Prime Number – Classic rock band boasts unusual musical twists
By Kurt Johnson
They call themselves a "classic rock" band, but they have a much more eclectic sound than ordinary classic rock. With a sound that more approaches alternative rock, Prime Number draws on a wide variety of influences to arrive at their sound. They are a four-piece band with some unusual musical twists.
Prime Number is Paul Irvine on guitar; Gary Rumble on guitar and keyboards; Scott Schorr on the Chapman Stick; and Rick Sloane on drums.
Each brings many years of experience and a wide variety of influences ranging from the London punk scene to the Detroit Motown sound which, when blended, produces their unique sound. They produce a tight, crisp sound that is polished and well-rehearsed. They immediately connect with their audience and get people dancing with strong applause.
The most unusual thing that immediately strikes a person is Schorr's Chapman Stick instrument. As Schorr explains it, a Chapman Stick is a stereophonic string instrument. To look at it, it's a 12-string instrument that acts as the bass, played exclusively by tapping on the strings while playing chords on the lower half. It's quite unusual to watch it being played. It’s held in an upright position as if he had been an upright acoustic bass player.
Gary Rumble explains the meshing of the varied influences; "We have a lot of diverse influences. I grew up with a different set of musical influences as part of the English punk movement. I grew up in Detroit and the Motown influence. Rick's influences are from the ‘60s." Sloan says, "We have two really strong guitarists, so we fill that out with a lot of guitar songs. Each of us has brought a number of songs to the list. What that does is brings in the four different influences that produces the eclectic sound mix that we have."
Irvine adds, "A lot of it comes down to the song choice. We wanted songs people can dance to. We did not want to play Sabbath or Tull. People want to have a good time. If we don't have fun playing, then no one's going to have fun. It allows up to have flexibility on our sound and song choices that we've played everywhere."
On this evening, Prime Number appeared at The Cider MIll & Friar Tuck Restaurant, located just this side of Multnomah Village on Capitol Highway. Cider Mill is a long-time entertainment nightspot destination in the West Hills area. With a combination of restaurant, barroom, dance floor, stage and an outdoor patio, Cider Mill offers a complete assortment of nighttime options for dining and entertainment.
Prime Number will celebrate its tenth anniversary party Sept. 25, 7 p.m. at The Cider MIll in Multnomah Village, 7675 S.W. Capitol Highway. Don’t miss it!
