Happy Birthday Trey Anastasio: Relive the Guitarist’s ‘Live From Here’ Performance with Chris Thile, Wynton Marsalis and More
Sept. 30 marks the one and only Trey Anastasio’s 56th birthday.
The guitarist has been his typical workaholic self during quarantine, releasing countless songs on social media (which became his solo record Lonely Trip), a studio record with Phish (Sigma Oasis) and a live album with TAB (Burn It Down), as well as becoming the first musical guest on The Tonight Show since the start of the pandemic.
However, to celebrate his birthday, we’re looking back at his show-stopping 2019 performance on Live From Here where he showcased some of his favorite compositions alongside skilled musicians like Chris Thile, Wynton Marsalis and Sarah Jarosz.
“There is a magical musical being on our show today, and his name is Trey Anastasio!” exclaimed host/mandolinist Chris Thile as the Phish guitarist emerged from the wings of NYC’s Town Hall.
From there, the band – featuring Thile, guitarist Chris Eldridge, fiddler Brittany Haas, bassist Mike Elizondo, singer-guitarist Sarah Jarosz, drummer Kush Abadey and keyboardist Brett Williams – jumped into Phish staples “Theme From The Bottom” and “If I Could,” with Anastasio taking on lead vocals and electric guitar.
Anastasio’s second mini-set featured the same lineup, performing his third-ever version of Chuck Berry’s “Back in the U.S.A.” (the two prior appeared in 2017 with his namesake Trey Anastasio Band). Discussing his love for Chuck Berry, Anastasio told Thile, “I think everyone who’s ever strapped on a guitar owes it all to Chuck Berry.” Anastasio and the ensemble also performed a heartfelt rendition the Ghosts of the Forest cut “A Life Beyond The Dream.”
However, Anastasio hit his musical high-water mark in his third appearance, with the addition of noted trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The collective offered orchestrated versions of Phish’s “Blaze On” and Lester Flatt’s “I’m Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open.”
“Blaze On” stood out for its brassy, big band feel, with Anastasio grinning his way through the entire performance as he and Marsalis traded solo segments back and forth.
Happy Birthday Trey!
