Phish and the Evolution of Jamming
Dan Knorr
I-Search paper
Pinnacles of Perfection: Phish and the Evolution of Jamming
For as much as I love Phish, there is so much music I hadn’t heard until I decided to write this paper. It was almost impossible for me to have lots of experience with all the different periods of jamming they had. I decided that I would listen to and discuss how music from the same band could change so drastically throughout their career, and I think I learned more than I thought I would.
There are many different eras of Phish’s improvisation that make up the entirety of their career. In each of these periods, certain sounds can be expected to be heard throughout most jams. The course of Phish’s career can be broken into four large chunks. These are the dates and titles of each period:
Phish 1.0 (Part I)
• 1983 – 1990 – The College Years
• 1990 – Fall 1993 – The Speed Jazz
• Fall 1993 – Fall 1995 – “Testing The Water”
• Fall 1995 – 12/31/1995 – The Pinnacle of Perfection
Phish 1.0 (Part II)
• 1996 – The Rock and Roll
• February 1997 – “Testing The Water”
• Summer 1997 – April 1998 – “Phunk”
• Summer 1998 – Fall 1998 – The Pinnacle of Perfection
• 1999 – 2000 – Space Cadets
Phish 2.0
• 12/31/02 – 12/31/03 – The Darkness
• 12/31/03 – 8/15/04 – The Oxy Years
Phish 3.0
• March 2009 – Summer 2009 – Welcome Back
• Fall 2009 – 12/31/09 – Bringing Back the Jam
• Summer 2010 – Fall 2010 – What is next?
You’ll notice that there are some large gaps between Phish 1.0 and 2.0, similarly between 2.0 and 3.0. From the end of 2000 until 12/31/02, Phish was on a hiatus, figuring themselves out. Also from 8/15/04 until 3/6/09, Phish was “broken up” and had no intention of returning. Luckily they did return, because I would never have had a chance to see them!
Beginning in 1983, Phish was a band that set out to be different. They
I-Search paper
Pinnacles of Perfection: Phish and the Evolution of Jamming
For as much as I love Phish, there is so much music I hadn’t heard until I decided to write this paper. It was almost impossible for me to have lots of experience with all the different periods of jamming they had. I decided that I would listen to and discuss how music from the same band could change so drastically throughout their career, and I think I learned more than I thought I would.
There are many different eras of Phish’s improvisation that make up the entirety of their career. In each of these periods, certain sounds can be expected to be heard throughout most jams. The course of Phish’s career can be broken into four large chunks. These are the dates and titles of each period:
Phish 1.0 (Part I)
• 1983 – 1990 – The College Years
• 1990 – Fall 1993 – The Speed Jazz
• Fall 1993 – Fall 1995 – “Testing The Water”
• Fall 1995 – 12/31/1995 – The Pinnacle of Perfection
Phish 1.0 (Part II)
• 1996 – The Rock and Roll
• February 1997 – “Testing The Water”
• Summer 1997 – April 1998 – “Phunk”
• Summer 1998 – Fall 1998 – The Pinnacle of Perfection
• 1999 – 2000 – Space Cadets
Phish 2.0
• 12/31/02 – 12/31/03 – The Darkness
• 12/31/03 – 8/15/04 – The Oxy Years
Phish 3.0
• March 2009 – Summer 2009 – Welcome Back
• Fall 2009 – 12/31/09 – Bringing Back the Jam
• Summer 2010 – Fall 2010 – What is next?
You’ll notice that there are some large gaps between Phish 1.0 and 2.0, similarly between 2.0 and 3.0. From the end of 2000 until 12/31/02, Phish was on a hiatus, figuring themselves out. Also from 8/15/04 until 3/6/09, Phish was “broken up” and had no intention of returning. Luckily they did return, because I would never have had a chance to see them!
Beginning in 1983, Phish was a band that set out to be different. They
Cited: Ross, Luke. Personal interview. 21 Nov. 2010. Bowers, Chad. Personal interview. 26 Nov. 2010. "Frequently Asked Questions." Phish.Net: for Phans, by Phans. Web. 09 Dec. 2010. . Puterbaugh, Parke. "Chapter 4." Phish: the Biography. [Cambridge, Mass.]: Da Capo, 2009. 80-82. Print.