Tom Morello's acoustic-guitar-toting-folksinging-alter-ego The Nightwatchman was developed in 2003 as an opportunity for Morello to return to "politically-based" songs. You know, the type of songs with anti-this and anti-that messages he'd strayed from since Audioslave emerged out of Rage Against the Machine's ashes in 2001

Ironically or perhaps even hypocritically, Morello released his Nightwatchman solo album One Man Revolution on Epic Records / Sony BMG. So much for being anti-corporate.

In any case, from this blog's perspective, The Nightwatchman is actually a better vehicle for kick-ass impromptu jam sessions than for political change.

Witness this sublime example. It's The Nightwatchman joined by Slash and the current lineup of Alice in Chains for a loose rendition of Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak.

It's not the best sound or video quality, but it's a rare assemblage of musicians having a good time jamming with each other, and it's hard to complain about that. I also love the way William DuVall spends most of the song eye-humping Slash's guitar work. It's hard to tell if he's just trying to pick up the song or steal Slash's licks.

Jailbreak originally appeared on the creatively titled Thin Lizzy album Jailbreak. Alice in Chains reportedly have a new studio album coming in 2008 — their first since 1995. And unless you've been in a cave or simply don't watch Montel, Slash's biography is now in stores.