Jam of the Year - Standout performances voted on annually by forum users (17 entries)
Legend:
Highly Recommended
Attended
JOTY
| Info | Notes |
|---|---|
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Ghost (26:40)
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Raging porno-funk that slides into a very mellow midi horn laden outro. [A multi-section masterpiece of funky '97 styles highlight this strong jam. Page skillfully deploys multiple keyboards, and the jam energy ebbs and flows repeatedly.] |
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Gin (23:15)
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Superb, legendary "Gin." An inspired, melodic "Type I" jam mutates into a thrilling, pulsing, tension-filled electro-rock groove. Many fans rank this "Gin" at, or very near the very top of all Phish jams of all time. Enough said. |
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Bag (27:17)
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A masterpiece light years removed from the two big '97 "Bags." Spare on funk, the jam embarks on a somewhat dark, swirling journey. Eventually it grows upbeat, picking up rhythm and energy, arriving at a great rocking groove. Finally, it becomes eerie and outer-space-like, with Page creating chilling effects on the synthesizer. |
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Ghost (26:56)
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Mesmerizing conglomeration of tesselation and coruscation. [Mellow groove with some spacey effects rolls along until 13:55, when the jam gets more rocking, then breaks into a fantastic and serene groove that swells and dissipates.] |
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Tweezer (26:38)
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Magnificent. "Hose" 'em down. Hear it at all costs. |
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DwD (25:46)
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The band makes a breathtaking, powerful statement with this improvisational and multi-section juggernaut. The now common 3.0 "Hose" style is enhanced by a swinging vibe and serious power rocking, bookended by great percussive funk. (2014 JOTY winner). |
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Tweezer (17:39)
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Fierce, punchy version that soars from the get-go, with Trey employing killer effects. The jam then plateaus, and then launches into melodic, major key mode for a while before dissolving into Caspian. |
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Caspian (16:10)
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The jam that emerges from this "Caspian" at around 6:00 is superb and must-hear Phish. Whether you think of this as a "Tweezer" or "Caspian" jam is a pedestrian concern; just enjoy this band kicking asses in its 33rd year!! |
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Golden Age (25:39)
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A multi-section, "Type II" behemoth which covers a lot of ground and peaks twice in the process. > to "Simple". Longest version to date. |
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Simple (25:28)
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A multifaceted capstone, assuredly anchoring the final show of the historic Baker's Dozen run. Luxuriating in each movement, the playing morphs from dark, electro-funk, to brighter, swinging, groovy fun, and then to appropriately celebratory hose. The final winding down is a fitting glaze for this big doughnut. |
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Everything's Right (15:30)
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Subtle, magisterial, and grand, the jam, bright as DMT (if, in actuality, colored with "WTU?" DNA), slowly builds, gently rising more than gaining intensity, the band riding Trey's wave of sound which crests to swell to become play notably restrained and pretty. This, then, into a perfect > for "Plasma." |
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Ruby Waves (38:08)
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An unflagging improvisational behemoth that moves from moody rocking out to a low-simmering groove to a propulsive Trey-led anthemic rush to swampy blissfulness to reggae (!) to motorized power riffing with a thrilling peak to ambient space to a surprising and welcome effects-laden gallop into the unknown to a breathless and ferocious finale (and second ambient deep space segment, for good measure) with neither muss nor fuss. At the time of writing, the longest modern era jam and seventh-longest ever to date, and not a second wasted on top. Listening to this masterpiece is non-negotiable. |
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Everything's Right (18:05)
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Towards the beginning of the jam, Trey sustains a note, which Page takes as a cue to introduce soaring harmonic counterpoint, including a hint to a major mode shift; this wrangles back to the "Everything's Right" theme. 11:30 sees Trey and Mike introduce a new chord vamp, and this yields a patient and smooth segue into major key bliss jamming by 13:45. Page builds with Fish's, and Trey goes whale call while building off of Mike's harmonic counterpoint. A pleasant feedback- and piano-dominated peak builds, climaxes, morphs, and finally reaches a graceful conclusion at 17:45. |
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Simple (23:31)
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Why we travel from points far and wide to Noblesville, Indiana. Pick a timestamp. 6.37 finds Trey alighting upon a lovely, carefree vibe. Jump to 10.35, and the band is moving through a passage of gnarly, tripped-up disco funk. 12.45 finds Trey (and listen to Page!) working his pedals like it's 1995. Or something. 15.15 features Trey shearing sound, the band deep in psychedelic play that makes recent Melts blush (the focus / the cohesion). Pick a point and it just might be your favorite .... Before the band, taking a victory lap, returns to simply sing us back home. |
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DwD (30:31)
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Old meets new. > from a strong Sigma Oasis, the band erupts, "DWD" exploring myriad sonic territories. Better off dancing about architecture than writing about this one. Just drop out. Or tune in. > a perfectly placed "WTU?" |
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Tweezer (43:39)
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Continuing along its 30 year trajectory of functioning as a great excuse to jam, the Greek Tweezer is another historic version that not only overflows with ideas in showcasing the band's commitment to excellence, but also swells and soars with (at times) wonderfully weird improvisation, brimming with dynamic reverence for proximity to the burning shore. |
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CDT (39:54)
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The pull of lunar gravity seems to propel this massively improvisational odyssey that draws from the full ocean of Phish's current array of tones and effects. Embracing a wide berth of improvisational moods from the familiar and serene to the anxious and alien, this truly titanic jam flirts with jagged edges and plumbs the bubbling depths but stays afloat atop the ebb and flow of its multiple movements and eventually finds safe port > "Beneath a Sea of Stars pt. 1". |
Jam chart versions are selected because of improvisational and other characteristics that distinguish these from typical versions of the song.
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