Tony Markellis

Tony Markellis is a bassist and record producer from Helena, Montana, now residing in Saratoga Springs, New York. In his forty-five year career he has played blues, folk, jazz, rock and country music with musicians such as Trey Anastasio, Paul Butterfield, The Mamas & the Papas, Johnny Shines, David Bromberg, David Amram, Paul Siebel, Rosalie Sorrels, Eric Von Schmidt, Ellen McIlwaine, Mary McCaslin, Railbird and Jo Henley. Markellis was a founding member of the groundbreaking Vermont-based jazz fusion group Kilimanjaro, as well as the Unknown Blues Band featuring Big Joe Burrell. In the late 1990s, Markellis became the first member of the first solo band of Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio, forming the rhythm section with drummer Russ Lawton. Including his work with Anastasio, Markellis has appeared on over one hundred albums. In addition to tours with the Trey Anastasio Band, he is currently working with Kilimanjaro, acoustic blues power trios No Outlet and Street Corner Holler, The Burns Sisters Band, bluegrass fusion band Floodwood, acoustic Grateful Dead cover band Dead2Me, singer/songwriters Michael Jerling and Bob Warren, and occasionally with Americana band Jo Henley. On June 20, 2010 (Fathers Day), Tony was invited on stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) to play bass with Phish on "Gotta Jibboo" (one of the songs he cowrote with Trey and Russ Lawton for the Trey Anastasio Band). Phish's bassist, Mike Gordon played the second guitar during the song.