Willie Nelson has collaborated with countless artists over the years. Time and again, he has proven that he is comfortable in nearly any musical setting even when he steps outside of country music. Back in 2001, he and his band co-headlined a handful of shows with Phil Lesh and Friends.
On July 28, 2001, Phil Lesh and Friends and Willie Nelson & Family co-headlined a show at the Blockbuster Arena in Camden, New Jersey. During the show, Nelson and Lesh’s band joined forces to jam on a gospel classic. Watch them perform “Uncloudy Day” below.
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[RELATED: 4 Unforgettable Grateful Dead Songs Co-Written by Phil Lesh]
While Nelson sings lead on the song, there is no real star of the show here. Everyone gets time to shine before the song ends.
Willie Nelson Joins an Iconic Phil Lesh and Friends Lineup
This isn’t the first time that Nelson and Lesh’s band teamed up for “Uncloudy Day.” They performed the gospel standard together during Farm Aid in 1998. However, Lesh’s lineup was different at the time. The jam shows the versatility of everyone involved. The late jam band luminary had gathered a solid quintet by the time the video above was recorded. In 1998, though, it featured a constantly rotating lineup that featured Bob Weir, Steve Kimock, Scott Amadola, Bobby Strickland, and many others.
Phil Lesh and Friends was never a permanent band. Instead, it was a loose community of musicians from the jam band world fronted by the late great Lesh. The closest thing to a permanent lineup the group ever saw came between 2000 and 2002. The lineup consisted of Lesh, Warren Haynes (guitar/vocals), Jimmy Herring (guitar), John Molo (drums), and Rob Barraco (keys).
Called the Phil Lesh Quintet, this lineup toured heavily for two years. They were also the only lineup to release an album. The quintet released There and Back Again in 2002. Additionally, this lineup was responsible for Planet Jams. While not an official release, the bootleg captures a series of instrumental songs written by Lesh inspired by the solar system.
The PLQ is held in high regard even two decades after it dissolved. It only seems fitting that Willie Nelson, a country legend, would join them onstage.
Featured Image by Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images
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