Phish swims in weird waters February 10,1990 - Richmond Times-Dispatch by John Wirt Phish is an odd fish. Favoring ferocious jams that go strange and unpredictable places, the Burlington, Vt., band enlivens its keen musicianship with sharp-finned fun. As weird as Phish's musical voyages are, the band always gets safely back to port. A crowded, full house at the Jade Elephant on Thursday night was oh-so-willing to swim along. Because Phish's love of jamming inevitably infiltrates its multisectioned compositions, the group's selections tend to last a good 15 minutes each. As long as the songs are, the group never runs low on invention. Instead, a single song holds a rich catch of ideas, enough to keep the Phish fresh. The group -- Trey Anastasio, singer and guitarist; Page McConnell, acoustic piano and Hammond organ; Mike Gordon, bass; and Jon Fishman, drums, trombone and vacuum cleaner -- brings the smarts and skills of jazz musicianship to rock. Beyond jazz, Phish plays all over the music spectrum. Jazz, rock, funk and country rock are all at the band's versatile command. Fishman is a quicksilver drummer who outdoes typical rock drummers several times over. Anastasio plays jazzy guitar arpeggios and liquid Santana- and Dickie Betts-style leads with the greatest of ease. McConnell's keyboards and Gordon's bass match their band mates' frenetic pace. Phish's quirkier tunes echo the sardonic lyrics and compositional style of Frank Zappa. Other selections are reminiscent of the long, hot jams of such San Francisco-based improvisational rock groups as Santana and the Grateful Dead. Indeed, Deadheads were in attendance. Deadheads or not, Phish transcends its influences. In fact, it's probably a new species, something the copycat music scene truly needs. © 1990 Richmond Times-Dispatch