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Date: Mon 08 Oct, 2001 at 00:00
Headline: Experimental
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Greetings and Salutations!
If this were a television show, I would say that we were "on haitus for
re-tooling"...but it's not, so let's move on. :-)
Since John Clark (always one with several irons in the fire) decided to
leave the band to concentrate on other endeavors, we have been experimenting
with various formats, trying to find one that resonates best with us and
audiences. Last night at Tom Tom CD we tried out the
line-up that we will be using throughout the rest of October, with Tim, James
and I playing the first half of the show as a trio, and our friend Ray
Opheikens joining us on bass for the second half while I switch to
keyboards.
Ray, apart from being a superb bass player (his "day gig" is the Jay
Johnson Band, and he has played with James and/or I in various other projects)
is a man of many talents. He put together the graphics for our debut CD and
contributed backing vocals to several songs. He's also an unfailingly fun guy to
work with, which was another factor in our choosing him to fill in.
He played well and kept everyone in high spirits last night, and we're
looking forward to playing with him again in more conventional club settings
later this month.
Having another bass player around is also providing me with the
opportunity to explore my role as singer & frontman from behind the
keyboards. It's something I've been doing in Jupiter for
more than a year now, but transferring it to this band is different for
several reasons. The idea of hiring a permanent bass player is just one of
the possibilities we are considering right now, and how well things work out wit
h
Ray will certainly be a factor in determining what our course of action will
be.
In the meantime, we are also excited to be taking part in a charity
concert to benefit the American Red Cross later this month.
On Thursday, October 25 we will be joined on the Salt Lake Community College
campus by several other artists in a tribute to the humanitarian acts that
have so stirred the American Spirit in light of the tragedy our nation has
experienced recently. It will be a night to
remember.
That's all for now. See you at the Ritz!
your humble correspondent
Thom Bowers
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