Trey Anastasio

Sometimes it’s tempting to reflect on the road not taken. But while most of us regard a fork in the road as an either/or proposition – left or right? – Trey Anastasio instead sees a convergence of opportunities. Traveler, the new solo album that he co-produced with Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Jónsi), marks the coalescence of the many roads. Anastasio has taken in his remarkable career and caps off a year that he characterizes as one of his busiest, most creatively fulfilling yet.

In the past 12 months, he’s toured the U.S. in three separate configurations: playing arenas with his band mates in the GRAMMY®-nominated, genre-busting band Phish, concert halls in a series of orchestral evenings conducted by the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Scott Dunn, and intimate clubs with his septet, Trey Anastasio Band. He also found time to co-write the music for Hands On A Hardbody with Amanda Green (High Fidelity). Penned by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright, the musical premiered at Southern California’s La Jolla Playhouse in May 2012 and opened on Broadway in March 2013.

“I really enjoy the give and take, the push and pull, the team work,” says Anastasio. “It’s one of the things I’ve always liked about Phish – the unified work together toward a goal. It’s so deeply satisfying. I felt that way as I made Traveler, working with Peter and all these new musicians, like we were sculpting something. And working on the play, Hands On A Hardbody, was very similar.”

In the fall of 2012 Trey’s touring band, Trey Anastasio Band, returned to the road in support of Traveler, which also features many members of the band. From its beginnings in 1998, the band has included original members Russ Lawton (drums) and Tony Markellis (bass), and over the years has added Cyro Baptista (percussion), Ray Paczkowski (keys), Jennifer Hartswick (trumpet, vocals) and Natalie Cressman (trombone, vocals). The latest tour featured newcomer James Casey (saxophones, vocals).