Stlanley Jordan

Phil Lesh & Friends kicked off a three-show run at New York’s Roseland Ballroom last night. Before the performance, Lesh promised a special third set featuring an unannounced special friend. The guest turned out to be guitarist Stanley Jordan, whose 2012 schedule included collaborations with the likes of Umphrey’s McGee, Dave Matthews Band and Lesh himself. The rest of Phil & Friends’ lineup featured Furthur members Jeff Chimenti, John Kadlecik and Joe Russo as well as Jackie Greene.

Lesh’s first two sets included some unique song selections and segues. The ensemble’s first set consisted of a completely segued set that morphed from “Alligator” into “Bird Song,” Greene’s “Till the Light Comes,” The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Franklin’s Tower.” Their second set opened with Van Morrison’s “Dweller on a Threshold” and also included The Band’s “Just Another Whistle Stop.”

Stanley emerged with the rest of Phil & Friends for a third set that opened with an extended jam that moved into “Mountains of the Moon.” The third set featured classic rock signatures like Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” and a rare take on Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Stanley helped the band close their show with a “U.S. Blues” encore.

Phil Lesh and Friends will return to Roseland this evening.

Here’s a look at last night’s setlist as it appears in our Box Scores section

_Sunday, November 11, Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY*

Set I: Alligator > Bird Song > Till the Light Comes > Strawberry Fields Forever > Franklin’s Tower

Set II: Dweller on a Threshold, Doin’ That Rag, Just Another Whistle Stop, Althea, Cosmic Charlie

Set III: Jam* > Mountains of the Moon* > The Other One* > Dark Star* > Stairway to Heaven* > Dark Star* > All Along the Watchtower*, Morning Dew* > Dark Star*

E: U.S. Blues*

*with Stanley Jordan