MAN OF ADVENTURE

A LOOK AT SOME OF THE CREATIVE WAYS IN WHICH TREY ANASTASIO DRAWS UPON HIS DIVERSE RANGE OF STYLISTIC INFLUENCES TO TAKE AUDIENCES ONA THRILLING MUSICAL RIDE

- JEFF JACOBSON

IT’S THE EVENING of July 21, 1993, and Phish is navigating an especially energetic version of “Runaway Jim” at the HORDE Festival in Middletown, New York. Guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio’s masterful, extended solo runs the gamut from quiet meditation to blistering groups of cascading notes, delivered in ways both clever and compelling. But what happens next is perhaps an even greater metaphor for the guitarist’s overall approach to music.

The band segues into “Big Ball Jam,” an occasional addition to the set where large, colored beach balls are simultaneously batted about by the audience, each color assigned to a different band member. Every time a ball is touched, the corresponding player sounds his instrument. (Luckily, video of this fun spectacle is available on YouTube.) What results is a spontaneous and beautiful musical cacophony that also serves to create a visceral connection between audience and band. In short, it captures a fleeting moment — something at which Anastasio consistently succeeds in his songwriting and improvising.

The guitarist keeps himself quite busy, splitting his time between his Trey Anastasio Band (commonly known as TAB), solo acoustic tours, performing with orchestras and other interesting side projects. But Phish continues to be at the heart of his musical life, as it has been since its inception in 1983, and so, it will be our main focus here.

One lesson couldn’t possibly cover the totality of Anastasio’s playing, as he draws inspiration from such a wide array of musical styles, from progressive rock and reggae to funk, bluegrass and beyond. In