Phish's Mike Gordon plays the Fox Theatre on Friday.

Mike Gordon went on a "phishing" expedition to discover some new dimensions to his creative talents.

The multi-talented musician found what he was looking for -- and wrote a new set of songs for his latest CD, The Green Sparrow.

It's no surprise that Gordon's an inventive guy. The musician spent two decades playing bass with his original outfit Phish and helped create the ever-evolving jam scene.

While Phish took an extended hiatus, Gordon found time to perform with the Benevento-Russo Duo, record with Leo Kottke, make movies and create several unusual inventions.

Now Gordon's ready to show off his own new material, which he played for local fans this summer at Denver's Mile High Music Festival.

"I had a great set, even though it was really hot and dusty there," Gordon said. "It just added to the atmosphere. Now, I've been trying to stay focused on my own projects. All the side-projects can really overtake you, so I've been busy writing and recording my own album and putting the band together.

"I see this as a long-term project."

The Green Sparrow really marks the first time that Gordon has set out on his own. The musician took most of 2007 off to make the record, and the free time allowed him to explore the funk, rock and calypso sounds that pop up on the new CD.

Gordon also wanted to find the "perfect" band to flush out his songs.

"It took a long time to find the band that I wanted to work with," Gordon said. "I wanted to find that right chemistry, and that's what we ended up with. It's all about bringing people together and how those personalities mix."

Gordon also wanted to create songs that would stretch his creative muscles. The musician made the decision to branch out from the music he had played in the past, and he developed a more progressive sound for the new album.

"I had a bunch of goals with this record," Gordon said. "I wanted to make more rocking, funky upbeat music, but I didn't want it to be so niche-oriented. I had covered bluegrass and calypso on my other CDs, so I wanted these songs to more sophisticated and have deep chord progressions.

"I also wanted to write heartfelt lyrics. I wanted to give the songwriting 'the big guns.'"

As a result of that decision, Gordon gave himself strict rules for making The Green Sparrow.

The artist says he refused to play gigs or get involved with side-projects during the recording process. The one luxury the musician did allow himself was an occasional drive through the countryside.

"Songwriting has so many facets," Gordon said. "There are so many evolutions going on at once, but it's all about the lyrics and the layering of sounds. The process is always changing.

"I would say that my songwriting has evolved and become more sophisticated with Green Sparrow."

To add the final touches to his new CD, Gordon called on an impressive line-up of musical friends. Trey Anastasio from Phish, keyboardist Chuck Leavell, Bill Kreutzmann of Grateful Dead fame and Ivan Neville all left their indelible marks on The Green Sparrow.

Gordon road-tested his new music at this summer's music festivals. In addition to the Mile High Music Festival, he played Rothbury and the All Good Music Festival.

"I'm very happy about the way things are going," Gordon said. "It's sort of a dream; I've written my own music and put together a band. This will be more of a creative outlet for me. I have a lot of creative energy and it just needs to be funneled properly.

"This is the first time in my career that I've been able to do that."

Gordon will take his new tunes and band on tour this fall, but he does have another project on the backburner.

"Phish did play a show, and we'll play together again at some point," Gordon said. "There are no plans now, but it would be for something that was a 'big deal.' We've been talking about doing it again. It wouldn't be as something nostalgic, it would be to re-invent ourselves.

"The rumors are true, but it's loose for right now."

Gordon hasn't set a "Gone Phishing" sign on his tour bus -- yet.

So on Friday, Boulder can enjoy his solo project at the Fox.