From 2013 through 2019 Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh focused on gigs with The Terrapin Family Band and special guests. One of the guitarists in The Terrapin Family Band is Ross James who learned the music of the Grateful Dead in part on-stage and from attending what he calls “Phil School,” Sunday Sessions at Lesh’s house in Marin County, California.
Ross James described his experience at “Phil School” and learning Dead songs from Lesh in an interview about his Jimi’s Dead project with VailDaily.com. James entered the Phil Lesh orbit when he answered a Craig’s List ad placed by Brian Lesh, who was trying to find a guitarist for his band. Ross auditioned at Phil’s home, secured the gig and went on to become the production manager for Phil Lesh & Friends and part of the staff at Terrapin Crossroads.
The Terrapin Family Band became a house band of sorts at Terrapin Crossroads, where they played weekly gigs. When Phil decided he wanted to play with the same ensemble and special guests rather than continuing to rotate the Phil Lesh & Friends lineup, he recruited The Terrapin Family Band. It was around this time he hosted the young musicians each Sunday afternoon. At each “Phil School” session Phil “would guide improvs and provide tips and wisdom” as per Vail Daily.
“He’d say, ‘What you’re chasing with the best performance is when you get played — when you’re not playing, when you’re tapping into the group mind.’ This is where the songs are kind of a blank canvas,” recalled James. “Just his openness and approach to music — the impact is almost impossible for me to put into words.”
Ross James wound up performing over 300 songs with Phil Lesh over the past decade. “I learned the songs on stage with him,” noted James. “He had a lot of patience, and he had a lot of faith in all of the younger musicians.”
While James mainly played guitar with Phil Lesh, he focuses on bass in Jimi’s Dead. The project mashing up songs from the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix features Eric Krasno on guitar and Alex Koford on drums. Jimi’s Dead will perform aboard Jam Cruise and at select festivals in 2024.
