and it was followed in 2007 by a dub/reggae album called Mighty High - including versions of covers and original songs with special guest appearances by Michael Franti, Toots Hibbert, and Willi Williams. Gov't Mule continues to tour extensively and has become a staple act at many music festivals including Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Mountain Jam, Vegoose, All Good, and their annual New Orleans Jazzfest night show (where they filmed and recorded the last show of the Deepest End tours, with 17 guest musicians in a six-hour show). Every year since 1989, Warren Haynes hosts the Annual Christmas Jam in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. The concert usually takes place the first weekend in December at the Asheville Civic Center, as a fundraiser for Habitat For Humanity. Many artists who play at the Christmas Jam also perform separate gigs in various Asheville clubs, usually the day before the Jam proper. The Pre-Jam, as it is called, features many of the same artists, in smaller clubs. The 19th edition of the Jam took place on December 15, 2007 with performances by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Shelly Colvin, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Jackson Browne, G. Love, Bruce Hornsby and Peter Frampton among others. Gov't Mule headlined. On June 28, 2008, while keyboardist Danny Louis was drafted by Cheap Trick to revisit Sgt. Pepper at the Hollywood Bowl, Gov't Mule performed as a power trio for the first time since 2000, this time with its regular bassist Andy Hess. The band titled their set "Old School Mule" and ran through some of their older songs such as "Wandering Child" and "Thorazine Shuffle." On September 15, 2008, Haynes' wife, Stefani Scamardo announced on her Sirius radio show that Andy Hess would be leaving the band and a new bassist would be in place for the fall tour. Hess was subsequently replaced by Jorgen Carlsson, who had been rehearsing with the band for six months. 2009 On August 17, 2009, it was announced on the band's official website that Gov't Mule's eighth studio album, entitled By a Thread, was on schedule for release on October 27, 2009.On the same date, the first track of the new album, "Broke Down on the Brazos" (featuring Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top), was made available for listening on the website. On October 31, 2009, Gov't Mule gave a special Halloween concert at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia.