paul578202 + Musician in Elmhurst, IL

SEEKING

ABOUT

I've been playing keys for the fabulous yacht rock band Anchors Away for the past three years, but at the end of this summer (2024) I'm going to change pursuits and look for a new challenge.
What exactly? Well, that's hard to tell, but I'm looking for something out of the ordinary. I'm no longer interested in playing in a classic rock cover band that does the usual fests in the summer and the usual clubs in the winter. So, maybe a small ensemble of multi-instrumentalists with three-part harmonies that play great music that's a bit on the lighter side for restaurants and early-evening type gigs. I'm primarily a keyboardist, but I can play bass, guitar, percussion and harmonica (with enough practice). Maybe another member would play some guitar, violin and flute. Or accordion, sax and bass. Or whatever. We'd have a mix of people that could change things up a bit and alter the way we approach a batch of songs to make it more fun to play and more interesting to listen to - something more than the strum and hum monotony that so many artists resort to.

What would we play, exactly? That depends on the instrumentation, the vocalists and our tastes, but it could be any number of things. Maybe some original songs (I've done 13 full-length albums to date - you can find a lot of my stuff on Spotify, Apple or on my website), and as for covers, something a bit different. I can no longer play songs like Sweet Caroline or Brown Eyes Girl or Don't Stop Believing. I don't want to play The Beatles or the Stones. There are so many great songs out there - I want to do something different. For male vocalists perhaps Ben Folds, David Gray, Sting, Leon Bridges, Steely Dan, Glen Hansard, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cash, Father John Misty, Jason Isbell, Hall and Oates, Spoon, Joe Jackson, Lyle Lovett, Rufus Wainwright, Psychedelic Furs, Randy Newman, Dwight Yoakam, Leon Russell, Marc Cohn, Jackson Browne, etc. If a female vocalist joins the mix, how about Aimee Man, Pretenders, Joseph, Supertramp (high vocals!), Ingrid Michaelson, Rickie Lee Jones, Sara Bareilles, Indigo Girls, Sammy Rae, Dixie Chicks, Corinne Bailey Rae, Sarah McLachlan, EmmyLou Harris, Dido, Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell, etc.? A few jazz standards would be fun to play, too. There is a lot of good music out there, and as long as I'm part of an ensemble that continues to learn new material and grow, I'll be an enthusiastic and dedicated contributor. I just want to avoid playing the usual stuff.

Ideally, this ensemble would play around 12 -20 gigs a year.

I'm a versatile keyboardist who can play by ear, improvise, set a groove and read charts. I'm well-versed in jazz chords, and I've done several gigs playing jazz standards as well as new takes on old folk and country tunes. My motto is come to rehearsal prepared and play what the song requires. I've played in the bands Anchors Way, Second Time Around, The Chi-Town Showstoppers, Block 37, Crazy Wisdom, Ken Slauf Trio, Cold 45, and numerous other short-term groups or one-off gigs.

In addition to performing in hundreds of gigs, I'm also an accomplished songwriter and studio musician, having written and recorded 13 full-length albums to date, and I've played at numerous church services, weddings, funerals and school musical productions.

Screen name:

paul578202

Member since:

Mar 11 2014

Active within 1 week

Level of commitment:

Committed

Years playing music:

30

Gigs played:

Over 100

Tend to practice:

1 time per week

Available to gig:

1 night a week

Most available:

Nights

Influences

My keyboard playing early on was influenced by Rick Davies of Supertramp, Joe Jackson, Tony Banks of Genesis, Elton John, Steve Nieve (of Elvis Costello and the Attractions), etc. Eventually that grew to include jazz and blues influences including guys like Donald Fagen, as well modern piano guys like Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright.

Instrument experience:

Keyboard:

Advanced

Piano:

Advanced

EQUIPMENT

Macbook Pro Mainstage
Nektar Panorama P6 controller via Mainstage
Casio Privia PX-5S
If I play in a loud band, I use in-ears. No monitor and no amp.

MUSIC