When he's not with PEARL JAM Jeff Ament is with his sideproject THREE FISH .. made up with TRIBE AFTER TRIBE's Robbi Robb and ex-FASTBACKS drummer Richard Stuverud ... with Cary Ecklund being the honorary fourth fish.
Pretty unusual name for a band .. but THREE FISH [translated into English] is based on 13^th century Sufi poem written in Arabic by Rumi. This was something Ament had been readin' which happened to be lyin' around when the guys were in the studio. Extracts from the poem is on their debut, self-titled album, read by Robb with Ament strumming on the guitar .. but if you wanna check out the whole poem by Rumi .. you can do so HERE¡ =) And like Gossard's and McCready's side projects .. THREE FISH too .. is unique in their own way, kinda spiritual [¿] with their middLe eastern influences and their array of string and tribal instruments.
The story of THREE FISH, as a band, started 'round about the mid '90s. There's Stuverud .. whom Ament had known from the early Seattle days wHen their bands used to play in the same clubs .. and Robb .. where Ament had seen him and his band, TRIBE AFTER TRIBE play in Boston. Obviously impressed .. Robb one day got an outta the blue phone call from Ament seein' if his band .. TRIBE AFTER TRIBE was interested in opening for PEARL JAM. After their first meeting .. there was an immediate bond, and a friendship was formed. They discovered they both had alot in common .. like when Ament first met Robb, he had with him in hand the book , Alistair Crowley's "Moon Child", coincidence or what but Robb too, happened to be reading the same book¡ The two also share a fascination in the ancient religions [Robb apparently grew up in a Tibetan monastery and Ament was raised a Catholic] to the mystic and exotic music style to .. wells .. reading the same kinda of books.
It wasn't until later on when Ament had some time in the sTudio he called upon Robb to see if he was interested in collaborating with him .. and as for the whole "band" thang and gettin' to producing records .. suprisingly, it wasn't pLanned .. it just kinda, sorta happened .. evoling out of camping trips Robb and Ament shared. The three got together and started jamming and before they knew it .. they had written quite a few songs [the band has given Ament confidence in his songwriting .. which is great¡ .. **yaay** for Jeff¡ =)] and had alls these tapes lying around after hittin' the studio. At first it was just their littl' secret .. friends gettin' together outside of what they'd normally commit themselves to, to making music without any pressures, or anyone standin' over them. The guys lurved what they were doin' and decided to put together a CD just for themselves and friends .. and once distributed .. the feedback was both encouraging and postive¡ And so came the birth of THREE FISH and their self titled debut album along with tours that followed .. and the rest as they say .. is history¡ =)
THREE FISH is indeed .. as Robb put it **L** "the other woman". In a way it's about expression .. it's about three friends coming together .. making music and exploring new horizons .. sharin' a special kinda bond, which i'm sure we all hope, will keep on growin'¡ =)