Persuasions & Friends - Persuasions of the Dead: The Grateful Dead Sessions (2011)

Persuasions of the Dead (named by Tom Waits), is a sprawling 2-CD set, formatted like a Grateful Dead concert (first set, second set), with six new tracks, six new guest artists, and an entirely new feel. A re-invented, remixed, remastered, rearranged, updated, and expanded treatment of the sessions for The Persuasions' long out-of-print Grateful Dead tribute. Guests include Country Joe McDonald, Jackie LaBranch and Gloria Jones of the Jerry Garcia Band, guitarist Mark Karan of Bob Weir's group, RatDog, saxophonist James King, vocalist Alyn Kelley, erhu virtuoso Dongming Qiao, Vince Welnick (the Dead's last keyboard man), Grammy-winning bluegrass musician Peter Rowan, dobro player Pete Grant, vocal group Mary Schmary, and mandolinist Eric Thompson. Twenty tracks, including Persuasions versions of Drumz and Space; Said Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter: Ever so much better. In fact, enchanting!