Member Since: 18/07/2007
Band Members: Jack Lees
Influences: THINGS THAT MAKE ME WANT TO GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING AND THROW ON A POT OF COFFEE (BESIDES COFFEE): Bob Eubanks's Rose Parade commentary. Any movie with a title ending with "iv". Oprah. Oprah's Book Club. Any of Oprah's guests - past, present and future. O Magazine. The letter "O".
OTHER SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCES:
Gravity, Cumulative Selection. (OK, those are EXTREMELY early influences.)
Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Susan Faludi, & NAOMI KLEIN are examples of contemporary writers with some ideas that I seem to appreciate. Oh, and then there's that guy, Darwin. I seem to have an emerging interest in evolutionary biology. More on that when we know each other better.
EARLY MUSICAL INFLUENCES: I was born in New Orleans, so...Sitting on Dad's shoulders as a kid during Mardi Gras on St. Charles Ave. and feeling the vibration from multiple bass drums ricochet off of my chest. Not to mention Stax/Mowtown, classic rock, (Zepplin, Pretenders, AC/DC, Van Halen,) Paul Simon, Simon and Garfunkel.NOT QUITE SO EARLY BUT STILL EARLY INFLUENCES:
Afro-Cuban Folklorico and folk styles (secular and non- secular) which were the pedecessors of modern Latin Dance music: Rhumba, the music of Santeria, (bata drums), Guajira, Son. And then Salsa, Latin Jazz, Songo, Timba. (Irakere, Munequitos de Matanzas, Los Van Van, Ruben Blades. Tito Puente, Cal Tjader. Congueros: Barretto, Changuito, Patato, Giovanni Hidalgo, Eddie Montalvo...the list is endless. Robby Ameen, Enrique Pla, Samuel Formell....MORE RECENTLY I've been checking out AfroPop: Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomide, Samba Mapangala, Angelique Kidjo, Salif Keita, Tabu Ley Rochereau and more.
Sounds Like: Jack playing congas with Nikhil Korula Band:
Record Label: "Mommy, what's a record label?"
Type of Label: Unsigned