Surrender to the Air

Surrender to the Air
Surrender to the Air in 1996
Surrender to the Air in 1996
Background information
OriginBurlington, Vermont, USA
GenresFree jazz
Years active1996
LabelsElektra
Past membersTrey Anastasio
Marshall Allen
Damon R. Choice
Marc Ribot
John Medeski
Michael Ray
James Harvey
Jon Fishman
Oteil Burbridge
Kofi Burbridge
Bob Gullotti

Surrender to the Air was a free jazz ensemble led by Trey Anastasio of Phish that included Marshall Allen, Damon Choice, and Michael Ray of the Sun Ra Orchestra, John Medeski, Marc Ribot, Oteil Burbridge, Jon Fishman, and several other musicians.[1][2]

The group performed two concerts at the Academy of Music In New York City in April 1996 and disbanded shortly thereafter.[3][4][5] The concerts, like the group's sole album, consisted of completely improvised music.[6][7]

Around the time of the group's formation, Anastasio mentioned in interviews that he based the ensemble around Sun Ra's free jazz ensembles of the mid-twentieth century. "A lot of times, I think he was the pinnacle," said Anastasio. "He was as good as it got. His values remained pure for his entire life, and there's something to be said for that."[8]

  1. ^ Gehr, Richard (1998). The Phish Book. Villard. p. 53.
  2. ^ Porter, Todd S. (2001). "The Path to Freedom". Free Jazz and Free Improvisation: An Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. Greenwood Press. pp. xiii.
  3. ^ Norris, Chris (April 1, 1996). "The Last Mosh". New York Magazine. p. 97.
  4. ^ Watrous, Peter (April 4, 1996). "Pop Review: A Phish, 70's Funk And a Band Built to Jam". The New York Times. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  5. ^ Macnie, Jim (March 9, 1996). "Phish Phenom Airs Jazz on Elektra". Billboard. p. 100.
  6. ^ Bernstein, Scott (April 1, 2016). "Twenty Years Later: Trey Anastasio Presents Surrender To The Air". JamBase. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  7. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Surrender to the Air: Surrender to the Air". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  8. ^ Schwartz, Greg M. (July 11, 2019). "Space is Still the Place for Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Arkestra". PopMatters. Retrieved September 29, 2022.