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Thanks for taking a look at some of our favorite press. If you run across any mention of JSB out there please let us know.
Beat
Magazine Checkout these most interesting interviews with John and Rick.
John Sutton* EGO!!! Just playin'. :) It started out as several band names back in the beginning over 12 years ago. Then as people quit, moved on, etc. it always felt like I was starting over with new names. I was playing around Nashville doing solo acoustic shows then as I started adding dif friends in on dif nights I just started calling it John Sutton Band so my friends would know if I was solo or with a 'make shift' band. It has worked out because, as is the way of Nashville, I have had several line up changes and the name recognition never takes a hit. Funny you asked this because it is always a concern of mine that I am not seen as an arrogant front man with the band named after him. Anyway ... Rod Kilbourn* I noticed on your artist page that you have recorded more than a few songs, are you the songwriter of the group, or do Rick and Rob contribute also? John Sutton* I do the writing. I am a songwriter to my core. It's what I love to do and is totally my outlet. Live performance is what my total passion is but I need writing for my vent. Both good and bad venting. :) I do write with others on occasion but write JSB music about my world. These songs hit home to me in one way or another. Rick and Rob both have never really brought up songwriting but I think that is more attributed to knowing who I am and what writing means to me. Rod Kilbourn* I'm a big fan of your music, what are you trying to accomplish through your originals? John Sutton* Thank you!!! The numbers are not a huge deal to us. Our goal or 'mission statement', if you will, is to **be able to play anywhere we want, for folks who have shown up to see us play 'our' music ... and sing along and become apart of it!!!!** In my opinion you can only truly create this kind of connection with the crowd with your own music. It really establishes your sound and who you are like no other. Getting our music out is our biggest goal. Rod Kilbourn* Who were your major musical influences growing up, and who do you like on today's music scene? John Sutton* I personally didn't grow up with a huge music perspective. I listened to rap music in mid and high school. In college started to see the light when I got my first guitar at 22. Around the same time I fell in love with Big Head Todd & the Monsters and tried to copy Todd Park Mohr's guitar style. He and Stevie Ray were my first guitar influences. Now I am a fan of all kinds of folks. Guitar is def Joe Bonnamassa. Songwriters are Ani Difranco, Ray LaMontagne, ... Singers are Michael Buble', Beyonce'. All around package would be John Mayer and Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule. My Favorite band right now is by far JJ Grey & Mofro out of Jacksonville, FL!!! They are amazing live and on CD. Rod Kilbourn* Where can fans go to purchase your music? John
Sutton* Website is the best place to start. www.johnsuttonband.com Rod Kilbourn* Do you prefer writing and recording, or live performance? John Sutton* Live performance is my one and only MAIN love. Rob and Rick are the same way. We love and need the stage. As mentioned earlier I also do love writing. I will be honest though, I hate the recording process. I don't have the patience for it but it is obviously a necessary part of the 'whole' process. Rod Kilbourn* Give me the band lineup, and some brief thoughts on your band mates. John Sutton* Rick Reese (Bass Guitar) -- My thoughts on Rick are very simple. He will become a legend in the bass world as our band grows. He is that good!!! It's just a matter of time. ..... Rob Garrett (Drums / vocals) -- Amazing drummer and amazing singer. His harmony vocs have added so much to our live sound. He calls himself a pocket player (which he does beautifully) but he brings so much more than that. Never has a J.S.B. line-up contributed so much to forming it's own sound. When folks ask me to describe our band I say we are a 'rhythm section heavy band'. We all groove together to create our sound. I love these guys and this sound. Rod Kilbourn* If you had to be put into a "Box" musically speaking, how would you consider your style of music? Rock, Reggae, Jam...etc... John Sutton* A Funky Groove!!! A little rock, reggae, blues, and soul!!! Albums lean more soulful rock. Live leans more funky blues. Rod Kilbourn* Where is your band based, and how many dates a year do you do? John Sutton* We are based out of Nashville, TN and we played 168 shows in 2010. We are shooting for even more this year!!! We love to play and be on the road!!! Rod Kilbourn* Do you make your living strictly from