Plasma
Trey Anastasio had a lot of pent up creativity locked up behind that pointy little beard. ThePhishguitarist eschews his band's stripped down approach and gilds the jam-band lily with big-band aspirations, moving into the ferociously funky territory occupied byKing Sunny Ade, and the mightyJames Brown. Anastasio not only shows off some truly interstellar guitar playing, but also uses the instrument to subvert mathematical possibilities by whimsically changing time signatures as he fearlessly bobs and weaves between the blasts of soulful sounds from his inventive and frenetic five-person horn section. This two-CD live album was recorded over nine shows during the Anastasio's 2002 tour, exposing fans to Anastasio's more baroque groove-mongering sides as he takes them through a spirited two-hour-plus journey comprised of seven previously unreleased compositions, a cover ofBob Marley's "Small Axe," and three Phish tune, including the politically charged "Sand."--Jaan Uhelszki