It is significant that Phil Lesh, who has died aged 84, claimed that one of his earliest memories was of being stunned by hearing Brahms’s Symphony No 1. Lesh became renowned as the bassist with the Grateful Dead, but his classical training and wide-ranging musical tastes ensured that his playing stretched far beyond the traditional narrow confines of the bass guitar in rock music.
The Grateful Dead, formed in San Francisco in 1965, pioneered their own brand of improvisational music, and Lesh’s playing was imaginative enough to enable them to roam freely from rock, blues and country through sprawling jams. Even their most ardent fans acknowledged that their concerts could be hit-and-miss affairs, as the band waited for inspiration. But when it did, the results were unforgettable.
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