Jam Central Station 09.19.09: Phish Profiles Part 2-Mike Gordon
Posted by Jeff Modzelewski on 09.19.2009
Phish's bassist encompasses the true meaning of the word "artist." From musician to writer to filmmaker, Mike Gordon has built a lasting body of work.
Hi all and welcome back for Part 2 of my Phish Profiles. I hope everyone had a great week (or at least a better week than I did). Starting the week off with a pretty pathetic Browns game and losses in both of my fantasy football leagues did not bode well for the rest of my week. I got sick starting on Monday, and I've been pretty run down ever since. Of course, this didn't stop me from driving 2 hours each way to Cleveland on Wednesday to see Alice in Chains. I spent four hours driving, three hours standing at the venue, and I didn't get home until about 1:15 in the morning. All of that for a concert that clocked in at a little under two hours. Add in the fact that I'd been tired and run down for the previous two days, and it was a difficult trip. Of course, it was a great show, so it was completely worth the toll that it took on my body.
Given the way that my week has gone, please forgive me if my column isn't quite the length that you'd like this week. I'm continually amazed that, given the popularity of Phish, the information on the individual members is not very extensive. Luckily, even though Mike Gordon doesn't have multiple profiles and biographies floating around the internet, the information that does exist is interesting to make a good column this week.
As bassist for Phish, Mike Gordon has built a reputation as an exciting improvisational bassist capable of not only holding down the rhythm section for Trey and Page but an accomplished soloist and leader for the group. He has written some well-known songs for the band, and he's a primary vocalist. Outside of Phish, Gordon has kept busy writing and recording with a variety of other musicians and releasing multiple critically acclaimed albums. He's a multi-instrumentalist, writer, and filmmaker, and his work with Phish and beyond has been nothing short of impressive.
While Gordon's fame comes from being the bass player for Phish, his musical repertoire is quite extensive. He's also a first-class banjo player, and he plays piano, guitar, and harmonica. He's added to the diversity of Phish by bringing his strong bluegrass influence to the band. He's also gotten Phish to experiment with calypso music and even traditional Jewish songs.
Gordon also is primarily responsible for the way that Phish developed their fanbase and how they manage the band. Gordon was the band's first manager, taking responsibility for booking shows, dealing with the income, doing press releases, public relations work, and even answering fan mail. The way he managed the band's affairs helped Phish form a strong bond with fans, from innovative live performances to band accessibility.
Apart from Phish, Gordon has been very active musically. He has released a number of solo albums, and he has collaborated with artists across the musical spectrum. He's worked with Rosanne Cash, Doug Perkins, Jamie Masefield, and Leo Kottke. His work with Kottke produced two albums, 2002's Clone and 2005's Sixty Six Steps. Both of these albums were critically acclaimed, and Sixty Six Steps won "Record of the Year" at the 2006 Jammy awards. These albums include both originals and covers, with Gordon and Kottke taking on artists from mainstream rock like Aerosmith and Fleetwood Mac to others such as Peter Green, Pete Seger, and Bob Fuller.
Inside In, the companion to the film Outside Out, included a wide array of musicians supporting Gordon. Fellow Phish member Jon Fishman provided drums on much of the album. Bela Fleck, Jeff Coffin, and Future Man from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones all participated. Gordon also brought in Buddy Cage, Col. Bruce Hampton, and many others to round out this almost-psychedelic album. Gordon also released his first actual solo album The Green Sparrow in 2008. The album again featured fellow Phish members, this time Trey and Page, along with a wide array of other musicians.
As a filmmaker, Gordon has released two films of his own, along with doing video work for Phish. He produced the 1994 video Tracking, a short movie documenting the recording of Hoist. His 2000 documentary Outside Out won an award at the 2000 South by Soutwest festival, and his 2002 work Rising Low won "Best Documentary" at the 2002 Newport International Film Festival. Rising Low followed the recording of Gov't Mule's album The Deep End, and was a tribute to Mule bassist Allen Woody, who passed away in 2000. Outside Out is a full-length feature film staring Col. Bruce Hampton, and spawned the companion album Inside In.
Along with the other hats that he wears, Gordon is also an author. He has published numerous short stories, including the compilation book Mike's Corner. Many of these stories had originally been published in Phish's newsletter, but the collection included new illustrations, new works, and expansions to previously released stories. The stories are often satirical and often border on absurd.
Overall, Mike Gordon has proven to be a true artist, not just a musician. On top of what I've talked about, he's also been an artist and an architect. His role in Phish has made him a name in the music scene. His other work simply expanded that resume. I'd recommend checking Mike Gordon out in any of his numerous projects.
Seeing as we're highlighting Mike Gordon this week, it seems only right to start with "Mike's Song."
And a performance of the cover song "Ya Mar."
And, from 1995, a good version of "Mound."
I've wanted to include this for a while. Here's Trey and Mike at Rothbury '08 doing "Backwards Down the Number Line"
Here's the Mike Gordon Band with Morphing Again
And Mike with Bill Kreutzmann and Scott Murawski.
I felt like pulling out a couple of other bassists this week. Here's Les Claypool with "D's Diner" from Bonaroo 2006.
And, in honor of The Beatle's new CD box sets, here's the great Victor Wooten doing "Norwegian Wood." Wow.
The Grateful Dead ready new box set
The Grateful Dead will release Winterland, June 1977, an 8-disc box set chronicling The Grateful Dead's shows from June 7-9 1977 at Winterland Arena in San Francisco. The release includes previews of almost every song off of the unreleased-at-that-time album Terrapin Station, along with a good overview of their entire catalog. The release date hasn't been announced yet, but Dead Heads will be picking this up.
