Boogie Bone Makes Magic with Perfect Combination of Talented, Skilled Musicians
June 30, 2008
Boogie Bone is: Jake Johnson, lead vocals, Portland, Ore.; Steven Dee Williams, guitar, Honolulu, HI; Steve Snyder, saxophone, harmonica, keyboard, La Grande, Ore.; Henry Gavaldon, bass, Phoenix, AZ; and Todd Stevens, drums, Walla Walla, Wash.
These guys have known each other and played together in different bands and styles over the past 20 years, but never all in the same band at the same time. What you notice right away are tight breaks, crisp endings that catch you off guard and a band with an attitude that is at the same time humble and fun-loving.
This is how it all began: Drummer Stevens was contacted by a friend with the PDX Brewers Club to see if he could throw together some music for the clubs' winter party. So he called Johnson to see if he was interested; Johnson said, "why not," and called Dee.
Boogie Bone debuted at the Lucky Lab West to a packed house of home brewers. Stevens recalls, "The crowd really had no idea what hit them. Everyone wanted to know where we were playing, why they hadn't heard of us and when they could see us next. But we had no bookings and really had not thought past this gig." The band went through a couple of bass players before Williams called on old friend Henry Gavaldon.
Johnson says, "You knew right away that this band was special. That first jam was magic. These guys had played together for so long that everything was a wink and a nod and they were instantly on the same page. As a singer, knowing that the band is rock solid gives you a lot of confidence. In fact, we recorded that first rehearsal, live, one-take stuff; it still gives me goose bumps." The recordings aren't perfect but the feel is there. With the blues, that is all that matters.
The last piece of the band, fittingly, was added the way the rest of the band was formed; pure happenstance. As Johnson recalls, "We had a gig at the beach down in Manzanita. A friend of mine, Steve Snyder, who I knew to be an amazing saxophonist, said he was going to be down there that weekend, so I asked him if he wanted to sit in for a few tunes. He said it sounded like fun. We play our first set and then he gets up with band. Second set was off the charts; the chemistry between the two Steves (we now call them the Steve Brothers) was like they had been playing together for years. These guys are dancing on tables, spinning on chairs, playing off of each other and just having a blast."
Dee remembers, "The next morning we are at breakfast and Snyder was just leaving. He told me how much fun he had playing with us the night before. I said that it was mutual and he was welcome to play with us whenever he wanted. I didn’t figure he would join us full time. He was in another band, had been a pro for years, is in the Oregon Music Hall of Fame, the whole deal. Well, he was at the next rehearsal and became a permanent member of the band. The whole thing was typical Boogie Bone, we weren’t even looking to add anybody and he falls out of the sky."
"Really, since then it has been a lot more of the same." says Dee; "We decided to record a demo to see if we could get a little exposure and some cooler gigs. The first few songs were turning out better than I expected, so Jake and I kept on writing. The next thing you know, we have a complete album. In addition to club owners, I sent it out to any radio stations that would listen to indie blues recordings. All of a sudden, I am getting emails from DJs saying that they love it and will be featuring it on their radio shows. At this point, every song on the record has been played on the radio; it debuted at #39 on the Roots Blues chart, it has been played in Germany, Croatia, Italy, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Spain, Australia, on and on."
Dee continues, "Locally, here in Portland, it has received regular airplay on KINK and KMHD. Now, Double Tee Concerts has had us opening for national acts as they come through town. The whole thing is just incredible. We tried so hard, for so long, in so many different styles of music, and all had kind of given up the dream. We put this thing together just to have a good time and it is the best band we have ever been in. I guess maybe we were trying too hard. This band is fun and the audience can sense it. We stumbled our way back to our roots and it just feels like home."
Before Boogie Bone, Williams, Stevens and Gavaldon were the core of the original rock band Alloy, recording and touring the northwest for the majority of the '80s. "Jake used to come hang out at Alloy rehearsals, I had no idea he was a singer. It's ironic because he fit right in with the band's messed up sense of humor, and he ends up having fabulous pipes." Alloy disbanded in 1993.
According to Johnson, "I was singing with a rock band called Razorbabies with Henry, who was also playing with a blues band, The Livewires. Henry invited me to come try out the blues with them. Todd was the drummer for that band. I remembered him from Alloy, he was the most amazing drummer, and he played it all, jazz, blues, rock, it didn't seem to matter."
Snyder recorded and toured extensively with the power funk band Shock. They toured with or shared the bill with heavyweights such as: Tower of Power, Earth, Wind and Fire and The Average White Band. They released records on the Fantasy label. It was with Shock that Steve inducted into The Oregon Music Hall of Fame.
"This band is just fun," says Snyder, "and I think the audience can feel it. All we want to do is make good music, play cool shows, party with the crowd and make some great records. These guys are pros but now it's all about having a good time. There is no pressure, unlike previous bands, where it was always: We need cash, we need exposure, we need big shows, we need a record deal, we need to feed our huge egos. We have been through it all and I mean all. Now it's time to get the party started, just don’t forget to invite Boogie Bone."
Contact Boogie Bone at:
Phone 503-887-0557. (See ad and Bandstand this issue for schedule.)