Artist description Original songs inluenced by psychedelic rock and many different kinds of world folk music.

Music Style rock/worldbeat/folk/eclectic

Musical Influences Grateful Dead, Coltrane, Dylan, Bob Marley, Nick Drake, Wayne Shorter, Ravi Shankar, Joni Mitchell

Similar Artists Grateful Dead, Nick Drake at times, Joni Mitchell at times

Artist History The band started when freelance jazz, blues, psychedelic, country, folk musician, Dave Easley, suddenly became a singer/songwriter overnight and before long had so many songs that he knew he had to start his own band. After that it was something like Dorothy headed for the Emerald City; you meet some true-blue soul who seems to be on the same road or seems, for whatever reason,like s/he should be headed for Oz and you walk on together singing. Then comes the day when you realize that the mighty wizard, the man behind the curtain--the record industry--is not what it's cracked up to be. That it can't do anything for you that you can't do for yourself. Then you hear about MP3.com... hmmmm.... trying to take the decision making power about what music the nation and the world are exposed to away from a few conservative business men and put it into the hands of the people... Wow! Let's try it! Here we are folks! Ironically, Dave was nicknamed "The Wizerd" by Ricky Castrillo who was for twenty years the MC of Tipitina's, sort of the "Ed Sullivan" of New Orleans. A very wise Gypsy Prince, explaining the difference between black magic and white magic, said that black magic is simply a reaction to what happens in the world around you and white magic is a creative response. Please lend an ear to this band's creative response.

Group Members Dave Easley, born in Hawaii and raised in Champaign, Illinois, has lived in the New Orleans area for about tewlve years where he has been winding up on top of musician polls for the last couple of years placing first in '97 in the "best other"category (miscelaneous instruments) of the OffBeatMagazine poll just ahead of Pete Fountain on clarinet and Matt Perrine on Tuba, and coming in right behind violinist Theresa Andersson in the same category in '98 and '99 The stellar cast of this band includes bass player Jim Singleton from the award winning Astral Project and Three Now Four, Irene Sage, Theresa Andersson, and Elisabeth Gill on background vocals,Ethan Leaming who's been Easley's right hand man for seven years plays guitar and does acrobatic stunts with a little bit of proding. Thomas McDonald plays bass and sings, The fabulous Nancy Buchan is on fiddle, Thomas Tymphony on bass, DaveCappello, Dave Hutchinson and Paul Santopadre on Drums, and last but not least Michael Skinkas from The New World Funk Ensemble and Michael Ray's Cozmic Crewe is on percussion.

Instruments Guitars, Pedal Steel Guitar (MIDI), Violins, Congas, Drums, Aux. Percussion, Bass, Upright Bass, Vocals

Albums Boatmen Waiting on the Wind 1 and Boatmen Waiting on the Wind 2

Press Reviews ...one of the best and most refreshing "unknown"bands I've heard in a long, long, time.--RELIXMAGAZINE...virtuoso...one of the most intriguing figures to emerge on the New Orleans music scene in recentmemory...psychedelic mystisism...A boatload of local talent... --GAMBIT WEEKLY...Easley's rise to prominence now, near the turnof the millennium, is perhaps aided by an openness,and a willingness to experiment and cross bound-aries in serious improvisatory music...Scince DaveEasley has made a habit of gigging across genres his whole career, and doing so brilliantly, his time is at hand.--OFFBEAT MAGAZINEIn Easley's hands, an instrument that is a staple of classic country music sounds like a piano, a saxophone, a sitar, steel drums - anything but what you'd expect...How many country pickers would test their skills with John Coltrane's classic bebop chops-buster, "Giant Steps"? Easley tosses off jaw-dropping chromatic runs oversongs that merge jazz, reggae, blues, folk - and a touch of paganism.--THE NEW ORLEANS TIMES PICAYUNE

Additional Info Saying: An artifact is an object dug up out of the ground. A heartifact is a song dug up out of a dream. Easley's mailing address: P.O. Box 850702 New Orleans, LA 70185-0702 Fall Schedule 2000: 10/4-Kerry's Irish Pub, New Orleans; 10/11-The Iron Post, Urbana IL.; 10/12-Rock Island Brewing Co., Rock Island IL; 10/13-Martyr's, Chicago IL; 10/14-The Wooden Nickel, Highwood IL; 10/15-The Willard, Franklin IN; 10/17-City Grille, Bloomington, IN; 10/26-Bank St. Bar, New Orleans; 10/31-Royal St. Cafe, New Orleans; 11/9-Augustine's, Hammond, LA; 11/ 16-Bank St. Bar, New Orleans; 12/6-Neutral Ground, New Orleans; 12/17 Circle Bar, New Orleans

Location New Orleans, Louisiana - USA

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