Mike Gordon
Best known as a member of jam band icons Phish, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Mike Gordon has also enjoyed a varied career outside the band as a solo artist, collaborator, and filmmaker. As Phish's bassist and part-time singer, Gordon first rose to success in the late 1980s and '90s, touring constantly and contributing as a songwriter to the group's many albums. Also a talented bluegrass and folk musician, he has recorded several duo albums with guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke and a series of eclectic solo albums that include 2008's The Green Sparrow, 2017's OGOGO, and 2023's Flying Games. Along with other musical projects like Ramble Dove and Rhythm Devils, he has also filmed numerous videos and documentaries including the feature films Outside Out and Rising Low.
Born in Sudbury, Massachusetts in 1965, Gordon formed his first band in high school. In 1983, while attending the University of Vermont, he formed the jam band Phish along with guitarists Trey Anastasio and Jeff Holdsworth and drummer Jon Fishman. On his own, Gordon has an inclination toward bluegrass and Jewish folk music and plays a variety of instruments including guitar, banjo, and piano. An avid filmmaker and photographer, he has shot music videos for Phish and directed the 2000 feature film Outside Out.
In 2002, Gordon teamed up with guitarist Leo Kottke for the quirky folk album Clone and made his solo debut the following year with Inside In. After Phish temporarily disbanded in 2004, Gordon focused more intently on his solo work and other collaborations, making another album with Kottke (2005's Sixty Six Steps) and signing with Rounder to release 2008's The Green Sparrow.
By the time he returned with 2010's eclectic Moss album, Phish had re-formed and Gordon found himself again pulling double duty. Following these albums, a busy live schedule with a newly invigorated Phish ensued, including an annual set of sold-out New Year's Eve shows at Madison Square Garden. A fourth solo studio album, Overstep, appeared early in 2014.
Following the release of and subsequent tour for Phish's 2016 effort, Big Boat, Gordon resumed gigging with his own solo band, with whom he recorded 2017's Ogogo for ATO Records. He later reunited with Kottke in 2020 for a third duo album, Noon. Another full-length, Flying Games, arrived in 2023 and found Gordon experimenting with heavier, rock- and funk-influenced sounds, as evidenced by the single "Mull." Featured on the album are contributions by longtime collaborator Jarded Slomoff and engineer Shawn Everett.
© Matt Collar /TiVo
Discography
10 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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The Green Sparrow
Pop - Released by Rounder Records on 1 Jan 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Swing the Mess Around / Graveyard Circus
Rock - Released by ACE RECORDS on 2 Jul 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
