Divided Sky - Phish cover

I thought it would be exciting for you to check out a Phish cover I did around 2016 or so. This is before I began mixing final versions at a good volume, which started around 2020. Anyway… When I was in my Frank Zappa phase, I would check out plenty of guitar driven bands, from The Grateful Dead, to Phish. I was fascinated by the improvisations that took place in their live performances. I was inspired to cover “Divided Sky” after listening to their Halloween concert in 1994, where they performed the entire Quadrophenia album by The Who. The album is called, Live Phish Volume 14. What I love about the live renditions are the expansion of the song. A personal favorite part about studying the live jams are the interaction between all four members. I would often memorize some of my favorite solos from their guitarist Trey Anastasio, learning about vibrato, when not to use vibrato, etc. Just a lot of fun stuff!!!! Having listened to a bunch of other live versions, I thought about covering it in the spirit of the band on stage. I began with the drums, played live on the keyboard using my Yamaha for midi, and the drum samples from Sonar’s Session Drummer Andy Johns kit. I think I did the piano and organ next, then the bass, and guitar. I played on my short Ibanez with a sustain switch, so I can extend notes without having to crank up the amp, plus, I love feeling the vibration of the string while the note keeps playing! I wish I knew the name of the sustain pick up… Anyway, it was an exciting piece to cover! Hope all of you enjoy it! (Smile)