RELISTENTOPhil Lesh and Friends
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Phil Lesh and Friends
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Today In History
June 6th
0 shows
0 tapes
Years
2025
178
PlaybackListensHours
48h223
7d365
30d17829
6 shows
12 tapes
2024
167
PlaybackListensHours
48h112m
7d245
30d16728
10 shows
44 tapes
2023
200
PlaybackListensHours
48h213m
7d750m
30d20034
14 shows
63 tapes
2022
344
PlaybackListensHours
48h377
7d10017
30d34459
26 shows
115 tapes
2021
47
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d81
30d478
15 shows
90 tapes
2020
23
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d214m
30d234
9 shows
9 tapes
2019
193
PlaybackListensHours
48h162
7d132
30d19331
16 shows
64 tapes
2018
245
PlaybackListensHours
48h132
7d142
30d24545
30 shows
74 tapes
2017
302
PlaybackListensHours
48h111m
7d579
30d30250
30 shows
67 tapes
2016
231
PlaybackListensHours
48h132
7d346
30d23140
21 shows
79 tapes
2015
155
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d00m
30d15521
12 shows
74 tapes
2014
1.2k
PlaybackListensHours
48h183
7d14922
30d1.2k173
41 shows
161 tapes
2013
262
PlaybackListensHours
48h8314
7d9015
30d26245
42 shows
114 tapes
2012
459
PlaybackListensHours
48h438m
7d7814
30d45977
49 shows
104 tapes
2011
18
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d61
30d183
2 shows
14 tapes
2010
41
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d330m
30d417
2 shows
2 tapes
2009
2
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d00m
30d220m
1 show
1 tape
2008
938
PlaybackListensHours
48h517
7d558
30d938136
63 shows
255 tapes
2007
422
PlaybackListensHours
48h537
7d16829
30d42269
36 shows
158 tapes
2006
745
PlaybackListensHours
48h447
7d22939
30d745126
38 shows
128 tapes
2005
438
PlaybackListensHours
48h163
7d468
30d43867
28 shows
109 tapes
2004
103
PlaybackListensHours
48h655m
7d342m
30d10316
4 shows
26 tapes
2003
418
PlaybackListensHours
48h6510
7d6611
30d41861
22 shows
90 tapes
2002
2.1k
PlaybackListensHours
48h467
7d717122
30d2.1k326
55 shows
234 tapes
2001
1.9k
PlaybackListensHours
48h8914
7d36565
30d1.9k349
77 shows
330 tapes
2000
1k
PlaybackListensHours
48h8916
7d15427
30d1k188
77 shows
209 tapes
1999
4.7k
PlaybackListensHours
48h584117
7d721154
30d4.7k986
43 shows
194 tapes
1998
70
PlaybackListensHours
48h61
7d328m
30d7012
7 shows
15 tapes
1996
1
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d114m
30d114m
1 show
2 tapes
1994
104
PlaybackListensHours
48h141
7d141
30d10411
2 shows
9 tapes
1982
2
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d18m
30d217m
1 show
1 tape
1976
45
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d110m
30d455
4 shows
5 tapes
1975
7
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d130m
30d73
1 show
1 tape
1970
21
PlaybackListensHours
48h433m
7d646m
30d213
1 show
1 tape
1964
3
PlaybackListensHours
48h124m
7d124m
30d31
1 show
1 tape
1959
19
PlaybackListensHours
48h14m
7d14m
30d191
1 show
3 tapes
1982
4/21/82
Day One #1 (08:28)
8:29
Day One #2 (34:20)
34:21
Discussion (02:58)
2:59
FIN
View on archive.org
Sources
Taper: Alan Bershaw
45:49
Rating:
8.00 / 2 ratings
Taper:
Alan Bershaw
Transferrer:
Alan Bershaw
SHNID:
paf1982-04-21.150689.studio.bershaw.flac16
Source:
J.K. Randall's master cassette -> cassette -> Alan Bershaw's 2nd generation cassette (Maxell XL2-S with Dolby B)
Lineage:
2nd generation cassette (Maxell XL2-S with Dolby B) -> Nakamichi Dragon (playback with Dolby B) -> Lexicon Lambda -> Logic (tracking only) -> wav 16/44.1 -> xAct (sbe correction) -> wav -> flac (transferred by Alan Bershaw on October 12, 2020)
Taper Notes:
