, NY. It was recorded from March 24-26, 1990 and was released in 2004. ... Fallout from the Philzone is a double compilation album of live recordings by the Grateful Dead handpicked by the bands bassist Phil Lesh. ... Terrapin Station (Limited Edition) was a triple live album by the Grateful Dead released in 1997. ... Live at the Fillmore East 2-11-69 is a double live album by the Grateful Dead recorded during the Live/Dead tour on February 11, 1969 at the Fillmore East in New York. ... Ladies and Gentlemen . ... View from the Vault, Volume One is the first release in a series of DVDs and companion soundtracks by the Grateful Dead known as View from the Vault. The audio is taken from the soundboard and the video from the video screnes at the concerts. ... View from the Vault, Volume Two is the second release in the From the Vault series by the Grateful Dead. ... Nightfall of Diamonds is a double live album by the Grateful Dead released in 2001. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... View from the Vaul, Volume Three is the third release in the View from the Vault series by the Grateful Dead. ... Go to Nassau is an official Grateful Dead live-album release that features music from two-nights in Long Islands Nassau Coliseum. ... Birth of the Dead is a two-CD compilation album chronicling the early years of the San Francisco psychedelic band the Grateful Dead. ... View from the Vault, Volume Four (or View from the Vault IV) is the fourth release in the View from the Vault series of rock concert recordings by the Grateful Dead. ... The Closing of Winterland is a 4 CD soundtrack of the Grateful Deads New Years Eve show 1978. ... Rockin the Rhein with the Grateful Dead is a Grateful Dead triple live album released in 2004. ... Rare Cuts and Oddities 1966 is a compilation of rare live and studio tracks recorded by the Grateful Dead in 1966. ... Truckin Up to Buffalo is a double CD soundtrack to the DVD video of the same name by the Grateful Dead. ... Fillmore Wset 1969 is a triple album, recorded by the Grateful Dead in February 1969. ... Live at the Cow Palace is the first Grateful Dead release since Rhino Records gained control of the Grateful Deads vault. ... Three from the Vault is a live album by the Grateful Dead. ... The Grateful Dead in the early 1980s. ... The Grateful Dead in the early 1980s. ... What a Long Strange Trip Its Been, subtitled The Best of the Grateful Dead, was initially a two record LP produced in 1977. ... The Arista Years is a compilation album that chronicles the Grateful Deads studio and live albums during their time with Arista Records. ... In 1974, the Grateful Dead were burned out from touring and their legendary sound system, the Wall of Sound had proven too expensive to continue with. ... Selections from the Arista Years is a compilation album that chronicles the Grateful Deads studio and live albums during their time with Arista Records. ... So Many Roads (1965-1995) is a live boxed set spanning an expansive five compact discs. ... So Many Roads (1965-1995) Sampler was a promotional sampler for the box set So Many Roads (1965-1995). ... The Golden Road (1965-1973) is a twelve-CD boxed set retrospect of the Grateful Deads studio and live albums during their time with Warner Bros. ... The Very Best of the Grateful Dead is a single-CD compilation album chronically the all years of the San Francisco psychedelic band the Grateful Dead. ... Beyond Description is the second twelve-CD boxed set retrospect of the Grateful Deads studio and live albums. ... Released as a limited edition box set (10,000 copies) in the fall of 2005, The Complete Fillmore West 1969 presented four complete concerts by the Grateful Dead on 10 CDs. ...