In how many ways does phish jam?
Segues: The word is "segue", not "segway" or even "segueway". Here's the mailing from The Wordsmith for the 5/18/98 A.Word.A.Day:
Type I and Type II: John Flynn raised (date?) the distinction between two "types" of jamming. Type I jamming involves variations on a song's written notes and tempo; Type II jamming involves additional variations on structures and keys. Or, as he put it:
An all-volunteer project of the I think Phish jamming falls into two types of jamming:
1) Jamming that is based around a fixed chord progression
2) Jamming that improvises chord progressions, rhythms,
and the whole structure of the music.
Pornofunk / Type III: __ suggested (date) adding to the typology Type III jamming to categorize the funkified sound (a.k.a "porno-funk") that evolved throughout 1997, and particularly on the summer and fall US tours, especially in Also Sprach, Cities, Ghost, Gumbo, and Wolfman's Brother. Some feel that this is not a "type" of jamming, but something closer to a genre, and that Types I and II jamming could occur within various contexts, of which Phish adopts many (rock, jazz, funk, reggae, folk, bluegrass, et al.)
Charlie Dirksen <dirkch00@dons.ac.usfca.edu> posted (11/21/97) the following excursis of examples:
A version of a single Phish song might contain ALL THREE TYPES of jamming. The "experimental" Tweezers, like Bangor (11/2/94), Bozeman (11/28/94), Canandaigua (6/22/95), Mud Island (6/14/95), and Jones Beach (7/25/97 Bathtub Gin's jam is basically a bit of Type II with a lot of Type I: this Gin jam is **remarkable** and stunning for Bathtub Gin, much unlike the Gin jams of olde (see also 8/13/93 Murat for example). Nevertheless, the Dallas Gin jam doesn't explore new territory, really, and generally sticks to an upbeat, funky, untypically-Gin groove (that gets really fierce at times!!).
Almost every version of Bowie, Gin, Antelope, Tweezer, Stash, SOAM and Possum before 1993 contains Type I. I think every version of Julius is basically Type I (although see the 7/10/97 Julius for a version that Truly Truly rages, particularly the ending!). Chalk Dust is usually just Type I, but see the version from Ventura this past summer on 7/30/97. Harry Hood is usually Type I, but see the 10/20/94 version for a truly Type II jam (Spokane 10/7/95 is still basically Type I, although the ending is more of a Type II sort, to be fair).
Listen to the Bozeman Tweezer (11/28/94) and the Bowies from the Orpheum (11/26/94) and Providence (12/29/94) for a Type II *party*. These versions contain glorious improv that should move you both spiritually and physically.
Suzy Greenberg is usually a strictly Type I song, but check out the 12/31/96 version for some non-typically-Suzy Type II (not quite Type III, imo). The jam out of 11/13/96 Target's Suzy is pretty damn serious, too.
Down with Disease (DWD) is usually Type I, but check out the 11/12/94 Kent version with Have Mercy in it. That's got some serious Type II happening. The Vegas 12/6/96 and Ball 8/16/96 versions of "Down with Disease" kick ass, but are *all* Type I as I hear 'em.
If memory serves, and it probably doesn't, the Twist Around from Phoenix might contain all three jamming types. (7/29/97) Ditto with the Ventua 7/30/97 Bowie, with the Cities in it. Possibly the Ghost from 7/3/97 Nurnberg as well....
You Enjoy Myself is usually Type I, but the 12/9/95 Albany version has some Type II, in the form of a "silent jam" and basically a quadruple jam segment (jam>silent jam>jam>vocal jam). The 5/5/93 Albany version contains some major league Type II, as does the 10/31/95 version if memory serves, and several others. The 8/28/93 Greek YEM contains a severe Oye Como Va jam, but it is still basically Type I.
Coil is usually Type I, but check out 5/8/93 (nice ending!). Reba is usually Type I, but check out 8/17/93, I think it is, which has three jam segments basically. Maze is Type I.. and I can't think of any Maze off the top of my head that has some serious Type II in it (but I think 11/8/96 *smokes*, as does 12/8/94). Actually, maybe the recent Champaign Maze contains some Type II...
Antelope? Most old versions are 100% Type I. But 10/24/95 and the version from Phoenix (7/29/97) contain some Type II activity.
Gin used to be squarely Type I, as did SOAM and Stash. But check out the Orlando 11/14/95 Stash (must hear; hear at all costs; you suck if you haven't heard it), or the Bathtub Gins from 8/17 Went; 7/25/97 Dallas; 12/29/95 Worcester; 8/13/93 Murat; etc. The 12/5/95 and 5/20/94 Gins are killer versions, too, but perhaps not as Type II as the aforementioned versions. The SOAM from Deer Creek on 8/10/97 (with that Crimson jam) is siiiiiick, and definitely has some Type II activity. The Stash from Vegas 11/13 has some Type II jamming as well, if memory serves. Not to mention the Amsterdam Summer '97 Stash, which has an incredibly melodious Type II jam towards its end.
Themes: Several shows have drawn a single riff, song, or feel throughout a show and into the jams and are known for that theme.
Overtures: In the second sets of 2-20-93 and 4-30-94, for example, Trey (in particular) teased the first set's setlist roughly in order.
Start/Stop Jamming: Black-Eyed Katy (debuted 11-13-97) is evident in the start/stop jamming in Ghost at 11-28-97, in Possum at 12-_3-97, in Isabella at 12-_6-97, on its own in the middle of Tube 12-_7-97, during Antelope 12-12-97, and was increasingly prevelant until it was audible during more than half the songs of 7-19-98, even including YEM and Sample. The April minitour showed that the funk is alive and prominent. Most are thrilled to hear a totally new direction, though plenty of folks bemoan the ominipresence of The Funk and miss the days of high-powered, wailing Type II jams.
Silent Jamming is similar to Star/Stop jamming but rather than having volume maintained except for gaps (as in having blank notes, bars, or measures), silent jamming fades and softens in volume but not in tone or rhythm or style or whatever else -- everything but the volume in maintained, including Trey making "This smokes!" faces and dancing around, Fishman raising his arms way above his head to swing down and tap lightly. At their most intense, these fades go all the way - the intensity of the band and audience are maintained, the jam is still "out there" somewhere, happening and continuing, and folks are dancing their ASSES off, but there's no actual noise being played. Trey's commented on the ability of folks to follow along, individually and collectively, until (and then as) the song fade backs in and the build continues.
"... I realized that just because I wasn't playing notes with my hands didn't mean I couldn't still be a vehicle for this music. I suddenly decided I was going to have the same feeling as when I feel the music going through me and coming out through the guitar, but without making any noticeable sound, so I started imagining it zipping out through the middle of my chest into the audience. And right when I started doing that, the place erupted. It was the wildest thing. We were just standing up there doing nothing for 45 seconds, motionless, with no sounds, and I suddenly realized that I could continue jamming in silence. And when I did it, the place went [crazy]. I was writing in my journal about it for a week. ... people are hearing it getting quieter and quieter, and they've following the way the music is going, and then there's some line somewhere -- for each person, it's probably a little bit different -- where it gets quieter than the threshold of their ability to hear it. But it's still going. I'm sure that people are still hearing it, even after it crosses the threshold. To me, it makes for the active listener, because it's like, 'Are they still hearing what I'm playing in my mind, or are they making it up?' Because if they are making it up, but it's still going, then that's the greatest thing of all, because you've got a really creative audience going." -- Trey Anastasio, to Steve Silberman
Others suggest these jams:
Here's a breakdown of one particular jam, with the author's original commentary (from a post to rmp):