Before Jerry Garcia convinced him to pick up the bass guitar and join the Grateful Dead (or The Warlocks as they were called at the time), Phil Lesh was an avid fan and student of both classical music and jazz, composing songs and playing trumpet in his college jazz band. In fact, both Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann credit Lesh with turning them on to John Coltrane, which had a notable influence on their playing styles and in turn produced the improvisational ethos that defined the Dead’s proto-jam band sound. (Mickey Hart also credits Lesh with exposing him to “the world’s music,” which sent him on a musical journey that continues to this day.)
The earliest known recording of any member of the Grateful Dead is a tape recorded in 1959 of Phil Lesh playing trumpet with his jazz ensemble at San Mateo College. Not only did Lesh blow his horn at the gig, he also wrote and arranged the charts played by the band, including a song inspired by novelist James Joyce entitled “Finnegan’s Awake”. The concert also included another Lesh original, “Wail Frail”, the jazz standard “I’ll Remember April” by Gene de Paul, and more.
This 1950s recording offers a rare glimpse of what Lesh was up to before embarking on his long, strange trip with the Grateful Dead. Strange to think what could have become of the beloved musician had he never swapped his trumpet for a bass guitar…
Listen to Phil Lesh lead his college jazz band through his tune “Finnegan’s Awake” below, and head to Relisten or Archive.org to listen to the full recording.
San Mateo College Jazz Band Ft. Phil Lesh – “Finnegan’s Awake” – 4/5/59
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