The opening day of Jazz Fest is always a great time to celebrate the Neville Brothers, as their storied history with the event spans many decades. Unfortunately, today we’re mourning the loss of Neville Brothers saxophonist Charles Neville, who passed away Thursday at the age of 79.

Of course, Charles and the rest of the Neville Brothers’ storied history goes well beyond Jazz Fest and even extends to the realm of the Grateful Dead. The Nevilles collaborated with the Dead on a few occasions back in the 1980s, including during one of the band’s rare New Orleans performances (October 18, 1988, at the Lakefront Arena). Another notable collaboration came during the Grateful Dead’s 1987 New Year’s Eve show at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, though it technically took place at the very beginning of 1988.

The 1987 New Year’s Eve show, which was broadcast live on pay-per-view and later immortalized on the Ticket to New Years VHS release, featured an opening set from the Neville Brothers, but their contribution didn’t stop there. The entire group—Aaron, Art, Cyril, Charles, and guitarist Brian Stoltz—returned to help the Dead with a run of four covers for the night’s encore. You can watch the entirety of their sit-in, which included renditions of New Orleans classic “Iko Iko”, Caribbean favorites “Man Smart (Woman Smarter)” and “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)”, and Bob Dylan‘s “Knocking On Heaven’s Door”, below.

Grateful Dead with The Neville Brothers (New Year’s Eve 1987)

[Video: Dan G1]