playing and recording music? If so, how did you come about making that decision? John Sutton* I do make my living off of my music. It has been a long 12 year process and has been the goal since the beginning. Started out full time work with part time music. Then Full time music and part time work (for many years). Now the past couple years, when I'm not traveling, I wake up every morning and get on the phone and computer and start booking gigs and promoting shows. I love every part of this business. At least 100 days out of the year you gotta forget you are a musician and wear the hat of promoter and booking agent. Would rather be a musician 365, but ya do what ya gotta do to keep busy baby!!! Rod Kilbourn* I know you are a family man... tell me about your kids, and what they mean to you... are they into music as well? John Sutton* I will be married for 17 years in May (Robin). Have two kids. A son 15 (Levi) and a daughter 9 (Reagan). They are all amazing and love what I do for a living. They look at this like Dad's work (even though it never feels like work to me). :) The one draw back to this business is def the time away from them. It's been apart of our lives for so long that we are certainly use to it. But it is hard to be gone. My wife, as you can imagine, is a saint!!! :) They are both way into sports. My son can pick a little but it is not his passion. My daughter loves to sing like any third grader does. She is just starting to play guitar a little but right now it is just a fun thing to do with dad. Rod Kilbourn* I know you guys play several dates a year on Saint George, any thoughts on Eddy Teach's, and the Island? John
Sutton* I have been playing St. George Island for 11 years.
It was one of my first regular road gigs. Vicki and Jim at Eddy
Teach's have been so amazing to us. They are real supportive of
what we do and let us come in and play whenever our schedule brings
us down south. Couldn't ask for a better place to play on an island.
And I love SGI. The locals have really taken me in and been so supportive
of our music. Truly grateful for the friends I have made. Plan on
spending a lot of time there over the next 40 years. Interview with Rick Reese, Bass Player, By Rod Kilbourn of Beat Magazine Rod Kilbourn* What was it that first got you interested in playing music? Rick Reese* My earliest memory would be around 5 years old and I would make up songs, play whatever instruments I could get my hands on and record them on a cassette recorder. I thought it was the greatest thing ever... now these obviously were not very good, but the creative process was very exciting. It was not until I was in the 6th grade when I joined the school band and began to play the saxophone did I start to really understand music and actually begin to play. Rod Kilbourn* How did you come to choosing bass guitar? Rick Reese* In a way the bass choose me. I was 13 years old and in the High School Band. The school had an electric bass that sat in the instrument room and I was able to take it home on the weekends. Up until then I just played the saxophone, I thought and electric instrument was cool and a lot of my friends were playing electric guitars, no one was playing bass. My dad turned an old stereo into an amp and I was on my way!. When I heard Rush’s “Moving Pictures” and realized what a bass guitar could do, I was hooked. I got an electric bass (Fender Bullet, which I still have) for my 14th Birthday and have never looked back. Rod Kilbourn* Your thoughts on "The John Sutton Band"... Rick Reese* To me the John Sutton Band is authentic and has a vibe. John is a great songwriter and performer, dedicated to his music and has been driving his vision for over 10 years. It is real easy to get behind and invest musically everything in a guy like him. The chemistry on stage combined with John’s music really creates a great show. Our shows are living breathing things, the energy is high and the improvisational elements keep it fresh and exciting every night for us and I think it really comes thru to the audience. We really care and enjoy about what we do and we enjoy doing it together. Rod Kilbourn* What bands of significance have you played with in the past? Rick Reese* I have played with many people and bands that I am proud of. The most significant would have to be Sonic Joyride. I spent 12 years playing with one of my dearest friends Chris Hobler, who was the singer and guitarist, in the group. We started it from nothing and by the time it was over we had crisscrossed the country several times released 4 albums and had been featured on MTV and CNN because of our unique vehicle the “Cosmic Sled”. The Cosmic Sled was SONIC JOYRIDE's one of a kind, custom welded tour bus. (Formerly a retired school bus from the Oyster River School district in