Photo Credit: Tobin Voggesser

Last weekend, Mempho Music Festival took over Radians Amphitheater at Memphis Botanic Garden. The event was divided into three days, led by Friday’s roster of artists, which included the late-afternoon arrival of Leftover Salmon. The Boulder, Colo. bluegrass institution was billed ahead of Widespread Panic, allowing select members of the two groups time and space to rekindle a flame that was eventually stoked during Leftover Salmon’s frame, through the inclusion of Widespread Panic’s John Bell.

Bell joined Leftover Salmon for a take on the nearly 100-year-old blues classic, “Nobody’s Fault But Mine.” The inclusion of the track sparked a connection to Salmon’s 1999 release, The Nashville Sessions, which featured an adaptation of the cover, recorded with Bell. In the year that followed the Music City convoy, Salmon hosted its Planet Salmon event in Lyons, Colo., which continued to strengthen the bond between the band and the guitarist. See an image from 2000 below.

Friday’s collaboration was centered around the Blind Willie Johnson composition, which has been covered by the greats, including Nina Simone [Nina Simone and Piano!], Ry Cooder [The Prodigal Son], Grateful Dead [Birth of the Dead compilation LP], Bill Frisell [Beautiful Dreamers], and rock legends Led Zeppelin [Presence]. 

Watch a fan-shot clip of Leftover Salmon with Bell below.