The rock world was saddened to learn of bassist Phil Lesh’s death on October 25, at age 84. Perhaps the definitive jam-band bassist, he was a founding member of the Grateful Dead and pioneer of rock-bass improvisation.

Born March 15, 1940, Lesh played violin and trumpet as a child, and later became a serious student of classical composition, studying college-level music with fellow student Steve Reich, the avant-garde composer. Post-college, Lesh met Jerry Garcia, who later invited Phil to join his band, the Warlocks, as bassist. He didn’t play bass at the time, but swiftly picked it up as the Warlocks morphed into the Grateful Dead. What followed was 30 years of recording and touring, until Garcia’s death in 1995. Lesh co-wrote their beloved anthems, “Box of Rain” and “St. Stephen.”

He later played with offshoots The Dead, Seastones, The Other Ones, and his own Phil Lesh & Friends with guitar wizards Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Jorma Kaukonen, and Jimmy Herring.

Avoiding conventional root-fifth and R&B bass patterns, Lesh evolved into something of the Dead’s second lead guitarist to frontman Garcia. In any given jam, you might find Phil exploring thoughtful melodies and counterpoint figures, helping shape the group’s ethereal sound – their classic jam “Dark Star” is a quintessential example. Discussing the way he avoided cliches, he told Rolling Stone, “I didn’t think that would be suitable for the music I would make with Jerry, just to do something somebody else had done … [I wanted to] play bass and lead at the same time.”

Aside from his stylistic achievements, Lesh pushed the boundaries of gear, using an early quadrophonic Alembic bass and other high-tech slabs from Doug Irwin, Modulus, and Ken Smith. Geoff Gould, founder of Modulus Graphite and Gould Music (where he’s been building guitars and basses since 1995), recently told VG, “Phil was among the handful of bassists my younger self was most influenced by; he changed my life. Fast-forward to 1982, I go down to Guitar Player magazine with my new Modulus Graphite six-string bass, and they publish a picture of me holding it in the parking lot. Soon after, Phil calls! We made him a bass, which he played with the Dead at Oakland Auditorium. Over the next dozen years, we made lots of basses for Phil, guitars for Bobby [Weir], and even a couple for Jerry. To say Phil had an impact on my life and family is an understatement. In fact, without him, I don’t think Modulus would have existed.”

Singer/songwriter John Mayer, who filled the very large shoes of Jerry Garcia in The Dead, said upon hearing of the bassist’s death, “Joining the choir of voices to express my sadness in the passing of the great Phil Lesh. Phil had an open door policy when it came to the music, and gave so openly to so many musicians. He played bass in a singular way, climbing up and down the arrangements to give the songs and the players around him the feeling of flight.”

Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist and singer Bob Weir posted on social media that Lesh influenced his guitar method.

“I developed an approach to guitar playing based off of [Lesh’s bass style],” he said. “This happened because Phil turned me on to the John Coltrane Quartet. Early on, he also introduced me to the wonders of modern classical music, with its textures and developments, which we soon tried our hands at incorporating into what we had to offer. This was all new to peoples’ ears. Igor Stravinsky’s work wasn’t news to me at that point, but what he did and how he did it were ongoing topics of discussion for Phil and I – and boy, did I ever grow. Our conversation and interaction will last… until the end of my days.”

Lesh’s surviving bandmates – Weir and drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart – jointly added, “Today we lost a brother. In one note from the Phil Zone, you could hear and feel the world being born. His bass flowed like a river would flow – he was an explorer of inner and outer space who just happened to play bass. We can count on the fingers of one hand the people we can say had as profound an influence on our development, in every sense. What a gift he was for us. Phil also loved the Dead Heads and always kept them in his heart and mind.”

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.