Nitrous at Trey's Carnegie Hall show
Trey Anastasio made his debut with the New York Philharmonic last weekend, but the show wasn't the only news coming from Carnegie Hall. In what is becoming more and more of a problem for much of the jam band community, nitrous oxide dealers were openly selling balloons outside of Carnegie Hall. I'm guessing that this wasn't what the New York Philharmonic was expecting when they signed up to collaborate with Trey. The show itself featured many songs that Trey has performed with other orchestras, including a 20 minute "Time Turns Elastic" and an extended "You Enjoy Myself."
STS9 announces new album
Electronic instrumental stalwarts STS9 announced that they will be releasing Ad Explorata sometime this fall. The band will be hitting the road in about a week, and the new album is expected to be released this fall. Look for more info in the upcoming weeks.
Gov't Mule to play Beacon, Europe
Gov't Mule has confirmed their annual New Years Eve shows at New York's Beacon Theatre on December 30 and 31. They've played the Beacon over New Years for the past several years. They're also heading over to Europe for a short tour in November. European fans should strongly consider checking these shows out.
November 5 Copenhagen, Denmark—Pumpeshuset
November 6 Lubeck, Germany—Rollingstone Weekender
November 7 Antwerp, Belgium—Hof Ter Lo
November 8 Koln, Germany—Live Music Hall November
10 Wein, Austria—WUK November
11 Munich, Germany—Theatrefibark
November 12 Milan, Italy—Alcatraz
November 15 Barcelona, Spain—Sala Apolo
November 16 Madrid, Spain—Sala Heineken
November 18 Amsterdam, Netherlands—Melkweg
November 21 London, UK—The Forum
Toubab Krewe announces tour
Coming off an active summer, Toubab Krewe will be hitting the road on an extensive headlining tour. This will take the band through the end of the year, and then they'll be heading out on Jam Cruise at the start of January.
September 17 Boone NC—Legends at Appalachian State
September 18 Knoxville, TN—Cider House
September 19 Nashville, TN—Exit/In
September 20 Memphis, TN—Levitt Shell
September 21 St. Louis, MO—Off Broadway
September 22 Kansas City, MO—Crosstown Station
September 23 Lincoln, NE—Bourbon Theatre
September 24 Boulder, CO—Fox Theatre
September 25 Fort Collins, CO—Aggie Theatre
September 26 Denver, CO—Cervantes
September 29 Portland, OR—Doug Fir Lounge
September 30 Seattle, WA—Tractor Tavern
October 2 Eugene, OR—WOW Hall
October 3 Arcata, CA—Humboldt Brewery
October 8 San Francisco, CA—Great American Music Hall
October 10 Joshua Tree, CA—Joshua Tree Music Festival
October 13 San Diego, CA—Winston's Beach Club
October 14 Tucson, AZ—Plush
October 15 Tempe, AZ—Sail Inn
October 16 Flagstaff, AZ—Green Room
October 17 Santa Fe, NM—Santa Fe Brewing Company
October 22 Austin, TX—Flamingo Cantina
October 23 Houston, TX—Last Concert Cafe
October 24 New Orleans, LA—Blue Nile
October 29 Charleston, SC—Poor House
October 30 Charlotte, NC—Neighborhood Theatre
October 31 Carrboro, NC—Cat's Cradle
November 12-13 Live Oak, FL—Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park Bear Creek Music and Art Festival
November 19 New York, NY—Santos Party House
November 20 Cambridge, MA—Middle East Nightclub
November 21 Cambridge, MA—Middle East Nightclub
December 30-31 Asheville, NC—Orange Peel
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe on tour
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe just released Brother's Keeper and are out on tour in support. They'll be on the road at least through November, criss-crossing the country. Tickets are cheap, so check them out.
September 19 Rock Island IL - Rock Island Brewing Co.
September 20 Des Moines IA - People's
September 30 Bellingham, WA - Nightlight Lounge
October 1 Olympia, WA—Capitol Theatre
October 2 Seattle, WA—Showbox at the Market
October 3 Portland, OR—Crystal Ballroom
October 4 Bend OR - Domino Room
October 6 Eureka CA - The Red Fox Tavern
October 7 Sebastopol, CA - HopMonk Tavern
October 8-9 Santa Cruz, CA—Moe's Alley
October 10 Los Angeles CA - The Mint
October 17Alpine, CA—Smokin' In The Park
October 18 Santa Margarita CA - Pozo Saloon
October 22 Salem, MO—Camp Zoe
October 23 Bloomington, IN—Bluebird Nightclub
October 24 Chicago, IL—Double Door
October 25 Cleveland Heights, OH—Grog Shop
October 27 Syracuse, NY—The Westcott Theater
October 28 Portland, ME—Asylum
October 29 Troy, NY—Revolution Hall
October 31 New York, NY—Bowery Ballroom
November 5 Atlanta, GA—Variety Playhouse
November 6 Charleston, SC—Music Farm
November 7 Asheville, NC—Orange Peel
November 13-14 Live Oak, FL—Bear Creek Music & Art Festival
November 27 San Francisco CA - The Independent
November 28 San Francisco CA- The Independent
Thanks again for stopping by this week. Hopefully I'll be feeling a little better next week, but, either way, I'll be here bringing you all the jam news you need. Have a good week, and Jam On!
