Archival “Unbroken Chain” Captures Phil Lesh & Friends at 2005 Apex
Despite more than 100 musicians passing through its revolving doors over a quarter-century of concerts, Phil Lesh & Friends were an “Unbroken Chain” anchored by their namesake former Grateful Dead bassist.
Released in wake of Lesh’s Oct. 25 death, an audience-shot video of the Oct. 9, 2005, lineup performing “Unbroken Chain” in New Jersey illustrates and soundtracks Lesh’s counterintuitive wisdom.
With Barry Sless on lead guitar, John Molo manning the kit and Mookie Siegel on keys, the band (with Larry Campbell and Chris Robinson playing electric and acoustic guitar, respectively) nails the “Chain”’s tricky tempo changes and polyrhythmic instrumental sections with the tightness of a seasoned group of players.
Lesh sings his composition passionately, while both holding down and pushing along the song with his inimitable style of bass playing. It serves as a reminder of the new ground Lesh continued to explore in his post-Dead career and stands as another reason to thank the folks who spent decades recording Lesh’s exploits so the rest of us may revel in them for decades more.
10/28/24
