The Rolling Stones’ Karl Denson Finds Shelter With Phil Lesh & Friends At Terrapin Clubhouse

Phil Lesh’s latest installment of the Terrapin Clubhouse Sessions series features saxophonist Karl Denson. Diesel was in town performing with The Rolling Stones and the pre-jam chat saw Phil and Karl trading some fascinating insights into The Stones and the Grateful Dead.

The video gets underway, however, with Karl and Phil sharing some humorous recollections on their past collaborations together.

“I’m going to defer to your first words [you said] after a gig,” Karl D said. “‘Just trust what’s gonna happen.’”

“Don’t make too many plans because they’re always gonna go wrong,” Phil replied.

Diesel then recalled listening to “Smokestack Lightning,” a Howlin’ Wolf song the Grateful Dead covered. The Stones covered Howlin’ Wolf material and appeared on a televison program in 1964 with the man himself. Read an excerpt from Karl D’s thoughts on “Smokestack Lightning” and speaking with Stones guitarist Keith Richards:

“I was listening to ‘Smokestack Lightning’ and I thought ‘What was that like hearing that on the radio? Like the first time… the hair stands up on the back of your neck. So I finally got to ask Keith [Richards]. I asked him, you know, ‘what was it like hearing [“Smokestack Lightning”] on the radio?’ He goes ‘we didn’t have it on the radio, that’s where Brian Jones came in.’ He was the one who had the collection, importing records. But for the regular English kid you couldn’t get that stuff unless somebody had a vinyl. I mean they loved him for that, for being the guy with the music.”

Guitarist Grahame Lesh then asked his dad if keyboardist/vocalist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan played a similar role as Brian Jones in the Grateful Dead. Phil then gave some history on Pigpen, whose father was a Bay Area R&B DJ. He also related the amazing story of how an observation on The Rolling Stones’ version of Bobby Womack’s “It’s All Over Now” led to Jerry Garcia asking him to join the band.

The music gets going with Karl D leading the ensemble — Phil, Grahame, guitarist Stu Allen, vocalist Elliott Peck, keyboardist Jason Crosby and drummer Alex Koford — through “Shakedown Street” and delivering a smoking sax solo.

The group then transitions seamlessly into The Rolling Stones “Miss You” with Diesel on lead vocals once again. Phil Lesh & Friends keep it with The Stones for a rendition of “Gimme Shelter” with Stu Allen and Elliott Peck teaming for a powerhouse vocal performance. The session fittingly comes to a close with a Buddy Holly & The Crickets song the Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones covered, “Not Fade Away.”

Watch The Clubhouse Sessions Episode 6 featuring Karl Denson below: