Something's Phishy here April 24, 2007 - Boston Globe By Steve Morse Album Review - Page McConnell This album might surprise anyone but Phish fans. The outside public often viewed keyboardist Page McConnell as the underrated member of the group, yet fans knew him as the anchor for jams that sent the faithful into ecstasy. This debut solo CD has a Phish flavor at times -- fellow bandmates Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, and Jon Fishman pop up on the eight-minute jam "Back in the Basement" -- but mostly, McConnell mines an intriguing, jazz-psychedelic vein evoking Steve Winwood in his Traffic days. McConnell has a light but effective voice, while his subject matter ranges from picking his life up after a divorce (the opening "Beauty of a Broken Heart") to global warming ("Close to Home"), and the confessional "Heavy Rotation," about getting over Phish's breakup: "The music that came and went/ Amusements that paid the rent." It's nice to see McConnell step up to make music that should appeal to Phish fans and non-Phish fans alike. Page McConnell plays at Avalon on May 31. Article © 2007 Boston Globe. All Rights Reserved.