Phish - September 20th, 2025

The improvisation here blossoms naturally and grows in a way that feels inevitable and which marks the late summer of 2025 as fertile ground and which gives rise to this melodic ascent of spontaneous beauty. The interplay between Trey's clean sound and Page's grand piano is particularly satisfying.

At a time when "Simple" seems more comfortable as a supportive piece of a set (7/27/24 notwithstanding) here it serves as the centerpiece of a Saturday Night Special in Hampton. A bubbly and bright exit from the song proper defined by Trey's use of chords and Page's cloud-like Rhodes playing, the jam rolls along in a dream-like space moving from hopeful melodies to creepy Phrygian tones. Coalescing around a snarling, effect-driven riff from Trey around 12min, Page's contrasting baby grand soon elevates the jam towards a more rock-driven peak that latches onto a sustained note from Trey before a choice fade > into a high-energy "A Wave of Hope."

-> from AWOH. More than a simple return, this coda caps off a thick 40 min of improv that gives way to a notable "Beneath a Sea of Stars part 1".

One of the more interesting (possibly?) Fish-driven jams. If interested in following a different sort of percussion rinse - a riveting (albeit subdued) amalgamation of our favorite drummer's different styles and sounds - you can do much worse. While his play belies the suggestion the improvisation is in any way aimless, what's more: A true sense, here, that Trey is creeping closer, if not to outright (lowercase) space, than certainly surrendering to the air - his tone at times incredibly surprising, masterfully matching his introspective ideas. Or: Rather different from the other versions.