Cory Wong welcomed special guest Trey Anastasio to mark the 100th episode of his Wong Notes podcast. The two eminent guitarists cover a wide range of topics in part one of their two-part conversation, diving deep into everything from Trey’s gear and musical influences to his thoughts on arrangement versus improvisation.
Wong introduces the episode with a memorable moment from their first meeting, recalling the time he opened for Trey Anastasio Band with Vulfpeck at Red Rocks and how Trey showed a genuine curiosity about their touring setup, asking questions about everything from their rehearsal process to the gear they used.
Their discussion begins with their shared love of hockey. Trey recounts going to see the Philadelphia Flyers‘ infamous Broad Street Bullies lineup play as a kid and later being invited to play alongside the “old time Flyers” team in an exhibition game against the “old time Rangers” at Madison Square Garden, saying, “They thought my name was Ray.”
The conversation quickly turns to gear, as Anastasio addresses his recent switch to Dumble amps and his extensive quest to find the perfect tone. He laughs at how no matter how many tweaks he made to his rig over the years, his Phish bandmate Page McConnell would have the same response: “You always sound exactly the same. I have no idea what you’re even talking about.”
He compares his journey with tone to that of legendary players like Queen‘s Brian May, recognizing that it’s the musician’s unique style that shapes the sound more than the gear itself. “I spent 10,000 hours … in the studio … testing every single tube, trying to beat this thing that I already had.”
After nerding out about gear, Anastasio shares insight into his eclectic musical influences, ranging from rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple to the classical composers introduced to him by his grandfather, including Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and Ravel. His love for Broadway, King Crimson, and Frank Zappa‘s guitar playing also helped shaped his musical vision. “I was just obsessed with Queen. So Queen, Zeppelin, [Robert] Fripp, Broadway, classical music and all that added into this,” he says. “I wanted to write … I had a big head and I thought … ‘I’m going to write music better than Ravel.'”
He says by the time he was 18, he “only wanted to be a composer” and explains how early Phish music was composed to the smallest detail, with each band member contributing a specific part to create a perfect chord at every moment.
[As] soon as Phish started, which was also when I was 18, I started writing this stuff. So a lot of early Phish music was completely arranged on a piece of paper. … I would write the whole thing out and give [Mike and Page] a chart and we would play it. … If you stop time, the four people, Mike, two hands of Page and Trey are always playing a four-part chord. There’s no doubling. All the motion is right. There’s no contrary motion. This is really high level of integration of musical integration. So we would practice this shit for hours.
As the episode draws to a close, Anastasio expresses his appreciation for the journey he and his bandmates have shared and reflects on how, after 40 years of performing, they don’t take their time on stage for granted. “I don’t mean to sound morose, but we’re in our 60s. … Something’s gonna happen. It’s just a matter of when. So, we’re all hyper aware now every night. Like, ‘Wow, we get another night of doing this.’ I mean, because we love it so much, we just love it so much. It’s like, I can’t wait for tour to start. You know what I mean? Playing with those guys it’s such a joy.”
Listen to the full episode here, and stay tuned for part two of their conversation.
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