SOUL GRAVITY

Music:

Member Since: 19/01/2007
Band Website: http://www.soulgravity.com
Band Members: SOUL GRAVITY is...

John Trupp - Guitar & Lead Vocals

I'm a musician-songwriter and native of the DC music scene. Early on, I joined a nationally touring group called New Potato Caboose - what fun. After years of road warrior touring, NPC was signed to Rykodisc and having sold tens of thousands of cds, broke up shortly after. I then formed The True - a modern funkish rock ensemble with memorable hooks and forgettable looks. MCA bankrolled a development deal resulting in our untimely break up after years of regional touring. That's the biz!

I had great times recording albums with John Alagia and Doug Derryberry and made a bunch of cds with various artists. I performed with their band live and on their cd Reinvigorating the Wheel. I am now with Radio Mosaic and produced, mostly wrote, and performed on our 2 CD releases Roll and Look Around. We have a new dvd from our MHz TV performance. I also made a solo record called "Beware of the Dogma" while in between The True and Radio Mo. Cool stuff.

Now I've just released a new solo CD called Karma Electric. Yup, I produced, performed and wrote all the music and also designed the cd. Yeah, I know, woop-d-doo. Anyhoo, big thanks to my pals Scott Shuman and Scott Robinson for recording, mixing and mastering. And Toan Thai for the tasty pix.You guys rock my socks! I'm performing live shows around the DC area solo acoustic and with my Soul Gravity. John is looking forward to a rockin' Soul Gravity CD soon. Stay tuned!

TIM PRUITT - Electric Guitar & Vocals

TIM PRUITT more a veteran of the Baltimore music scene than Washington's since the mid-eighties, brings a sound to Soul Gravity that can vary from Blues to Bluegrass and from Country to Rock and Roll and all points in between. Tim has played the Baltimore club and party scene since 1986 with Frankentractor (formerly The Swilltones), Kwyjibo, and Snake Oil. Tim played guitar on some East Coast tour dates with New Potato Caboose throughout 1991 and 1992. Tim continued to play in the Baltimore club scene in the blues band Medicine Rattlers. Tim has been playing together with John in Radio Mosaic since 1998. Tim gets to play all of the styles of music that he enjoys with Soul Gravity and it "gives [him] the chance to make music with an extremely talented bunch of guys."

Jeff Spencer - Bass

Jeff spent his formative years touring nationally playing guitar and bass in multiple bands. His early influences were Hendrix, Santana, John McLaughlin, Stanley Clarke and Herbie Hancock.

The first time he touched a bass he was in his first club band playing weekends at the animal-lodges (moose, eagles, etc) at the age of fourteen after playing guitar for two years. Between songs at a practice he picked up the Fender Precision bass and started playing it, the bassist said “I didn’t know you played the bass too.” To which he replied, “I’ve never touched one before.” But he had a natural feel for the instrument and the grooves came pretty easily to him as he continued to make his living playing guitar and bass for well over a decade after he turned eighteen and went on the road.

Jeff arrived in the DC area in the nineties and has played with some well known artist in this region since that time. He played bass for the Mary Shavers Band, played guitar at a duo gig for the summer with the fabulous MaryAnn Redmond, continues to work with Xyra Harper-Cann in gig and recording projects and recorded a CD with Firefall’s (of “You are the Woman” fame) Larry Burnett. Larry’s big hit song with Firefall was “Cinderella.” It was in 2001 with the Larry Burnett project that Jeff met Ron Smith, the drummer for Soul Gravity as well as Wade Matthews who was THE premier bassist in the DC area Wade was the bassist for the Nils Lofgren band and the first-call session bassist for studio gigs all up and down the east coast. Although Jeff was the guitarist for the Larry Burnett project, he subbed as a bassist for many gigs that Wade could not make because he was just too booked up. That is how Jeff met Mary Shavers.

Jeff and Ron have known each other and been playing together in some fashion for six years now so even though “Soul Gravity” is a new band, it doesn’t sound that way. You can just tell when a rhythm section is tight and with Ron and Jeff the groove is always locked. Add to that John Trupp and Dave Ziebarth who also have a long history and what you have is a brand new band that is fresh and exciting but sounds like it’s been together for a long time.

Ronnie Smith - Drums

Ronnie got bit by the rock and roll bug early, around 8 years old, and by 10 was drumming on any surface that he could find. Got his first drum at 12 and proceeded to teach himself to play. He also started playing the guitar around the same time and still can't put it down! He moved to Austin, TX. at 18 and played in a few bands there, then moved to Boston to attend The Berklee College of Music for a few years, attaining their Diploma in Professional Music. Left school and ended up playing 275 nights a year traveling thru out the mid-Atlantic region. After several years of this, he switched to part time, working on mostly original singer-songwriter type material and doing a lot of studio recording.

He has had the opportunity to work with some really GREAT musicians. In the mid-90's, he started the band ZIP with local singer/songwriter extrordinaire Cal Everett (Four Out of Five Doctors). They were together around 5 years, made a great album together, and were featured on the last WAMA "Best of DC Artists" album in 1997. Shortly thereafter, he joined The Larry Burnett Band for a couple years and helped make another great album. Larry is one of the original singer/songwriters from the Rock band 'Firefall', and writes some GREAT songs. Currently, he's playing with Soul Gravity, Jonny and the Stingrays, The Deeme Katson Band, Doug Pritchett and Friends, the Tender Polman Band, Greg Reges, and a few others. He also does "fill-ins", studio work, and teaches Drum and Guitar Lessons. Ron is also an avid vintage drum and guitar collector.

Some of the bands he's worked with, are: Tomorrow's Dream, Spyce, The Locust, Face it!, The Shake, The Regenerators, Boss Crow, The Spankmasters, Wall to Wall, The Greg Reges Band, Steve Murphy, ZIP, The Larry Burnett Band, Tommy Lepson and Lazy Boys, The Deeme Katson Band, Perry and Polman, The Cactus Liquors, Walnut Grove, Rita Rocks, Xyra, Karl Stoll and the Danger Zone, Jonny and the Stingrays, Soul Gravity, Wood'n'Steel, Radio Mosaic, and a whole BUNCH more...

Influences: Rain, Fire, Earth and Life
Sounds Like: SOUL GRAVITY
Record Label: Yeah, we wish!
Type of Label: Indie