Once you hear the smooth soul-jazz sounds of 8, it may be difficult to believe that it started as the brainchild of an electronic music student (and closet Residents fan) at Cal State Fresno. There are no loopy synth experiments, "found sounds", or wild tape manipulations in the music which makes 8; just straight-up organ-drenched soul music with often breathtaking excursions into improvisational jazz.

Bandleader Paul Ruxton (Hammond organ, electric piano, synth) is that aforementioned Residents fan, and he still isn't ashamed. "I admire their contribution to art and music, but it's people like Duke and Miles who really inspire me," he says. Paul arrived in San Francisco after conquering his native San Joaquin Valley with the new-wave tinged rock band Procession. After playing many high profile gigs (including opening for Chris Isaak, The Call, The Tubes and many others) Procession underwent a name change and eventually disbanded, leaving Ruxton free to explore musical terrain which had always interested him: a unique marriage of crafty, funky samples and jazz-influenced chord voicings. Picklehead, which received some Bay Area radio airplay, was the first of those projects to realize this vision. Once vocalists Derek Lassiter and Marcie Henderson came aboard, the project was renamed Ba-Lue, and the trio performed, with the two vocalists out front and Ruxton controlling all the sounds from behind a massive collection of synths, computers and keyboards. When the members of Ba-Lue began to get more gigs, they slowly started to hire live musicians. As more and more players joined the group, the need for another name change became apparent and 8 was born.

Vocalist Derek Lassiter, who writes all of the lyrics for 8's original songs, first joined Ruxton as a guest vocalist on the Picklehead project. Together they carved out the vision for Ba-Lue. A veteran of San Francisco theater and cabaret performance, Lassiter's quiet, commanding presence and smoldering vocals recall the days when people came to a club to actually listen.

Bassist Steve Smith is a veteran of local rock and funk bands, including Blue Goatee. Smith keeps busy as an in-demand session musician for everything from gospel to country, and is currently working on a CD of his own material.

Guitarist Marc Weibel joined the group in 1997. His own musical background includes a 3-year stint with a Bay Area rock/funk band, where he honed his ferocious chops. He has lent his unique sound to a number of local CDs in the past few years.

Drummer pc muñoz joined 8 at the same time as Marc Weibel, bringing with him years of experience in gospel music as well as rock and funk. Like Ruxton, he has an affinity for adventurous music and released a critically acclaimed CD, the trouble i'd bring you, in 1998 (for more on pc visit http://pcmunoz.iuma.com).

Occasional vocalist Marcie Henderson, a veteran of the stage both here and abroad, hooked up with Ruxton in the Ba-Lue days. She had to become a "sometime" member due to her hectic theater and touring schedule, but one can still catch her singing with 8 when she is not on tour.

"I wouldn't mind (8) becoming a big soul-jazz group, with horns, percussionists, all of it, just swinging," Ruxton says, reflecting on the direction he'd like the group to go at this critical point.

"We could go anywhere from here."