Bob Weir played a compelling set of solo tunes and Grateful Dead standards for Warren Haynes’ annual Christmas Jam at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday December 10th. The set featured a unique all-star line-up that made the set all the more interesting. After the solo opener of Little Feat’s “Easy to Slip”, which appeared on Weir’s Heaven Help the Fool album a remarkable 40 years ago, Bobby was joined by Alison Krauss helping on vocals and fiddle for a beautiful rendering of the traditional ballad “Peggy-O” (aka “Fennario”). The full band consisting of Weir’s frequent guitar accompaniest, Steve Kimock, with Don Was on bass, Duane Trucks on drums, Holly Bowling on keyboards, and jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis then came out and performed two songs off Weir’s excellent recent Cowboy album, Blue Mountain, “Ghost Towns” and “Only A River”. The master of ceremony, Warren Haynes, then joined the proceedings for 4 Grateful Dead songs: “He’s Gone”, “Eyes of the World”, “Trucking” and a “Ripple” closer. Dead fans have come to expect any version of “Eyes of the World” featuring Branford Marsalis to be a jazzed-up mind-blower and this version lived up to that expectation.
Weir also joined the subsequent Christmas Jam tribute to The Band’s The Last Waltz playing on “The Weight”.
Bob Weir and Friends @ Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam Saturday December 10,2016
Easy To Slip (solo)
Peggy-O* (with Alison Krauss)
Ghost Towns
Only A River
He’s Gone (with Warren Haynes)
Eyes Of The World (with Warren Haynes)
Truckin’ (with Warren Haynes)
Ripple (with Warren Haynes)
Watch Weir perform “Only A River” and “Eyes of the World” below (both videos courtesy of rohbear1 via YouTube):
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