Music Review Lesh & Friends Bring New Life To Classics By Jonathan Perry , Globe Correspondent Published 10/6/200 Were Phil Lesh & Friends up for the task of playing another four-night stand at the Orpheum Theatre - his second four-nighter at the venue in a year? If the 90-minute first set of Wednesday night's performance was any indication, the answer is a resounding yes. Remember, this is the same guy who used to play bass in the Grateful Dead, which sometimes sounded as if it was capable of playing four nights rolled into one. Never mind that he recently celebrated his 60th birthday - or that the 1,700 in attendance weren't nearly enough to fill the Orpheum. Lesh's ''friends'' this time included Warren Haynes, the Gov't Mule (and ex-Allman Brothers Band) guitarist; Jimmy Herring, guitarist for both the Allman Brothers and Aquarium Rescue Unit; Zen Trickster keyboardist Rob Barraco; and John Molo, former Bruce Hornsby drummer. These musicians provided ageless fire and plenty of spark to beautifully rendered Dead classics like ''Dark Star'' and ''Fire on the Mountain.'' Especially startling was the commanding yet understated presence of Herring, whose mercurial lead guitar runs on songs including the jazz-tinged opener, ''Uncle John's Band,'' stole the show and offered ample proof why the Allmans picked him to replace Dickey Betts on the group's summer tour. Meanwhile, Haynes offered moments of inspired counterpoint slide guitar but occasionally seemed distracted, hanging back during the band's extended improvisational jams and ceding most of the lead showcases to Herring. But he did lead the group in a thundering reading of Cream's ''Sunshine of Your Love'' - a version far closer to the original than the teen-pop group Hanson's recent attempt at the Orpheum. Lesh himself was a steady and casually guiding force, fully at home and at ease as a conduit enabling the rest of his talented group of players to shine. He clearly delighted in the musical virtuosity and searching spirit of the band surrounding him. Lesh handled the lead vocal on ''Mountains of the Moon,'' but it was the shimmering keyboard runs and instrumental passages that carried the song to the stratosphere. The country-swamp shuffle, ''Tennessee Jed,'' was another highlight, and provided a playful respite from the extended jams. Spiked with Barraco's honky-tonk piano, and his more than passing vocal resemblance to the late Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia, the tune seemed to turn the Orpheum into a dance hall jamboree. And the night was just getting started.