..Jay Lane's roles on drums have earned him a place in San Francisco's music history. He started performing in the Bay Area in the early '80s in a band called "Ice Age" that featured childhood friend and current guitarist with Spearhead, Dave Shul. Another childhood friend, saxophonist Dave Ellis, got Lane his next gig with a local ska band, The Uptones, which he played with for two years before joining another popular Bay Area group, the Freaky Executives, in 1985. After four years of steady gigging and a huge record deal with Warner Bros. that eventually was shelved, Lane then met Les Claypool in the halls of the rehearsal space the bands shared, who invited him to join his group Primus. After about eight months with Lane on the gig( that included a recording session for the Primus cassette called "Sausage"), Claypool was ready to hit the road. Lane bowed out due to prior commitments to the Freaky Executives... Shortly thereafter Lane co-founded the pioneering hip hop/jazz group Alphabet Soup with saxophonist Kenny Brooks, N.Y. keyboardist Dred Scott, rapper Chris Burger (The Mo'fessionals), and vocalist Zachariah Mose. Alphabet Soup recorded two albums: '94's "Layin' Low in the Cut" and '96's "Strivin'" and shot a video that featured regularly on BET. Also during those years Lane reunited with old friends, the 7-string guitarist Charlie Hunter and sax man Dave Ellis, to form the original Charlie Hunter Trio.The trio recorded two albums. The first on Claypool's Prawn Song label and the second, "Bing Bing Bing!" on Blue Note records. Touring schedules conflicted shortly thereafter when he started playing with Grateful Dead guitarist/vocalist Bob Weir and bassist Rob Wasserman in a side project that would eventually become Bob Weir's Ratdog. ALSO about the same time, Les Claypool called Lane and origional guitarist for Primus, Todd Huth, to put together a band called Sausage. They recorded an album, "Riddles" on Interscope records in 1994, shot a video of the title track that was played on "Beavis and Butthead" several times, and did a tour with the Rollins Band and Helmet that summer. When it rains it pours!After Jerry Garcia passed in 1995, RatDog began a steady touring schedule. Playing with a great like Bob Weir gave Lane the opportunity to also meet and play with many incomparable musicians such as THE TRUE FATHER OF ROCK & ROLL , Pianist Johnnie Johnson (the Johnnie Johnson Trio - that hired a then UNKNOWN Chuck Berry!). Evening Moods (1999) and Live as Roseland (2001) featuring his work with RatDog, are available through Grateful Dead Records. He has also appeared on Austin City Limits, VH1 Classic's All Star Jams, the Montreaux Jazz Festival and others in Europe, the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival and the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, and almost every state in the US.In 2002, Lane earned accolades from his peers and fans, winning "Drummer of the Year" in the California Music Awards. His beats are urban, funky, and fluid, and demonstrate the physical power and stamina he's built over a lifetime on the drums.In 2005, Lane was touring with both Les Claypool's Fancy Band (Skerik, Mike Dillon, Gabby La La) as well as Bob Weir & RatDog, laying down beats in his home studio, and playing Bay Area shows with Alphabet Soup between tours.
In 2006, founding Soup rappers Zachariah (Iron Monk) Mose and Chris (Charlie Bravo) Burger formed a new group, and with Alphabet Soup rapper Mike Blake and Mo'fessionals rapper Kingpin Rowski, "The Band Of Brotherz" continued the Pioneering of Hip Hop with more of a Reggae/ World Influence. They recorded a single called "Down in Babylon" for a Katrina benefit C.D. that spawned a slew of great songs produced by Zach from his Golden Baboon Studios. Lane hopped on board right away and they took it to the club. With a few exciting shows already under their belt including a guest appearance performance of "The River Song" in NYC at the Beacon with Ratdog, this already looks promising! The forthcoming C.D. features the incredible Gabby La La on the Sitar, and Sikiru Adepoju ( Mickey Hart's Planet Drum) on the Talking Drum! Keep your ears out for 'em! Lane has also been to Atlanta to reunite and record with old college friend and master Saxophonist Bryan Lopes for an upcoming Bryan Lopes Trio CD featuring Atlanta heavyweight Neal Fountain on Bass, both who've played with Colonel Bruce Hampton's Aquarian Rescue Unit. Since then, The Band of Broz have been hard at work on a new experience for the senses featuring some good ol' GD "redos" such as "The River Song" and "Inspiration"for a CD called DEADBEATZ vol.1...Jay Lane endorses Craviotto Drums, Bosphorus Cymbals and Pro Mark sticks
