SKY PILOT

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Myspace Comments | Myspace Graphics | Myspace SurveysThe Marion, Iowa born professional percussionist-bassist, Troy Harper has performed in various eastern Iowa blues & rock bands for the past twenty years. He first began his musical career as a part-time percussionist & bassist at the age of fifteen performing with the blues rock family trio, The Janeys opening for various national blues artists such as Pat Travers, Blues Traveler, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, & Elvin Bishop. Troy Harper drifted out of The Janeys after a few years while continuing to nurture his musical talents performing drums & bass with many of the most popular eastern Iowa rock artists including The Meerkats, Craig Erickson, Flat Cat, Nite Moves, Dennis McMurrin, & The O'Connell Brothers. In 1994, Troy Harper formed the rock trio Sky Pilot (a direct homage to the Eric Burdon & The Animals hit) with guitarist, James Mercer & percussionist, Scott Waybill. Compiling their song selections from original material to blues & rock covers, Sky Pilot performed for various gigs around eastern Iowa for the next two years until in 1996 Sky Pilot wrote, recorded, & released their ambitious self-titled debut receiving enthusiastic critical reviews. Later that year, Waybill departed Sky Pilot & Harper stepped behind the drumkit again while bassist wunderkind virtuoso, Jay Anderson was brought in to complete the line-up's tight new heavier rock & roll sound. In 2001, Sky Pilot released their aply-titled follow-up, Eleven Live excellently recorded live at Cocktails & Company in Cedar Rapids, capturing the collective trio in raw form performing their own expanded hydrid covers of heavier rock & roll including some originals as well. Later that year, Harper formed the side-project duo, Shakey Feet with local blues artist, Merrill J. Miller. While performing bass with Shakey Feet, Harper was able to hone his jam band inspirations to deliver entertaining live shows for many audiences across eastern Iowa for the next few years. 2003 saw Harper continuing his early classic rock aspirations when he formed the cover band, Triple Shot with guitarist-vocalist, Tom Bruner (Me & Rosie B) & percussionist, Eric Douglas. Triple Shot still enjoys the electric energy from the crowd that continues to enhance their rock solid performance sets today. In mid-2005, Shakey Feet suffered a setback when guitarist, Merrill J. Miller departed for Alaska which subsequently reforms whenever he returns from the great white north. Summer 2006 Troy Harper was recruited as the permanant bassist for the long-time Iowa rock band ensemble, Justin Case & also formed the Iowa jam band supergroup, The Flying Carp with Craig Erickson, Dave Baeder, & Tom 'T-Bone' Giblin. With the added challenge of playing all the instruments himself, Troy wrote, produced, recorded, & distributed his first self-titled solo EP to various indie labels earlier this fall. In December 2006, Justin Case went on hiatus & Troy formed the new side project band, 24/7 with members from the group concentrating mainly on a variety of different musical genres. Although recording as a solo artist & performing with a variety of Iowa's finest rock groups may seem like quite the workload, Troy Harper maintains that the decade-strong trio of Sky Pilot is still his permanant full time gig & will continue to deliver the best American classic rock & roll for years to come.