View NotesPERSONNEL: Phil Lesh - processed bass, synthesized sounds and electronics, percussion, whistles, vocal sounds, unidentified noisemakers and instruments James. K. Randall - synthesized sounds and electronics, percussion, vocal sounds, unidentified noisemakers and instruments Marjorie Tichenor - piano, synthesized sounds and electronics, percussion, vocal sounds, footsteps, unidentified noisemakers and instruments NOTES: Hopefully somebody out there knows a lot more about these sessions than I do, and can possibly clue us in once I get them circulating. But first, some context, and what I do know. At the tail end of the Dead’s east coast tour in April of 1982, Phil Lesh contributed a memorable “Barbary Coast” recitation (AKA Earthquake Space) to the April 18th show here in Hartford, CT. At the April 19th Baltimore show on the following night, he recited the opening line of the poem "Paul Clifford" and fragments of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” during the space sequence following drums, right before the band took a month off from touring. Highly unusual to have vocals at all during this part of the Dead's performances and a wonderfully weird way to end that tour - with Lesh clearly leading the way. Immediately after those shows, Lesh headed to the home of J.K. Randall in Princeton, New Jersey. For those unfamiliar with him, Randall was an American composer, music theorist, and early adopter of electronic music. He joined the faculty of Princeton in 1957 and at the time of his death (and Lesh’s visit) was Professor of Music Emeritus. At Princeton, he became a pioneer in electronic music during the embryonic computer days of punch cards. Later, he did a great deal of improvisation, then late in life came back to composing for piano and MIDI. His music was primarily heard in academic circles by music scholars and theorists, but occasionally reached a wider audience. Over the course of several days, Lesh ventured into experimental “new music” with Randall and two of his cohorts, electronic music composer/music theorist Ben Boretz and pianist/writer/music theorist Marjorie Tichenor. They recorded in various configurations during the course of this visit. These recordings are very good quality, but they’ll only appeal to the most avid Lesh collectors or fans of experimental music - and maybe the small contingency of Deadheads that appreciated Lesh & Ned Lagin’s “Seastones” album, although they bear few similarities to that project. They are primarily much longer totally improvised pieces, ranging from half an hour to well over an hour each. The transfers were unproblematic, but because these tapes were in deep storage and unplayed for nearly 35 years, they do suffer from minor bleed-through, which is audible during sparse quieter sequences. The instrumentation ranges from synthesized electronic sounds and familiar instruments (like piano, wind instruments and percussion), to an extremely unusual all-vocal sequence (with Marjorie Tichenor leading the way) that may be one of the weirdest and most unselfconscious improvisations ever committed to tape. Think Zappa's brief vocal interludes of snorts, grunts and the like, on steroids… As far as I know, these recordings have never circulated beyond a handful of friends and I cannot for the life of me remember who gave them to me - beyond that it must have been in the early to mid 1980s, not too long after they happened. I did check the J.K. Randall tape archive inventory at Princeton, and they are not to be found there. Also not listed among any of the recordings that Randall or Boretz ever issued. The track titles are simply descriptive of the order in which they were recorded and are not according to any official notation. The actual tapes had very little information beyond the dates and personnel. Likewise, the instrumentation attributed to each of the musicians are just my educated guesses and not definitive. Because I'm currently swamped with client projects between now and the holidays, it will likely be awhile before I can get to transferring the remaining tapes from April 22nd and 23rd. I'll do my best to get these additional recordings circulating before the end of the year, but it may have to wait until January. In the meantime, here are the recordings from day one of these unusual sessions to get the ball rolling. If anyone is better educated about these sessions, please clue us in! -Alan Bershaw (October 2020)