Phil Lesh and Friends
Live at The Warfield
Relix Records - Buy Now
“Scarlet Begonias” gives a nutshell view of the musical results of Phil Lesh’s choice to return to his revolving lineups. Dylan alum Larry Campbell and funk-jazz icon John Scofield offer a contemplative prelude and Lesh leads them through a vibrant postlude jam (which they skillfully steer into “They Love Each Other”). However, the verse section is brought down by painfully bland Lesh vocals and sloppy guitar work.
These Lesh lineups have their awkward moments, yet they serve to make the revelatory ones that much more profound.The organic beauty of a dazzling rendition of “Cosmic Charlie” or a graceful move from “The Wheel” to “Dark Star” and “Morning Dew” is magnified when we hear the band stumble through “The Other One.”
While it is disappointing that Phil only draws from the Grateful Dead catalog, he certainly shines on the collector’s delight “Pride of Cuca-monga” (bolstered by Campbell’s adept pedal steel). Joan Osborne’s vocals are at their best during a rock-solid reading of “Mr. Charlie” and a sultry take on “Lovelight.” Jazz sax ace Greg Osby anchors “Shake-down Street” (but he is considerably under-used overall), and the further they get from the composed material, the more we feel Scofield’s brilliance.
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