SAN FRANCISCO — Ex–Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh and

avant-garde guitarist Henry Kaiser jammed with the David Nelson Band, and

folk singer Dan Bern made a surprise appearance Tuesday night at the Seva

Foundation's annual benefit concert.

The show, at the Fillmore, also was a CD-release party for Sing Out

for Seva, a compilation of live performances from past benefits. Seva

(Sanskrit for "service") is a nonprofit organization that helps impoverished

communities worldwide fight environmental and public-health problems.

The disc features blues singer/guitarist Bonnie Raitt, folk singers Bern,

Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Arlo Guthrie, and ex–Grateful Dead members

Mickey Hart, Bob Weir and Bruce Hornsby. Lesh performs Crosby, Stills &

Nash's "Wooden Ships" and the Dead's "Box of Rain" with David Crosby and

Graham Nash.

Lesh and Bern were the only artists featured on the disc to play Tuesday's

benefit. Lesh's appearance was a big draw for fans, some of whom paid

$100 to attend a pre-show reception at which Lesh signed autographs in

the Fillmore's high-ceilinged poster gallery — also the headquarters

for the crew that webcast the show live at www.seva.org.

"I figured it was worth the hundred bucks," said Dan Farkas, 34, who

traveled an hour from San Jose for the chance to meet Lesh. "It goes to

a good cause, I get to see Phil play — I haven't seen him in a year

— and, hey, I got to shake hands with the man, got my hundred-dollar

handshake. It's the old Dead family. People I used to see on tour years

ago."

The show's host, Seva board member Wavy Gravy, told the crowd, "Every one

of you out there, your admission is equivalent to a cataract operation

in India or Nepal." Gravy (born Hugh Romney) recommended Sing Out for

Seva as a holiday gift: "Instead of a necktie, you can buy a cataract

operation or a buffalo on the reservation, in your friend's name."

Bern opened the show alone on acoustic guitar, singing about big balls.

"It ain't bragging if it's true/ Muhammad Ali said that/ Back when he was

Cassius Clay," he sang, referring to the onetime heavyweight boxing

champion. The Dylan-esque, nasal-voiced singer poured a fountain of rambling

free verse, bawdy and breathless, over the surprised crowd.

Next, blues singer Shana Morrison (Van Morrison's daughter), slide guitarist

Roy Rogers and upright electric-bass player Scoop McGuire performed a

blend of country blues styles. Morrison and Rogers previewed their

collaborations from Morrison's upcoming Everybody's Angel.

The David Nelson Band, led by a founder of the early-'70s country-rock

band New Riders of the Purple Sage, then came onstage to host a jam that

lasted until midnight.

The band blended country grooves with psychedelic improvisation. Nelson

introduced Zero saxophonist Martin Fierro, who blew bluesy tenor riffs

while Nelson sang, "It's a different world when you're with me." Zero's

Greg Anton sat in as second drummer.

Lesh stood smiling in the wings while guitarist Barry Sless played dark

reggae funk. A screen behind the stage flashed images of past Seva shows

mixed with photos of Seva fieldworkers in impoverished communities.

"The moment you've all been waiting for — Phil Lesh!" Nelson finally

said, introducing his old friend. Bassist Bill Layman turned over his

spot to Lesh, and Bay Area guitarist Kaiser joined the group.

Lesh led the band into a slow version of the traditional "Cold Rain and

Snow" (RealAudio

excerpt), a Dead staple from their 1967 debut. Lesh seemed to

personalize the lyrics, singing the song as an ode to his wife, instead

of the complaint "I married me a wife/ She's been trouble all my life."

Kaiser played a soaring solo, and the song ended abruptly, twisting into

a country groove.

The jam continued, switching between Nelson's tunes and long, spaced-out

jazz jams, then turning to Dead tunes. Lesh walked a bouncy groove into

the dark honky-tonk "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo." Sless played

silvery swells on pedal steel during "The Wheel."