“Donna Lee” by Charlie Parker/Miles Davis
“Donna Lee” is a traditional jazz track that hasn’t been performed by Phish in over 1000 shows. If the band is aiming to shock their audience at MSG, this meandering Miles Davis original is an easy way to do it. It would add a little bebop to a first set, lighten up a second set or act as a first encore, setting up a wicked “Antelope” or “YEM” to close the show.
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“Back At The Chicken Shack” by Jimmy Smith
Played eight times between 1998 and 2000, “Back At The Chicken Shack” is an ambling blues instrumental that typically lets Page lead on the organ. So far this summer, Phish has debuted plenty of new material, but throwing it back to an early blues track like this would definitely throw the audience for a loop.
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“Take The A Train” by Duke Ellington
Another Duke Ellington track that Phish played often in their early years is “Take The A Train.” Appearing at 118 different shows, including their first ever concert in New York City (3/31/88), this song encapsulates the bustling nature of the Big Apple, and leaves plenty of room for eccentric teases like “London Bridge is Falling Down” and the “Theme From Popeye.” Adding to the probability that Phish will dust off this swinging standard for The Baker’s Dozen is the fact that he actual A Train runs through Penn Station, directly beneath Madison Square Garden.
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“Izabella” by Jimi Hendrix
Hearing Trey play any Jimi Hendrix song would be a treat, but “Izabella,” the story of a soldier aching to be with his titular love instead of out on the battlefield, applies particularly well to the life of a touring musician who longs to be with his family. Thankfully, the boys will be able to put down some roots in New York over the Baker’s Dozen, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t bring this classic Hendrix song out of retirement. Last played on 7/31/98, it is long overdue.
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“Terrapin” by Syd Barrett
Traditionally sandwiched by a “Hold Your Head Up,” “Terrapin” gives Fishman a chance to take the microphone and add a little bit of weirdness to any given show. With self-referential lyrics like, “‘Cause we’re the fishes and all we do / The move about is all we do,” this 1970 track by the original Pink Floyd frontman has been played by Phish a total of 66 times between 1987 and 2004. In the past, “Terrapin” has opened doors for all kinds of antics including Fishman’s mother, Mimi, playing a vacuum solo while her son played the trombone.
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“Amazing Grace” (Traditional)
Sometimes sung a cappella (notably on 10/31/94 and 8/16/96) and other times played instrumentally (on 5/8/93), this spiritual tune graced Phish setlists a whopping 111 times through the mid-’90s. It was most recently played on 10/3/98 at that year’s Farm-Aid benefit. During The Baker’s Dozen, the band could continue their practice of starting shows a capella, as they did for the 2016 New Year’s run, and allow “Amazing Grace” to reenter the Phish zeitgeist.
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