Almost Heaven: Branford Marsalis Adds Jazz Brilliance To JRAD’s 3-Hour Las Vegas Throwdown

On Thursday, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead took the stage at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas and threw down with special guest saxophonist Branford Marsalis for nearly three hours. The middle night of the Grateful Dead tribute act’s three shows in Sin City was their last with Marsalis before they go it alone to conclude the run tonight.

JRAD — guitarists Tom Hamilton and Scott Metzger, bassist Dave Dreiwitz, keyboardist Marco Benevento and namesake drummer Joe Russo — previously collaborated with Branford Marsalis at Newport Jazz Festival in 2023 and at Red Rocks in 2024 before this run. The quintet’s time in Vegas gave them two chances to utilize Marsalis’ massive skill set — which he showed off at five Grateful Dead concerts between March 1990 and December 1994 — and they made in count on both Wednesday and Thursday nights.

The late-night start, scheduled to follow Dead & Company's 40th-ever concert at the nearby Sphere, led to an extended one-set format. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and their guest began with a jam that rolled into “The Wheel.” The 18-minute version of the Hunter/Garcia gem bled into a Metzger-sung “Let It Grow,” complete with a Hamilton-fueled jam on Phish’s “First Tube.” Marsalis filled every nook and cranny with memorable accents.

Almost Dead continued on with standalone versions of “Row Jimmy” and “My Brother Esau” led by Hamilton and Metzger, respectively. Branford laid into a strong solo during the former. Next came “Help On The Way” and “Slipknot!,” the first two songs of the Dead’s holy triumvirate. Marsalis broke out his soprano sax for the pairing, which blossomed into “The Other One” instead of the traditional “Franklin’s Tower” close to the suite.

One of the highlights of Marsalis’ Red Rocks collaboration with JRAD was “Reuben & Cerise” and the version that followed the hard-nosed “Other One” saw the six musicians pick up where they left off last year. Subsequent takes on “Good Lovin'” and “Shakedown Street” kept the flow going before an outrageous cover of Link Wray’s “Fire & Brimstone” brought the action-packed, uninterrupted hour to a close.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and Branford Marsalis weren’t done yet as they patiently and expertly worked through the “Terrapin Station” suite. Russo then introduced his bandmates and added, “goddamn are we honored beyond words … Mr. Branford Marsalis. Thank you for joining us. Holy shit!” The band and their guest acknowledged the late hour by quickly returning to wrap the show with a rousing “Brown-Eyed Women.”

Watch footage from Thursday’s JRAD show with Branford Marsalis via audience-captured video below:

Stream an audience recording of last night’s concert taped by Jeff Travitz:

JRAD concludes their three-night stand at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas tonight sans Marsalis. Watch live with a nugs.net All Access subscription.

Setlist (via Setlist.FM)

Set: Jam > The Wheel > Let It Grow, Row Jimmy, My Brother Esau, Help On The Way > Slipknot! > The Other One > Reuben & Cerise > Good Lovin’ > Shakedown Street > Fire & Brimstone, Terrapin Station, Brown-Eyed Women