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About Led Airegin
The Band
The Name
Well, everyone asks us about the name - "What does it mean?", "Are you
a Led Zeppelin cover band?", "Huh?", etc. Here's the story:
Back when the band was simply a guitar duo with Jason and Jay, we were
looking for a suitable name. Wes Montgomery did a tune called
"Airegin" (written by Sonny Rollins), and in the great tradition of bands
taking names from other band's tunes, we decided to call ourselves "Airegin".
However, the name didn't sit too well with Jay - it was just too "jazz".
While Jason is a straight up jazz cat, Jay is an unreformed and unrepentant
metalhead. So, Jay decided that we had to add either "Def" or "Led"
to the moniker. "Led" won, and there you have it!
(Being quite clueless, it wasn't until much later, that someone pointed
out to us that "Airegin" is "Nigeria" spelled backwards.)
History
In late 1999, Jay's guitar teacher, Jeff Massanari, mentioned that another
student of his was looking for people to play/jam with and put Jay and
Jason in touch with each other. It turned out they were practically
neighbors, so they jammed regularly, and decided that there was a love
of enough common music to put together a performing act. They
began putting together a set of music to be played as a guitar duo.
The music that they were so passionate about was the great soul-jazz and
groove/funk of players like Ivan "Boogaloo" Joe Jones, Grant Green, Herbie
Hancock, and the straight up jazz of Miles Davis and Wes Montgomery,
among others.
The first gigs were in late 2000, and included some smaller gigs at
coffee houses and private parties, as well as some larger gigs (several
hundred people) at some elegant charity events.
Jason and Jay did a few gigs as a guitar duo and were choogling right
along, when they were joined at private party one night by Rob on keys.
It was a great fit, and Rob was asked to join the band. (Jay and
Rob have known each other since elementary school!) The search for
a drummer commenced, and while that was occuring, Rob mentioned that he
had a friend who played sax, maybe he could jam with the band. Patrick
showed up and blew everyone away. He was asked to join the band as
well. (It turns out that Jay and Patrick also knew each other from
college and even before. What a small world!) The band
did a coffee house gig with the line up of Jason, Jay, Rob, and Patrick,
and it sounded tight! Finally, the band landed Mike Sobel, fresh
from a work stint in Japan on drums, and the lineup was complete.
It took about six months to get the lineup together, but it feels right,
so it was worth the time and effort!!
Biographies
Patrick Beard - Alto saxophone
A software engineer in Silicon Valley by day, Patrick loves playing
jazz music by night (or just about any time). His soulful stylings are
inspired by Dave Brubeck and the cool tones of Paul Desmond. You'll find
Patrick "jamming with the guys" every Thursday night in San Francisco,
and studying the finer points with bay area jazz legend
Hal Stein,
his sax teacher on and off since high school. Stein helps him with technique
and inspiration, and plays bay area night spots with his "Hal Stein
Quartet."
Patrick got hooked on the alto saxophone in the 7th grade, cutting
his performing teeth in high school with a full plate of marching band,
symphonic band, jazz band and jazz ensemble. He played in a couple of
informal groups, playing down home blues, and progressive rock inspired
by "King Crimson." During his college days at U. C. Berkeley, he played
in his first real band, "Slow Children at Play," performing 80s tunes by
"Modern English", "Echo & The Bunnymen" and ska tunes by the "English
Beat." The band performed at bay area clubs such as "Ruthie's Inn" in
Berkeley, and the "Sound of Music" in San Francisco. Patrick joined a
second band that played funk/rock tunes by Bootsy Collins, James Brown,
and Jimi Hendrix such as "Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire." They
performed in public at San Francisco's "Brainwash Laundromat Club."
Playing in Led Airegin after a long hiatus has been incredibly cool
for Patrick, who has always enjoyed playing jazz and funk.
Jason Overton - Electric guitar
Inspired by my uncle, Bill Overton, a jazz musician in NYC and most
recently Chicago, I started playing alto saxophone at 12. Once I started
high school, I spent most of my free time playing sports including
basketball, soccer and football. I started playing guitar at age 21 in
the second semester of my senior year in college.
To learn how to play jazz guitar, I spent a lot of time figuring out the
solos to Wes Montgomery tunes such as D Natural and West Coast Blues. I
also listen to a lot of jazz guitar greats such as Pat Martino, Grant
Green, and Boogaloo Joe Jones to try and figure out their style. By the
looks of things it will take me a lifetime, but I'm enjoying every
minute.
Teachers
I've had the opportunity to study with two guitar masters:
Terry Hankins
in Dallas (mid 90s) and
Jeff Massanari
in Oakland (late 90s - present).
Gear
- Gibson '59 Reissue 335 (strung with Ernie Ball Power Slinky 11s)
- Peavey Classic 50 - watt combo amp
- Ibanez TS-9DX - tube screamer
- t.c. electronic - Chorus / Flange
- Cry Baby - Wah pedal
Rob Vaterlaus - Keyboards
Under Construction
Mike Sobel - Drums
Under Construction
Jay Vyas - Electric bass guitar
Going nuts on the electric bass guitar, you'll find Jay
Vyas. This former heavy metal guitar player has finally found a musical
home in the Led Airegin grooves!
Jay started his musical explorations when he was six, with
piano lessons. When he was ten, he went to a new school, and saw a rock
band made up of his classmates play at the school talent show. It looked
like a ton of fun, so Jay, with the encouragement of his friends in the
band, began plucking on a guitar that had been laying around the house for
years, and joined the band, the Rockets. By the time high school came
around, sports took over from music as Jay's primary activity and things
continued that way through college. (Go Bears!)
After college (late 80's) Jay fronted the progressive metal
trio Shriek Daisy on guitar. A move across the country to Boston in 1990
ended his tenure with that band. Nothing much other than playing at home
until the genesis of Led Airegin in late 2000.
Teachers
Jay has been privileged to be able to study with some great
guitar teachers over the years, including:
Gear
- Fender USA 1962 Jazz Bass Reissue (strung with flatwounds)
- Ampeg B-2R
- SWR Mini-Goliath 2x10
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© Copyright
2003
Jason Overton
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Last update:
1/7/2003; 3:35:20 PM
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