“Band members have a special bond. A great band is more than just some people working together. It’s like a highly specialized army unit, or a winning sports team. A unique combination of elements that becomes stronger together than apart.”
Steven Van Zandt
The dynamic and expression between band members is key ingredient in creating the best possible music. You can have the most technically proficient musicians on the planet all playing together, but that often doesn’t make for the best musical performance. In many bands there will often be a writing partnership that is central to the creative process. In my opinion it’s no coincidence that many of the great songs have come from such partnerships; think Jagger/Richards, Lennon/McCartney just for starters. A great rhythm section is also a key element to creating a musical groove and some of my favorite bands over the decades achieved this in spades. Again great musical partnerships create a key part of the overall band dynamic. Think Sly and Robbie, Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz just for starters!
In every band relationship some tension between members is not necessarily a bad thing, this can produce all manner of creative explorations. However problems occur if a “diva attitude” begins to emerge and useful and respectful cooperation becomes second place to producing great music. Like all relationships the combination of all the parts is more important than every individual. Each band member supports and inspires the other member’s playing and the musical voice is the expression of all the members rather than just one person’s singular vision.
When Paul Motion was alive I saw him with Bill Frissell and Joe Lovano many times at The Vanguard in New York. The music was absolutely sublime and although each musician was a virtuoso in their own right, the group effect was extraordinary. During many performances I found myself literally transported to some other unworldly place! I have had the same experience with The Allman Brothers and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. These are obviously different musical genres, but in all instances the band performances were quite extraordinary and a two hour concert seemed a mere few minutes.
In The Small Change Diaries each member brings something quite unique and different to the overall mix. This resultant sound becomes most highlighted in rehearsals. In recent rehearsals, three hours seemed like a fraction of the time we were together! It’s been a real pleasure to have Adrian Knowles on double bass in recent times which really compliments the other playing. He is also a top notch musician and a genuine pleasure to work with!
The Small Change Diaries will be back in the studio later this year, recording new tracks and expanding the sonic territory already showcased on the debut album “Adam Blames Eve” We will continue to work with Carl Rosamond in his Leeds studio and already have another potential sixteen tracks to choose from at present as well as rehearsing our forthcoming live set.