New Hampshire). There was stage on the roof, a 10,000 watt "surround sound" sound system, giant rear projection video screens, a full lighting system, and a 16 track digital recording studio all powered by a self-contained generator. We played all over the country at setting up and playing for locals at some of the country's most unusual landmarks - from the World's Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, Kansas to the World's Largest Bug outside Providence, RI. It was quite an experience – in fact I think you can still by our CDs on EBAY 11 years later, LOL We were a trio and after 12 years Chris was Diagnosed with ALS and suddenly the band was not as important. Chris lost his battle 4 years later. I was look upon those years fondly and grateful for the experiences it brought me. Rod Kilbourn* Do you prefer the studio, or live performance, and why? Rick Reese* I love to record, but if I were to choose I would have to say I am live performer. To me music is a voice and a language, and performing live gives me the opportunity to speak. It is exciting and it happens in real time, there are no second takes or punch ins. There is always an element of the unknown that excites me and there is nothing like the energy and audience provides, it is a real high for me. Rod Kilbourn* Do you have other projects outside of "The John Sutton Band'? Rick Reese* No major projects to speak of, I do occasionally record some instrumental tunes of my own for fun and from time to time I conduct a few a master classes at a local high school, but for the most part my time dedicated to the JOHN SUTTON BAND and my personal musical education. I did graduate from Berkeley College of Music over 20 years ago, but every day I like to learn something new, or at least try. I am constantly researching and practicing. Lately I have had the scale of the week, and try to spend as much time improvising using that scale, John Sutton is so very generous with the bass solos so I need to keep it interesting....this week’s scale has been the Bebop Dorian Scale....lol... I know I am a music geek. Rod Kilbourn* I was very impressed with your conversation with my son John... Do you have kids also? Rick Reese* It was great to meet your son, I had too enjoyed our conversation. I do not have any children or wife for that matter, but I am the proud uncle of a wonderful Niece and Nephew. Rod Kilbourn* How did you come about the laying prostrate, and playing bass as part of your show? Rick Reese* Playing bass on floor is something I had messed around with for a long time here and there. One day john asked me to do it and it stuck. It seems to be a fun part of the show and as long people like to see it I will keep doing it. It is fun, and also provides an opportunity for me to expand my repertoire and push myself to grow. I try to change it over time and challenge myself more and more, again it’s the element of the unknown, I never know exactly how it will go and I find that exciting. Rod Kilbourn* How many CDs does John Sutton have out, and did you play on all of them? Rick Reese* I believe John has 6 CDs out and I joined the group between the ”Dirty South” and “Swoon” CDs, so I only appear on the “Swoon” Record. We are planning a new record in the Spring and I am hoping we can do a live album sometime in the future. Rod Kilbourn* Describe your relationship with John Sutton, and how did you happen to come together? Rick Reese* My good friend Scott Peterson, who used to play bass for John, had mentioned to me that JSB needed a bass player. I was not happy in the group I was playing with at the time and I shot John an email. He replied that he had a few people mention my name that week and had asked me to join the group, he sent me some CDs and two weeks later we met for an hour, played a little and then headed to my first gig in Cape Girardeau, MO. John Sutton is a wonderful human being; we have really become great friends. He is a great band leader and works very hard for the group. We spend a lot of time traveling and hanging around waiting for the show, so it is important that everyone gets along and has a mutual respect and think that comes thru on stage. Rod Kilbourn* Your thoughts on Saint George Island... Rick Reese* I love SGI, a real treasure and I can not say enough great things about SGI. My family had made several vacations there long before I had even of heard of John Sutton, in fact I am sure it was before he even began playing there. The first gig there for me was real great, I felt like I had come back to real special place. Since then I have had so many trips there it has taken on a second home feel to me. The people of SGI are so wonderful and welcoming it really feels like a family. The beach and the weather are also a welcome site every time I am