This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
If anybody knows there’s more than one flavour of jam, it’s Trey Anastasio.
So naturally, the Phish phrontman dishes up a tasty little stylistic smorg on Plasma, a two-CD live set the singer-guitarist recorded with his solo band last year. With the help of a horn section and percussionist that lend these tracks a contemporary jazz flavour, Anastasio and co. deliver an eclectic and engrossing set that moves from swampy funk (Plasma) to groovy R&B (Simple Twist Up Dave) to Medeski, Martin and Wood-like acid-jazz (Inner Tube) to Afrobeat (Mozambique) to reggae (Bob Marley’s Little Axe) to swing (Phish’s Magilla) at the drop of a hackeysack. Granted, some of these sprawling tunes — average length: 10 minutes — might wander a bit too far afield for the uninitiated. But those who’ve acquired the taste for Trey’s restless creativity and offbeat wit — not to mention his burbling six-string arpeggios and icepick leads — won’t go away hungry.
