RELISTENTOPhil Lesh and Friends
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Phil Lesh and Friends
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Today In History
June 10th
Years
2025
144
PlaybackListensHours
48h142
7d213
30d14422
6 shows
12 tapes
2024
139
PlaybackListensHours
48h81
7d234
30d13923
10 shows
44 tapes
2023
193
PlaybackListensHours
48h227m
7d223
30d19333
14 shows
63 tapes
2022
333
PlaybackListensHours
48h142
7d418
30d33358
26 shows
115 tapes
2021
50
PlaybackListensHours
48h122
7d81
30d508
15 shows
90 tapes
2020
17
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d00m
30d173
9 shows
9 tapes
2019
200
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d234
30d20032
16 shows
64 tapes
2018
222
PlaybackListensHours
48h71
7d101
30d22240
30 shows
74 tapes
2017
290
PlaybackListensHours
48h558m
7d556m
30d29048
30 shows
67 tapes
2016
254
PlaybackListensHours
48h111m
7d335
30d25443
21 shows
79 tapes
2015
167
PlaybackListensHours
48h115m
7d172
30d16721
12 shows
74 tapes
2014
1.2k
PlaybackListensHours
48h341m
7d163
30d1.2k167
41 shows
161 tapes
2013
279
PlaybackListensHours
48h10720
7d688
30d27944
42 shows
114 tapes
2012
415
PlaybackListensHours
48h244
7d8815
30d41570
49 shows
104 tapes
2011
17
PlaybackListensHours
48h749m
7d00m
30d172
2 shows
14 tapes
2010
41
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d00m
30d417
2 shows
2 tapes
2009
2
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d00m
30d220m
1 show
1 tape
2008
766
PlaybackListensHours
48h355
7d314
30d766111
63 shows
255 tapes
2007
378
PlaybackListensHours
48h316
7d569
30d37861
36 shows
158 tapes
2006
798
PlaybackListensHours
48h366
7d15725
30d798132
38 shows
128 tapes
2005
412
PlaybackListensHours
48h183
7d519
30d41265
28 shows
109 tapes
2004
93
PlaybackListensHours
48h233
7d121
30d9314
4 shows
26 tapes
2003
423
PlaybackListensHours
48h122
7d7912
30d42362
22 shows
90 tapes
2002
2k
PlaybackListensHours
48h467
7d8914
30d2k318
55 shows
234 tapes
2001
1.8k
PlaybackListensHours
48h21130
7d27144
30d1.8k318
77 shows
330 tapes
2000
1.1k
PlaybackListensHours
48h579
7d20037
30d1.1k200
77 shows
209 tapes
1999
4.6k
PlaybackListensHours
48h27960
7d687138
30d4.6k953
43 shows
194 tapes
1998
56
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d61
30d569
7 shows
15 tapes
1996
1
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d00m
30d114m
1 show
2 tapes
1994
109
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d161
30d10911
2 shows
9 tapes
1982
2
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d00m
30d217m
1 show
1 tape
1976
48
PlaybackListensHours
48h322m
7d312m
30d485
4 shows
5 tapes
1975
8
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d130m
30d84
1 show
1 tape
1970
24
PlaybackListensHours
48h00m
7d324m
30d243
1 show
1 tape
1964
4
PlaybackListensHours
48h124m
7d124m
30d42
1 show
1 tape
1959
26
PlaybackListensHours
48h29m
7d836m
30d262
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)