THE HORSESHOE CURVE - TREY ANASTASIO
Trey Anastasio does patience-tested fans proud with this satisfying collection of funk-, jazz- and orchestral-tinged instrumental barnburners performed with the 10-piece band he toured with from 2002 to 2004. After veering into singer-songwriter territory on recent solo efforts, the former Phish frontman reminds us of his flair for ornate big-band arrangements and organic improvisation with two live cuts and six studio outtakes recorded concurrently with sessions for 2004’s “Seis de Mayo.” Those who have been waiting to hop back on the groove train will be overjoyed with the Calypso cadences of “Sidewalks of San Francisco,” the high-energy psych-rock of “The 5th Round” and the dramatic harmonic shifts of the title track. The disc proves Anastasio doesn’t need his old bandmates to sizzle, but ought to get back to doing what he does best: kicking out the jams.
