Sponsored by:

Music on the Road

When all else has been done and said
Here comes the rocking Oysterhead

By Scott Leon
CNN Showbiz Today Reports

(Left to right) Bassist Les Claypool, drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Trey Anastasio

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Every once in a while a band comes along that attracts a rabid following of fellow musicians. A band where the level of musicianship inspires and influences other players. A band that's named after a mollusk.

They're called Oysterhead, a present-day supergroup of admired instrumentalists -- guitarist Trey Anastasio of cult jam band Phish, bassist Les Claypool of the off-beat rock band Primus, and the legendary drummer of The Police, Stewart Copeland. The trio first got together last year when Claypool was asked to form a group of favorite players for a Super Jam concert in New Orleans, Louisiana.

"I called Trey because he's a fancy fella who can shoot from the hip," Claypool told Showbiz Today Reports. "He always wanted to play with Stewart and I just happened to know Stewart".

	VIDEO
Watch Oysterhead perform 'Mr. Oysterhead' Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

When the trio assembled for that gig they felt a creative chemistry. "I didn't know what to call the music," said Claypool. "I never heard anything like it before".

The New Orleans show sold out in 12 minutes and was such a success that the members decided to cut an album. They headed for Anastasio's recording studio, located in a Vermont barn.

Out of those sessions came their new album, "The Grand Pecking Order."

"I think the main goal was probably to find something unique that would be created by our three different backgrounds and personalities. I don't think we knew what it was going to sound like until it was done," said Anastasio, reflecting on the creative process.

	MORE MUSIC
Previous musicians -----------

The fact that the three had other bands and projects also freed them.

"When we convene as Oysterhead, we really aren't concerned about airplay, about commerciality," explained Copeland. "We really don't have to play by the rules, and that is really liberating."

The result is musically dazzling and lyrically wacky, with songs such as "Army's on Ecstasy" and their anthem, "Mr. Oysterhead." With the album finished, the band planned a tour, and most dates sold out almost immediately. But just as they were ready to kick off the tour in New Haven, Connecticut, and New York City, the events of September 11 happened. The stunned band canceled those first concerts.

But the group believed in the healing powers of music. "Creativity is the antidote to destruction and I feel that it is very important at this point to move forward with art and music," said Anastasio pensively.

Their concert tour is moving forward with dates through November 18. You can also catch them on HBO's musical showcase program "Reverb," Wednesday November 21 at 8 p.m. ET.

Oysterhead -- official Web site

Reverb -- official Web site

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.