Sometimes, it can be tempting to look back at the route taken. While most people see a fork in a road as either/or, it can be a good thing to look at the other side. Trey Anastasio sees opportunities converge. The new solo album, Traveler, which he co-produced along with Peter Katis (The National and Interpol, Jonsi), is the culmination of many of the roads Anastasio took in his extraordinary career. It also caps off an year that he describes as one of the busiest and most creatively rewarding. He has toured the U.S. three times in the last 12 months: in concert halls with his bandmates, the GRAMMY(r),-nominated and genre-busting Phish; in orchestral evenings led by Scott Dunn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and in intimate clubs with his septet Trey Anastasio. He was also able to co-write the music of Hands On A Hardbody, which he wrote with Amanda Green (High Fidelity). Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright wrote the music for the musical, which premiered in Southern California’s La Jolla Playhouse May 2012 and was then opened on Broadway March 2013. Anastasio says, “I enjoy the give-and-take, the push and pull and the teamwork.” It’s something I love about Phish, the unison work towards a common goal. It is so satisfying. It was like I was sculpting something when I made Traveler with Peter and all the new musicians. “And working on the play Hands On A Hardbody was very similar.” Trey’s touring band Trey Anastasio Band returned to the road in support for Traveler. It also includes many of the band members. Since its inception, the band included Russ Lawton (drums) and Tony Markellis(bass), but has since added Cyro Baptista, Ray Paczkowski (keys), Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman (trombone and vocals), and Cyro Baptista as percussionists. James Casey (saxophones and vocals) was the latest addition to the band’s roster. http://trey.com
