Following the passing of Tony Markellis, we look back on this feature from 2018.Trey Anastasio BandTABTABTABTABTABLet’s start by talking about the origins of Trey Anastasio Band. In a recent Relix My Page, drummer Russ Lawton said that you met in the late-1970s. Do you remember how you first crossed paths with him and the first time you played together?
Trey Anastasio has famously said that a major reason he enrolled in UVM is that he saw your band, the Unknown Blues Band, play in Vermont while he was looking at schools in 1982. How would you describe the Burlington musical community in the early 1980s as opposed to today?Phish started making a name for themselves in the early 1980s and Trey even asked your band to play his wedding. Do you remember the first time you met Trey and, if so, what were your initial impressions of his music?You were Trey’s first call when he decided to form a solo band and you recommended Russ and the three of you sketched out some early songs like “Sand” and “First Tube.” What was his initial pitch when he asked you to form TAB?This year mark’s TAB’s 20th anniversary and you celebrated by returning to a trio format for the first time since 1999. What did you notice about your musical interactions with Trey and Russ as a trio after working in a big band format for so many years?TABSadly, Ray was unable to perform with the band this spring due to a medical condition. Did his absence influence Trey’s decision to tour in a more stripped-down format without horns and auxiliary percussion?This year’s TAB’s setlists have been quite diverse, including a few songs you haven’t played for quite some time and some new covers that were introduced in reaction to specific locations and events. You also introduced a number of Phish originals into the TAB songbook for the first time. What brought about the change in song focus?
MSGThe Unknown Blues Band recently reconvened for a few dates in Burlington. Can you talk about reviving that material and if there are any plans for future dates or recording sessions?You have been playing with Floodwood for a few years now. How did you end up joining that project and do you feel that playing in a bluegrass-jam outfit has influenced your style across the board?TABYou’ve also been playing recently with an all-star Boston-based band called “Krewe Orleans.” Can you talk about the origins of this band and working with past TAB bandmates in a decidedly more New Orleans setting?PTFTABYou have played with Bob Warren for years. How did you first connect and would you say playing in a more singer-songwriting setting informs your improvisational chops in your other projects?
Saratoga Springs has also changed a great deal during the past 15 years since I graduated from Skidmore and a lot more since you arrived in 1975. How would you describe the city’s musical community now versus when you first arrived?The current version of TAB is the longest running to date, lineup-wise. Was there a particular tour or album when you felt that the current band truly gelled as its own unit?TABFor the for time in many years, you have started to participate in quite a few Dead tributes in recent years. What was your initial gateway into their world?JGBSpeaking of 1960s California music world, how did you end up working with The Mamas & the Papas?When you hosted your own radio program, you turned a lot of listeners on to a mix of classic blues and other roots styles. Are there any cover songs you brought to the TAB songbook?
