Phil Lesh & Friends Featuring North Mississippi Allstars Focus On Pigpen Songs For ‘Clubhouse Sessions’ Episode 7

Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh recently reunited with North Mississippi Allstars guitarist Luther Dickinson and drummer Cody Dickinson for Phil Lesh & Friends performances at the Terrapin Clubhouse. Phil previously shared the ensemble’s contribution to the Darkstarathon series and today dropped a new Clubhouse Sessions installment that puts the emphasis on the music of Ron “Pigpen” McKernan with the Grateful Dead.

Pigpen co-founded the Grateful Dead, formerly The Warlocks, with Phil Lesh, Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir in 1965. The keyboardist/vocalist became the de facto frontman for the band in their early days and tragically died on March 8, 1973 from complications due to alcohol.

Clubhouse Sessions Episode 6 starts with more footage of the conversation Phil had with the Dickinson Brothers, his son guitarist Grahame Lesh, vocalist Elliott Peck, guitarist Stu Allen and keyboardist Holly Bowling about Pigpen. The bassist clued in the band on the history behind Pigpen originals “The Stranger (Two Souls In Communion)” and “Alligator” after Luther discussed McKernan’s similarities to the tastes of his late father producer/musician Jim Dickinson.

Luther Dickinson led Phil Lesh & Friends through the Pigpen composition “Operator” to kick off the performance piece of the latest Clubhouse Session. Elliott Peck then channeled McKernan in singing the gorgeous “The Stranger (Two Souls In Communion).” The episode continues with Phil telling the story of Bobby saving Jerry’s life which inspired the title of “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks).”

The septet rolled through an “Alligator” helmed by Phil before getting “Caution” on track. Luther helmed the latter to bring the 20-minute pairing and new episode to an end.

Watch Phil Lesh & Friends’ seventh Clubhouse Sessions video below: