Nancy Raskauskas The Entertainer | Posted: Thursday, June 25, 2009 12:00 am
CORVALLIS - After entertaining Corvallis and surrounding areas for five years, local musicians Sid Beam, Joe Casprowiak and David Fournier of Gumbo will release their debut album, "Never Tell Me To Quit," on July 4.
The title track of the new CD has several meanings for the musicians, who have been playing individually for more than 40 years n never letting their instruments gather dust, and all still holding down day jobs.
Casprowiak works for Aptina, a company that manufactures sensors for mobile phone cameras, and is a former Hewlett-Packard employee.
Fournier is a manager at HP and Beam owns a sign shop in downtown Corvallis.
The CD also includes guest musician David Feinberg on piano/keyboard for 11 out of the 12 songs.
Feinberg teaches dance at Oregon State University.
Although Gumbo has been together for only five years, they've been prolific in giving performances around the mid-valley.
In addition to regular shows at venues such as WineStyles and Coffee Culture, many in Corvallis have been treated to informal shows at fairs and the Saturday Farmers' Market.
"We call it rehearsal," Casprowiak said.
Gumbo's name references the thick, spicy stew by the same name that is a popular part of Southern cuisine, as well as spoken dialects in Louisiana and the French West Indies.
The band plays Southern standards, ragtime and old jazz - toe-tapping, irreverent and irresistible as played by the adept group of players. The group is also known for its amusing stage banter.
"You can see, we are not dealing with the aging process very well," Casprowiak laughed at a recent recording session.
Beam plays guitar, Fournier covers bass, and Casprowiak picks up a clarinet, flute, saxophone or banjo depending on the needs of the song. Everyone chips in on the vocals and a few songs include washboard or violin.
Beam, Casprowiak and Fournier have all been playing since their teens.
Both Beam and Casprowiak attended Corvallis High School and have known each other since 1970.
Beam played in a group called Magpie from 1972 to 76 and Casprowiak played as "Joey Starlight" in the Fabulous Mudtones from 1976-81.
Fournier got his start playing in a New Hampshire rock band called the Mystery Images. He met Beam in 1971 and studied music improv and jazz theory at LBCC during his twenties.
Gumbo formed in late 2004, after Beam bumped into Casprowiak on the street. The pair began playing some of Beam's original tunes, and soon brought bass player Fournier into the act.
"Never Tell Me to Quit" was recorded with new independent label Wild Rose Artists, owned by Theodore and Kira Wadman of Corvallis.
Oregon State University's chief sound engineer Sam Kincaid, a member of local band Project 431, worked on the project.
The new CD includes nine original songs written by Beam and three vintage covers: "Money," a 50-year-old tune by Stan Freberg and R. Raksin; "Porter's Love Song" by J. Johnson and Andy Razaf; and "Happy Feet" by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen.
The last official recording of "Money" was by June Carter, yet the song is still valid commentary.
"It's a tongue-in-cheek, jubilant parody of the greed that caused our current economic quandary," Beam said. "We have fun singing it and hope that lots of people at least get a chuckle out of it."
Gumbo's new CD will be available at their show at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 4, at River Bend Resort, 23650 Peoria Road, Harrisburg. The Severin Sisters will open at 5 p.m.
Gumbo is also scheduled to play at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 4, at the Red, White and Blue Festival on the Corvallis riverfront and will travel to the Choochokam Music and Arts Festival, July 11-12, on Whidbey Island in Langley, Wash.
CHECK IT OUT
WHO: Gumbo.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
• 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, July 4, at the Red, White and Blue Festival on the Corvallis riverfront.
• CD release show at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 4, at River Bend Resort, 23650 Peoria Road, Harrisburg.
FREEBIES: The group is currently giving away free CDs of their single 'Money.'
INFO: www.gumboband.biz or www.wildroseartists.com or 758-0123.