Artist description "Vehicle 3" is a song-driven jamband, made up of Two drummers, Bass, Two Guitarists (one mostly Slide and Lap Steel), Keyboards, and Vocals . As a work in progress for some years, it became a reality when the two founding members (Jon Wolfson and Billy Ma sters) recognized a growing desire for what they do, and have been doing since they've been performing together as kids. Jamming. Ä

Music Style Song driven Jam / Groove

Musical Influences Daniel Lanois, Little Feat, Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Steely Dan

Artist History The band's main singer, writer and guitarist Jon Wolfson talks about how it came together; "Sometime in the '90s, Billy Masters (Lead, Slide and Lap Steel Gtr.) and I started going to an open jam at this little club in Port Chester (NY) - I don't even think I had a guitar with me. We ran into some musician friends, and when the house band stopped, They called us up first. The club had it's own drum set, and the house band's drummer brought his own, so there were two kits on stage. So it was me and Billy, this drummer friend of ours, a bass player friend of his, and some other guy that sat down at the second drum set. We hadn't all played together before and obviously had nothing prepared, so we just played Mystery Train - for about 20 minutes."Well, apparently, the little 20 minute Mystery Train jam was pretty well received, because as they continued to go back every Tuesday, the house band leader kept calling them up first, and each time, the audience's size and roaring approval grew a little louder and more frantic. "It was wild, it was just this thing that was so much fun for us, and I guess was that much fun for the crowd too. Each week we'd go back and there'd just be more and more people.One night when we got to the club there was a line out the door, with people waiting to get in. I asked the club owner what all the fuss was about, and he said it was for US, and offered us a regular night there. Of course, as soon as we tried to organize it, ya know, make it official with rehearsals and everything, it fell apart. One drummer didn't want to play with another, one of the guys was always mysteriously disappearing in the Bronx - ya know, the usual band shit. We just said fuck it, and that was pretty much that." It started up again a few years later. Jon and Billy were talking about the fact that that style of music (shunned by the commercial record community but loved by live audiences) was now finding it's way as a popular genre back into the clubs. They decided to go on a hunt for musicians that had the same idea. As the two of them were accomplished professionals already, it didn't take long to gather together a group of similarly thinking players who, out of shear enthusiasm, wanted to just get together and play. It seemed immediately evident from the f irst rehearsal that the sound was found and many others would appreciate it as they had before. V3 found it's music together as a place beyond expectation. "it just worked", and the decision was made. Vehicle 3 was formed. Effortlessly tearing through original songs and arrangements in rehearsal, the band booked 2 days at the legendary recording studio, Power Station to put it down on tape. The rules were simple. "We went for energy and fun - not perfection, just vibe" says Wolfson. "Angels," "Just Let Go" and "Everything I Need," were three out of "about 20" songs chosen to work with that day. They seemed to be a good, if not abbreviated, cross section of songs to showcase the band's broad range of style; each tune having a special flair and divers e sound. Ready to play out, V3 knew that the logical first place was Wetlands; the home of the NY jam scene. In addition to having helped to launch some internationally known acts such as Dave Matthews Band, Blues Traveler and Spin Doctors, Jon had been p laying there for some time already, often on Grateful Dead night with various ensembles. "Getting the green light from the Wetlands meant a lot to us" says Wolfson "because we love so many of the bands that have come through there, and the vibe in the clu b is so cool. It was pretty great to know they liked us, and that they were opening their doors to us." Wetlands can be a notoriously difficult place to get booked in."We'll do this as long as it continues to feel good" says Wolfson "This is not about get ting a record deal or commercialization, it's about being able to play what we want - Not a lot of clubs are eager to have you come in and start free-forming. The songs lend themselves easily to jamming and improvising, and we try and keep the arrange ments sort of open to facilitate that kind of playing, but they are songs, written as songs, and for that reason work well in short form also, like for albums and radio. We Might be a little loud sometimes,but we have a really great guy mixing the room. It's Great for taping." The buzz seems to be taking hold quickly, with more Wetlands dates, other bookings in and around NYC, and strong response from radio prog rammers. "This is a grass roots entity taking shape, and is based on the relationship between the band and the audience."

Group Members Jon Wolfson - Guitars and Vocals, Billy Masters- Lead, Slide and Lap Steel Guitar, Rob Clores - Hammond Organ, Piano, Steve Hass - Drums, percussion and Vocals, Marco Giovanno - Drums, percussion, and Richard Hammond - Bass and Vocals.

Instruments Two Guitars, Bass, Piano/B3, Two Drummers, Vocals

Albums Vehicle 3 Promo

Press Reviews RollingStone.com: "Take an emotional and realistic journey with Vehicle3's first release entitled Collision." o

Location New York, NY - USA

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