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Prior artistic
experiences that have informed my vision have to begin with the Dangerous
Grapes, a band that was put together in the winter of 1983, at the
University of Vermont. Its members were myself on guitar, Mike Gordon
on bass, John Fishman on drums, and Richard Van Buren on guitar. The
band dissolved upon my leaving UVM in the summer of 1984.
In the fall of 1985, I began
to study Theatre Arts, at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. During
my 4 years at UNLV, my acting, directing, and playwriting chops were
developed, and continue to serve me in virtually every aspect of life and
music. Beginning in 1988, I began putting on solo performances in the
Little Theatre and the Black Box Theatre, on the UNLV campus. These
led to local coffee house performances, which led to a series of bands, all
of which consciously avoided playing in any “lounges” or other pits of
despair, playing instead in other strange and twisted venues littered in and
around Las Vegas. After nine years in the desert glare, with a head
full of learning, I plotted my escape, and in 1994, made the move to Lyons,
Colorado.
Joshua 3 had its inception in
1996, in Boulder, Colorado. Some players who contributed their talents
in the early years were such friends as Edwin Hurwitz, Dave Watts, Jimmy
Yozel, and Paul Valentine, to name a few. But the players who have
remained since the beginning, and who are now its core members, are bassist
Kurt Reber (Motet), and drummers Andy Sweetser and Clay Bielman (Curandero).
With the recent addition of our old friend Mikee T. (Motet, Mountain Jam) on
guitar, Joshua 3 is now a duel guitar, duel drum, 5 man rock and roll tour
de force. The interplay between all of us is constant, and energizing.
For Mikee and myself, as soloists, the fundamental bridge between the music
and us is this amazing rhythm section. With Andy and Clay, every note
played, they answer, and with every answer, someone comments, etc., etc.
The highly melodic feedback found in their blended rhythms is endlessly
exciting in an improvisational setting. In Kurt’s bass playing, we
have the perfect foil, where solos intertwine effortlessly. With our
common vocabulary, developed over the 13 plus years of performing together,
we are creating a dialogue that continues to thrive, expand, and mutate in a
wonderful and inspiring manner. |
