Phish Founder Solos Swimmingly April 26, 2002 - Springfield (Mass.) Union-News by Kevin O'Hare Album Review - Trey Anastasio Trey Anastasio, "Trey Anastasio" (Elektra) THREE AND A HALF STARS "Quietly you say to me the time has come for you to be alive again." That's the first line from the first song on Trey Anastasio's eponymous solo set, a celebratory swing of self-expression from the guitarist best known as the co-founder of the jam band Phish. With Phish on hiatus since the group's fall 2000 tour, Anastasio's been off on his own, though he's far from alone. In fact, he's got a huge band backing him these days, a nine-piece, horn-fueled ensemble that can be heard stirring up a storm on this musically ambitious 12-track offering. Of those nine members, all but Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista hail from Phish's home base of Vermont. There are grooves galore to be found here, and those who find Phish's improvisational workouts to their liking will probably be enamored with the 11-minute-plus "Last Tube," which is a blend of live and studio recordings. But though it takes up the most space, that track is actually one of the least interesting cuts on the album. Anastasio and company are far more locked in on some of the funkier, organic bursts of high energy, like "Cayman Review," with its gospel background vocals, or the chunky, soul-surging "Money, Love and Change." The guitarist has been listening to a lot of rhythms from Cuba, the Caribbean and Africa of late, and those influences can be heard running throughout the disc. They're most notable on the Cuban-flavored "Alive Again," which also features a horn arrangement not dissimilar to what one might hear from latter-period Steely Dan. Trumpets, saxophones and trombones cut right through the rhythms again and again. That horn power pumps up the intensity level of songs such as the airtight "Push on 'til the Day" and the fairly frenzied, psychedelic splash "Mr. Completely," both of which also feature some of Anastasio's sizzling guitar work. In between the wildness, Anastasio isn't afraid to take it down a bit, turning in a couple of quiet delights in the acoustic instrumental "Ray Dawn Balloon" and the well-arranged mix of classical and Southern flavors, "At the Gazebo." The latter features an elegant string quartet gracefully set against the horns. Taking time off from one of the most popular road bands in the world could be considered a fairly risky endeavor, but Anastasio proves to be more than up to the task on this thoroughly enjoyable coming-out party.