there too, not mention the great hospitality of Jim Vicky of Eddy Teaches. Rod Kilbourn* Tell me about Black Rob, and his contribution to the band... Rick Reese* Rob and I have been friends for a few years now. Rob is a great drummer. When there was an opportunity for a drummer to join JSB, I jumped at the chance to invite my friend Rob Garrett. The bass and drums in a trio are so important and need to be a real special rhythm section. I think of Rob as my Ying to my Yang, Once in awhile as a bass player you come across that drummer that just gets you and visa versa. We play together without even thinking about it. Rod Kilbourn* Were you dressed as a dragon on Halloween, or as Barney... (There seems to be some debate...) Rick Reese* I am not even sure what I was dressed as....I think it was supposed to be Frankenstein, but it was a little confusing with the bee stripes and all. I think the final decision was it was either FrankenBee or BumbleStien. I do know it was hot and hard to see out of....LOL Rod Kilbourn* Final Question... Where from here? Rick
Reese* Up. As a band we have a shared focus and goal to
grow this band just as big as it get. We know that it is a slow
and steady process. Keep playing more and more shows, adding cities
and exposing our music to as many people as possible. Next month
we are making our second trip to Canada and are adding several new
spots to our schedule this year. I think staying healthy and focused,
and working hard will propel the band to the next level.
New Music Edge Magazine This weeks feature is the John Sutton Band from Nashville, TN. JSB features the trio of John Sutton (Guitar/Vocals), Rob Garrett (Drums), and Rick Reese (Bass). I got a chance to sit down with these guys before a show in Lexington, KY at a favorite spot of theirs, Kitty O'sheas. My first impression of JSB left me with the feeling that they were your average hard working young band. After chatting with JSB, and especially after watching them play live, I realized that these guys are anything but average. Sure they have experienced their share of growing pains (i.e. a bus that served as transportation which was finally laid to rest in Nashville because it simply became to costly to repair). Now they travel from city to city with a UHaul. Do they mind? Not a chance. Nothing could keep these guys from doing what they love ... and that is playing music for their fans. During the show they took control of the crowd and interacted with the audience like a group of seasoned veterans. It's no wonder they are so popular with the college crowds. You simply cannot go to a John Sutton Band show and not have a blast. When I asked them to give some advice for young struggling bands, their response was, "Play anywhere you can ... for as free as you can afford." Damn ... now that's a band that loves what they do.
Forgotten Coastline Magazine
So late last year, December 29th to be exact, I walked into Harry A's to find a really kick butt band playing. Check out the archives if you need reminding. That was the island's first exposure to the John Sutton Band. Within and hour and a half, just on word of mouth buzzing the island, they had the placed crammed. So Thursday night I go waltzing into the A's, looking for one of these wonderful, and cheap burritos they do, and who is it setting up to play? Yup, the John Sutton Band. Put on your party hat! This is the third time JSB has played the area now, and they just keep getting better. You wouldn't think three guys could kick up such a cloud of dust, but they do. These guys have more energy on stage then you've seen in a long time. With an interesting mix of covers and solid original tunes, these guys know how to rock it down and get people coming in the door.
The
Murray State News With drummer Rob Garrett and bassist RIck Reese, Sutton, lead singer and guitarist, said he feels his jam-rock band is finally on it's way. Although the band has released two albums, Sutton said he and band members have not practiced in years. "I'll just play something for them before we get on stage and just try and wing it. I like that method because sometimes the band takes it in a direction I hadn't thought of when I was writing it." Although many musicians are shopping record deals, Sutton says he prefers to sit back and see what happens. "My focus is grass-roots promotion," Sutton said. "Who really wants a record deal if you have to beg for it. They know who you are and what you are doing." ... Sutton says he enjoys playing small college towns. "It's tough to grab a loyal following in big cities." Because his band's performances rely on improvisation, Sutton said he was not sure if his songs would ever be Radio-friendly. "Some songs will be. Lately we've been getting quite a bit of college radio play." ... |
