The OTHER Band

Along with Rock Mafia, Stone Cold Fox, Electric Boogaloo and The Dock Martins, I also play in another band. A band not in the SCF Entertainment family. Kind of a side project. The Insatiable Stallion Brothers, is a 9 piece, Rhythm & Blues Review type band. We play songs from the Motown era, Stax, Old Soul and some Blues. The instrumentation is Bass, Guitar, Drums, Keyboard, Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, Bari Sax, Trombone and Trumpet. The band used to be known as Lou's Bluz Review, a standard in the Atlanta all through the 80's and 90s anchored by guitar player/singer Lou VanDora.

Some of the songs include:

634-5789, Mustang Sally - Wilson "The Wicked" Picket

Knock On Wood - Eddie Floyd

Cold Sweat, I Feel Good, Sex Machine - James Brown

Cut The Cake, Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

Thrill Is Gone - BB King

Dock Of The bay, I've Been Lovin' You To Long, Can't Turn You Loose - Otis Redding

Soulman - Sam & Dave

Hold On I'm Coming - Sam & Dave

Take Me To The River - Al Green

Midnight hour - Wilson Picket

What Does It Take, Memphis Soul Stew - Jr. Walker & The Allstars

Put It Where You Want It - The Crusaders

How Sweet It Is - Marvin Gaye

My Girl - Temptations

Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones

Green Onions - Booker T and the MG's

And many more...........

Any of you that know me well, no that Motown is some of my favorite stuff to play. So I am really looking forward to playing out with these guys. I will also get to play my new electric upright bass (once it comes in)on a lot of the songs with this band. (I would play my real upright, but it is just too big to have on a stage with 8 other people.) Also those of you that hang out with the SCF bands, no worries.....I have no intention of leaving the SCF family. This will be a side project that gives me the opportunity to play the stuff I grew up playing.

Now most of our gigs will probably be private parties here and there. In fact, our first is April 2nd at the Hilton. However we are going to play a few warm up gigs out in bars. And they are as follows:

Monday March 31st - 7:00 - 10:00

Nemoe's Tavern & Grill

6025 Peachtree Parkway
Norcross, GA 30092-3348

Phone: (770) 263-7101

Fax: (770) 263-7102

Sunday April 13th - 6:00-9:00

Lonestar Ranch in Alphretta

(I will post more about this when I get the info)

So for any of you that may want to come see us play, your best bet is going to be the Nemoe's show. Honestly, due to the nature of the band, we probably won't do a lot of bars, so it might a few and far between kind of thing.

The MySpace page is http://www.myspace.com/theinsatiablestallionbrothers

I hope to see you there.

j

How Will I Know If I'm Awake

When I joined the jazz band late in my freshman year in High School, I met an incredible drummer by the name of Brent. This guy was ridiculous. I had only been playing bass a couple of years and I knew very little of what I know now. But I did know, that this guy could seriously play the drums like nothing I had ever seen. What I would learn later, lucky for me that it was not much later, was that Brent was incredible on every instrument. You see Brent is one of the guys with the gift of picking up an instrument and figuring it out pretty quickly. It was the first time I had ever heard of perfect pitch. Basically he hears a note without any kind of reference and can tell you what that note is.

Pretty much the rest of my freshman year, my band mates and I revered Brent and only dreamed of playing with someone of his caliber. Well, not very long into my Sophomore year, I got a call. Actually it was Brent and a Guitar player named Harry, they pulled me aside one morning as we were waiting for the morning bell. They basically asked me if I would join their band for the talent show. I was stunned. I was on cloud nine. I remember walking with my friend Kabuki, who played guitar in my first band, to the pay phone to call the singer/sax player in our band (he was home sick) to tell him that I would be leaving the band. It was tough to leave a band with my buddies, but this was a golden opportunity. And it was the start of a great musical relationship.

Playing in the band with them was great! I was just then starting to learn how to use my ear to learn songs as opposed to reading it off of the music staff, so I often needed help learning parts. Brent was always there to show them to me. That's right, the drummer showed me how to play my parts. I'm telling you, this guy is BAD ASS. I learned more about playing bass from my "drummer friend" Brent then I did from my music teacher. (No offense Jack, I learned a lot from you too).

Throughout the next few years, Brent and I played together in several different versions of the same band. A lot of fusion, some rock n roll. UP until Brent moved away to Atlanta.

After Jr. College, I moved to Athens to attend UGA and low and behold a few months later, Brent had moved there too. Eventually he was filling in with the blues band I used to play with and we were playing together again.

