All text and selections by @Kayatosh
“Mango Song > Jam” 9.17.00 II, Columbia, MD
A loose, tired sounding version that feels like it might fall apart at any moment but doesn’t thanks to Page Piano. After the triumph of successfully holding it together, a dark, percussive, free-form jam emerges.
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“Yamar” 11.2.96 II, West Palm Beach, FL
One that slipped through the cracks the last time Miner covered 1996. Karl Perazzo enhanced.
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“David Bowie” 6.24.95 II, Philadelphia, PA
This long form version starts off promisingly with a spacey intro. The “Low Rider” flavored jam hints at the funk the band would actively mine in the next few years. From the chunky funk, the jam journeys into a slower, softer vibe that retains the trademark 95 dark edge. A subsequent move into speed metal features Trey out front blazing a white hot path with the other three matching his intensity.
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“McGrupp” 8.7.93, Darien Lake, NY
A confident version of a favorite Phish tune from a golden era. Page tickling the ivories; Fishman tickling the washboard. See also, 11.30.94 McGrupp for more of Page channeling Keith Jarret.
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“Jam > Leprechaun” 8.24.93 Sndchk, Vancouver, BC
Four-way bluesy, uninhibited play. A pocket so deep you could lose a joint in it. Listen to Fishman’s super human fills. Midway through the 10 minute jam, Fishman settles on a steady groove, and the jam becomes a composed sounding romp. And then the elusive Leprechaun does his jig.
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“Chalkdust Torture” 7.16.94 II, Sugarbush, VT
A take no prisoners, almost off the rails, “Barracuda” teased Dust, featuring Trey in berserker mode.
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“Sneakin Sally > Frankie Says” 4.2.98 II, Uniondale, NY
Slower, thicker version of a classic phish groove vehicle. Your head will involuntarily bob as the laid-back, syncopated riffs start bumping up against your brain. “Sally” jam slides smoothly and gradually into “Frankie Says,” which features a nimble fingered Trey.
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“Ghost > Drowned” 12.28.97 II, Landover, MD
Silky, late ’97 funk feel with a healthy dose of clavination. “Ghost’s” jam is of the hypnotic variety with intermittent hints of “Psycho Killer.” After you’ve been mellowed to the point of floating, the jam inconspicuously swirls into a funnel cone (twice), stops on a dime, and then launches into “Drowned!” Trey’s strong Hendrix impression in the “Drowned” jam finishes off the listener. Listen for The Note. “Drowned” jam concludes in soft, spacious fashion.
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“Makiuspa Policeman” 11.23.96 II, Vancouver, BC
“Woke up in the morning. Border Guard in my Bunk.” Listen for the Star Wars effects.
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“Bathtub Gin -> Cities -> Jam” 7.1.97 II, Amsterdam, NL
July ’97, Amsterdam — a time traveler’s dream destination. There’s a segment mid-“Gin” that mirrors the feeling of falling down stairs in slow motion. After a slick “Gin” theme tease, the jam patiently builds to a murky, not quite peaked conclusion that becomes the intro to “Cities.” The “Cities” jam sonically represents what it might feel like to be adrift at sea on a gelatinous raft. After all “Cities” flavor has been wrung from the jam, an ambient, looped section takes hold of your dome and places you right on the back of the worm. By mid ’97, this band was an ear candy machine.
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“Timber Ho!” 7.26.97 II, Austin, TX
More liquid gold from July 97 with a looped out, cosmic jump rope jam conclusion before the “Timber” themed coda.
