Rubber Jungle

Trey Anastasio’s return from rehab in 2008 brought with it several changes to his personal and professional lives. As far as the music was concerned, he, rather famously, helped reform Phish in early 2009. But, he also mended a few other relationships and got his “Classic TAB” outfit back together for a handful of fall 2008 dates featuring Tony Markellis on bass, Russ Lawton on drums, and Ray Paczkowski on keyboards. After Phish disbanded, it wasn’t just America’s Best Live Act which suffered the consequences as Anastasio chose to form a completely different solo project which lasted around 18 months with various non-TAB members. So, in early 2010, when Anastasio finally returned to the road with a solo band once again, he found himself on stage with a combination of old and new friends—Markellis on bass, Lawton on drums, Paczkowski on keyboards, Russell Remington on tenor saxophone and flute, and longtime foil Jennifer Hartswick on trumpet and vocals. Indeed, TAB was back.

Augmenting the lineup was Natalie Cressman on trombone and vocals. Only 18 years old and on her first tour, she was a last minute replacement for her father, Jeff Cressman, who was touring with Santana. The younger Cressman served as a symbolic example of the beleaguered Phish frontman’s new outlook on life and his career. This doesn’t change the fact that there is nothing groundbreaking whatsoever on this record. Anastasio often defers to the band within carefully-constructed song-oriented arrangements. Gone is the wizard-like conductor. Actually, after 2008’s Original Boardwalk Style, which featured songs from 2006’s New Year’s Run played by Anastasio’s last solo band, an undectet that was hitting on most cylinders before his court-enforced rehab, TAB at the TAB pales in comparison in all categories. However, this TAB septet represented here, featured from a performance at Atlanta’s Tabernacle on February 27, 2010, is tight and well-rehearsed. TAB also sounds fresh, invigorating, and…well, like Natalie Cressman, young again.

Much was trimmed from the evening’s gig to fit a single-disc release, and a look at the setlist makes one cringe a bit at the omissions. But, on a second look, Anastasio is offering new versions of a handful of old classics, several new tunes, and songs that have never appeared on record before, so the song selection begins to make sense. The record holds up almost as a new band appearing as Classic TAB, in a way, with an unpredictable track listing. Opening with a sturdy version of “Money, Love and Change,” the record debut of “Words to Wanda” follows and features wonderful vocal work from Anastasio and Hartswick. “Alaska” chimes in next with its “Tennessee Jed”-type stroll and easy Band-like grace, while “Valentine” is occasionally weighted down with lyrics and tempo changes, but ends up being an effortlessly fine little new gem.

“Sand” kick starts the record into a very nice and long groove, featuring some of the best jams, including spots from Paczkowski, then Anastasio, and, finally, both together. It is a nice moment for both of these two longtime bandmates, and a warm vibe overall. “Windora Bug” is also a record debut, with its one-off comical line “Trey or a Ray

bug?”, while “Drifting” and “Goodbye Head” also are culled from yesterday’s bag—one, old; one, not so old—and they both play off each other well here as the former’s grace helps add sheen to the prog-like movement of the rather playful yet majestic latter tune. The horns on “Goodbye Head” are probing yet never too obtrusive; supportive and brawny without bombast. Next, “Show of Life” makes its record debut, and it’s another introspective, post-rehab tune, this time co-written by Anastasio and the Dude of Life, a longtime contributor to numerous things Phish back in the day.

Out of nowhere comes an explosive version of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” proving that there should be no doubt a) Jennifer Hartswick has a set of powerful pipes, b) Russ Lawton can equal John Bonham’s subtle understated drumming on this intricate track, and, c) despite all of the melodrama and much-ballyhooed reunions and Phish gigs that promise tight but tight jams that never extend too far out into space, Trey Anastasio can still mend a series of relationships, and just get past all of that, and play a pretty mean guitar whenever he damn well feels like it. And, you know, after repeated listenings to TAB at the TAB, a work which is only compromised when one reviews the overall solo Anastasio live canon, one can hear the boy within the man here, a boy enjoying his music. That element of youth is running throughout the entire septet, and the hope is that this group gets a chance to hit their prime once again because they sure sound ready here.