Musicians Pages #3

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Musician Index:


Mood Indigo- Music for the Mind and Feet

Mood indigo is a Tucson, Arizona band that has formed from musicians with a long history of involvement in the Tucson local music scene. Six dedicated musicians use a unique blend of folk, rock, jazz and blues.

Rick Pierce plays a variety of percussion instruments to maintain the rhythmic backbone of a Mood Indigo show. Kurt Denbaars, playing bass, provides the foundation for the musical collage. Keith Burton adds one of the two melodic instrument lead voices with the classic Stratocaster sound. Bill Pierce builds upon this trio using traditional piano, synthesizers and the classic Hammond organ. The dynamic vocals of Sarah Clarke and Heather Tobin round out the three part harmonies that provide the style and polish that complete the bands' signature sound.


Ockham's Razor

By Tina Alvarez

Ockham's Razor isn't somebody's shaving device. According to drummer Chris Dormer, the band's name is derived from a philosophical theory along the lines of "Don't multiply entities needlessly."

"In other words," Dormer explained, "don't make things harder then they already are. Basically, given the meaning of the philosophy, the name fit the band perfectly."

Indeed, Ockham's Razor seems to have a knack for making their efforts look easy. While they have successfully competed in the 1994 Battle of the Bands (Semi-Finalists), the 1993 Arizona Rock Wars (Semi-Finalists) and 1993 Battle of the Bands (Grand Finalists) competitions, perhaps the most memorable contest they participated in was the Motorcycle Music Festival, according to lead vocalist and guitarist Darren Kerr.

"They (the sponsors) didn't want to pay anybody to play there," Kerr said. "They made it like a Battle of the Bands and whoever won got a guitar. We knew who all the bands were and we felt 'We're going to win, we're going to win'- and sure enough, we did."

That optimistic attitude has kept Ockham's Razor's spirit going strong. Together with fellow bandmates Danny Lizarraga (guitar) and Stev Rubio (bass), their music has graced the radio stations of Tucson's KLPX and Phoenix's KUPD on their local music hour programs. No strangers to the local music scene, among the venues they've performed at include The Rock, New Orleans Lounge, One Eye Jacks, Grant Road Pub, Gentle Ben's, Isla Tiburon, Club Congress, Monte V, and Spring Fling at the University of Arizona.

The band, which formed in the summer of '92, recently acquired a new member, Stev Rubio, who replaced former bassist Pete Garcia.

While the band members prefer to let people come to their own conclusions about their music, they did offer some insight on Ockham's Razor's sound.

"It's got a heavy edge to it," noted Kerr, "it's not like Metallica or anything like that. It has a lot of vocal harmonies, it's more melodic.

"But at the same time, it still keeps that edge," added Lizarraga. "There's a lot of influences between the four of us. We're more toward rock instead of punk."

Clearly, when Ockham's Razor takes to the stage, there is an unmistakable comraderie between the musicians that projects through their music to the audience. Fluid, cohesive, and tight, the band has no trouble winning their audiences over with apparent ease. In fact, it seems to be an inborn instinct- it comes naturally.

Anyway you look at it, Ockham's Razor cuts to the quick. And you know, maybe that philosophy thing does have some merit- at least it's working for this band. Stay tuned.

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