Then eventually I was no longer in that band, and I had moved on to other things. A new band, new drummers........

About two years or so ago Brent contacted me about playing on an an album he was making. I told him I would be happy to play on his songs. I actually thought I would only get to play on a couple of songs and assumed that Brent was going to play bass on others. Nope, I played on every song. I played Electric Bass on most and my Upright on a couple. I had a blast. the studio he was using was great. Andy, the owner/engineer was very cool. I did the recordings in two sessions. half of the songs the first time and the other half the next.

One day I got a copy of the finished cd in the mail and I was blown away. Then I talked to Brent on the phone............ He got signed to a record deal with Marina Records out of Germany. This Saturday is his Album release party. They are even putting out vinyl version of the album. HA! I"M ON VINYL!

If anyone reading this is interested in hearing it, please go to www.brentcash.net or www.myspace.com/brentcashmusic or search iTunes for Brent Cash.

It is one of my favorite projects that I have ever worked on and I am very proud of Brent for making such a brilliant album and I am extremely proud to say that I was able to play bass for Brent's record.

j

Cleaning, Gatos and Such

Ok, once again I'm in the mood to blog, but have no subject matter. So here is another installment of Johnny's Random Thoughts/Blog

First up, House Cleaning! While it is not so hard to get the house clean, why is it such task to actually get started. I woke up about 11 today and I really need to clean my garage, clean all the junk off my dining room table. gather all my stuff for my taxes, clear out my office, throw out boxes, bathe Roxanne, etc etc. But I just can't seem to do anything but hang out on the deck or sit on the couch and watch TV. Actually that's not so true....

(next subject?)I am bout to make the best of beautiful day and put the bike rack on the car and head out to the Silver Comet and get that first ride in. (I'll take my camera so I can get some pics) Maybe that will actually get me to write a blog about the silver comet or cycling or something.

Next up, The Georgia Aquarium...... Where do I begin? Let's start with the first thing you think of when you see fish.......... Alligators. This is the newest addition to the Aquarium. Now, I enjoyed the exhibit, as did K. Especially the Purple Hat, Blonde and Dimpled Gators. However, when they advertise on their site that they've added this new exhibit, they had a picture of a 9 foot big ass gator. The ones they had in, although full of personality and charm, where about 4 feet or so. And to top it off, they don't let you feed the Gators.

The Beluga, once again, was worth the price of admission. Niko, was hanging out at the window and watching the folks. I still wonder if he looks at the little ones and thinks they would be fun to play and swim with or does he think, "mmmmmm. dinner to go!"

My favorite part of the aquarium, the end of the Ocean Voyager section. Shortly after you go under the tank there is a big ass window with steps you can sit on that make it like a big ass theatre. I like that part because you can sit and watch the fish on your on schedule. No one is pushing, if you want to count the number of fish in a school, or simple make fun of the big Mafioso look on the giant groupers. Check em out, the look like gangsters staring at everybody.

I think I have commented on another blog that the Shrimp boat in the GA Waters section is totally inaccurate, but that is ok, they do have live shrimp. Once again I was tempted to grab one and de head, de-vain it and grill it, but luckily K was there to slap me upside the head.

The fun loving Sea Otters..... Yeah, more like the sleeping all day Sea Otters. The first trip by they and the Sea Lions were all asleep. The 2nd time on Otter was awake, while the other was floating on his back sleeping. Still cool to sea and the sleeping, floating otter kept rubbing his chest while he floated around. They need to give those Otters a Coke or a Red Bull or something. Hell give them a Bucket of some sort. We want to see them play!

The last aquarium thought......Nemo, I mean Deepo. Are they in cahoots with Pixar? We saw some Nemo stuff for sale in the gift shop, but still not sure if there is any kind of agreement. Deepo is basically Nemo without the strips. They talk alike, they look alike, they have the same friends. OH well, the trip to the aquarium was a lot of fun. If you haven't been, do yourself a favor and go. Make sure give yourself about 3-4 hours. OH and be careful if you see a gator brandishing a cleaver.

Finally.......Gainesville. We played in Gainesville this weekend. Dock Martins on Friday and Boogaloo Saturday. Good shows both night and a great crowd. Last night we thought we had made it thru the whole night without seeing a fight. No. While breaking down equipment some idiot decided he was going to shove a girl. May hat is off to the security staff in Gainesville. Anytime a fight breaks out, they waste no time getting those people out of there.

Ok, that is enough. I am done thinking. Gonna go to the comet and ride.

j