Marley's Ghost formed as a wide-ranging collective drawing from gospel, bluegrass, old-time, Celtic, country, and reggae traditions alike. The ensemble first assembled in 1986 after Danny Wheetman accepted an invitation from longtime friend Ed Littlefield Jr. to contribute to a solo project inside Littlefield's Arlington, Washington, studio. Jon Wilcox and Mike Phelan traveled north from California to lend support, having already begun performing together on St. Patrick's Day that same year. During those sessions the trio started laying down tracks that would become the band's debut release, Haunting Melodies. Littlefield then stepped in on steel guitar, cementing the group's identity. As the vocalist, Wheetman also handles bass, rhythm guitar, fiddle, harmonica, banjo, Dobro, and lap steel. Wilcox, who earned a law degree from Stanford, contributes vocals along with mandolin and rhythm guitar. Phelan, a native of Columbus, Ohio, sings while playing lead guitar, fiddle, Dobro, bass, and lap steel. Littlefield adds vocals and performs on pedal steel, Highland bagpipes, mandolin, Dobro, and lead guitar. In January 2001 the band issued Live at the Freight on Sage Arts Records, a live set marking fifteen years of collaboration.
