Phish frontman loses jam band flim-flam

OK, so I wouldn't classify myself as a complete Phishhead.\nI mean, I could definitely get down with some "Bouncing Around the Room," and what college student hasn't heard the jam band's take on Snoop? I'd known some guys who were Phish roadies during high school, but I didn't think much of it when they offered me their bootlegs. \nBut I found myself, strangely, liking guitarist Trey Anastasio's latest instrumental offering, Seis de Mayo. The collection, gleaned mostly from songs Anastasio recorded with Phish and later remastered, is noticeably infused with remnants of classical Frank Zappa and features Anastasio's 10-piece band (which you dedicated Phishies will remember from last year's Bonnaroo Festival). \nOf particular interest is "All Things Reconsidered," a delicate fugue fans will remember from the 1993 Phish album, Rift. The beautiful combination of strings in a loosely built quartet conjures up Barber's "Adagio" in a way most haunting works can't -- and it works. \nThe 12-minute "Guyute," however, is the album's true masterpiece, performed by the Seattlemusic Orchestra. It blends perfectly with the flow of the album, and crescendos into a beautiful closing section in a way no Phish song could ever achieve. \nSo in short, if you're a diehard Phishhead with no interest in classical jibe, run, don't walk, away from this CD. But if you're open to a new, strangely beautiful experience, dive in. Trey won't hurt you.