@smoothatonalsnd said:

@chillen said: [quote][quote]This was a patient jam and, while it felt like they were actively searching for a launching point at times, it comes across as effortless and sensual on relisten.

In my hearing of their improvisation these days, when the band is searching and nothing is clicking, that's when you get the ripcord into "Light" or "Piper" or "Number Line" or whatever. That's when you get the 10 minute jams that seem like they could keep going but they don't. Last night there was none of that. Whether it's because they were content to sit in one particular musical schema for a while to see how it panned out, or because Trey is just more comfortable being in a jam that isn't going anywhere, it worked in our favor last night.

Exploring harmonic stasis and the edges of a particular structural space are the kinds of improvisation that characterized some of the most psychedelic and far out GD jams, especially think of Playin from '71-74 or a '72 Dark Star. Perhaps Trey let some of his studying of that style of improv into his Phish worldview, since he does seem to be more comfortable at the edges, exploring, willing to find nothing but just poke around nonetheless.