it all started because of a class project. "the blues project" is what we called it because that is what it was. Jim McFalls, who we later discovered also plays trombone for Chuck Brown, was our History of Jazz professor at Towson University. His assignment was for us to either write a 5 page paper on a lesser known jazz musician, or, OR, to hook up with other classmates and write an original blues song.
I, black market, was given a choice to either write about an artist or be one. so, i be one.
In another class, poetry appreciation, i noticed a black haired, black t-shirt wearing, blue-eyed kid from my jazz class. he looked like a drummer. turns out he was. it was in this poetry class where a young lady told some guy to come sit behind us, and just listen to me and the drummer, as we corrected the teacher, dissected poetry and entertained our classmates with humorous intellect.
at the conclusion of poetry class one day, me and my jazz classmate were discussing how we could meet later to rehearse and write this song for class. and discuss who else we were going to ask, since the assignment called for 4 or 5 people. "you guys got a band?" i turned to see that guy, the one that came to sit behind us because come girl said we were funny. "not really" i said, "just a class project where we gotta write a song." his eyebrow moved, and then he asked, "u mind if i jam with you?" i shrugged, "'not at all."
on the way to the next jazz class i saw the drummer dude. we talked. then she appeared. we had always greeted each other with head nods and respect in jazz class, but we had never officially met until this moment. "wassup."
"wassup"
"yo, you play or sing or anything like that? we are trying to do the blues project but we dont want to add too many people."
get this, she said, "i sing a little. and play a lil piano too" (SING A LITTLE? if i had known how much of an understatement that was i would have pushed her down the hill.... ok, not really)
"word. so wassup, you tryin to do this blues project? we got lyrics and music, we need a voice."
"sure."
now, understand, to this point, no one has heard anyone sing, play, rap, burp or anything. we just simply said "yes. sure. why not."
fast forward to the day of rehearsal. we decide to meet in the student union because they have a baby grand piano in this lounge area so we thought that would be ideal. good sound, good space and the best piano on campus. (believe me, i played them all) we introduced ourselves to each other and cracked a few pleasant jokes and set up and tuned up the instruments. plugged in a few cords and clicked on a button. lifted the lid on the piano. and what happened next is by far one of the top 3 memories of my entire life.
with no practice, no knowledge of musical backgrounds and no cares about anything other than adding a contribution to the cipher, we played. for hours. wrote songs. smiled. got chills. experienced nirvana and understood chemistry in a way that no science teacher has ever taught me. for more than 3 hours we introduced ourselves to one another and allowed our music to play together.
"whats the name of your band?" some random person walks up and wants to know who we are and where we are performing. he was in a band too. imagine his surprise when he discovered that we had no name, and that this was our first time playing together. ever.
needless to say, the blues project was a hit. and by the time we had to perform our song in front of the class, we had written 6 other songs. So Jim McFalls decided to let us go last, and then allowed us to perform as PHATBACK - for the first time ever.
we began to play on campus and get fans. we began to draw crowds, in the union where we rehearsed. we began to play off campus. bars. hole-in-the-walls. spots. and some clubs. lol. and then, at the end of that school year - he left. seemingly just like that, our drummer left. never wanting to pursue it further and always just using us a a platform to play "other styles of music", he left.
now what!!!!!
after a cordial breakup, and a few minutes of the remaining three of us looking at one another like, "why would he do that", Andrew speaks, not for the first time of course, but these are the first words i can remember him saying to me clearly.
"i know a drummer. he may not be as technical as he was, but this kid has so much soul and feeling. i think he would be good. hes one of my best friends too.'
truthfully, it was at that moment that Jasmine and I accepted Nate into the band. without ever hearing him play or ever seeing his face. It was Andrew's character as a man that allowed us to trust his word. And if you know anything about life, you know that a friend of Andrew's is a friend of yours. He is truly the glue.
one night, about week later, i heard Nate, in a detached 2 car garage, on the property of a friend that also had a band. i walked in, the only black guy in the garage, and saw all familiar faces except one. the kid on the drums. he was playing along with the other band so i walked up to an empty keyboard and stood there. the band stopped. Nate didnt. i played. Andrew smiled.
he was smiling because the pulse and feeling and energy in phatback had now shifted... Nate brought the UMPH, the essence of him, funk, house, techno, dance, hip hop, nastiness, filthiness, sickness and yet, he was fueled by the music he heard, which in turned, refueled the music that we produced.
everything about Nate was just right. attitude. personality. everything. even his piano style bass playing. Nate was the missing piece that we didnt know was missing. He took us from conception to birth; from potential to promise; from what could be to what is. And now, it is time to see what will be....
"phatback is that thing in your grandmas greens, its like the porridge in your grand pappy's pot. its what is and is not. its old school and rock. its funk and hip hop. and its never gonna stop." - j pope
