Band of Brothers, and a Sistah

article and illustration by Lou Davenport

From March of last year, up until the last few months, times were trying, to say the least.  I was like most people, scared, quarantined, masked, and probably went through several gallons of hand sanitizer.  There were days I felt like I was in prison, and my only relief was to get in my car, go for a drive, and listen to music! 

I felt so bad for our local musicians who were going through “trying  times,” too.  Everything had to shut down to slow the spread of that wretched virus, and there was no place for them to perform.  Many gave us FB Live performances, and Kirby Rambin and his band, “Dead Reckoning” gave bluegrass concerts in his front yard!

One of the first things I wanted to do, when it was safe to go out again, was to go hear some live music.  About a month ago, I finally got to go, and haven’t stopped.  It’s done my soul good!

Our area is blessed with so much talent, it’s almost unbelievable.  We can’t say “there’s nothing to do in Monroe,” because that just isn’t true!  On just about any given night, there’s somebody performing somewhere, and all that is required is that you get up and go. And they so deserve our support!

I decided to dedicate this column to our local musicians to thank them, but to also tell some of their backgrounds.  All of their stories are different, but they all have one thing in common… they enjoy getting together and jamming. They’re a “brotherhood,” and will help each other out whenever called upon, and each felt that they learn from one another.  How cool is that?

Doug Duffey told me he felt like he was given a gift from God, and has used it. He’s been performing since he was a teenager, and his first band practiced in his aunt’s beauty shop.  Although he and his latest band, BADD, play around here often, he takes off for Switzerland every year, and is quite well known internationally.  Doug said he feels like he is a “gumbo, a mixture of many different styles” that he’s drawn from through the years.  Many of the musicians around here give him credit for his influence on them becoming musicians.  Doug is also a visual artist as well. What a treasure!

Bill Boles has been playing bass for many years, and has played with Kenny Bill Stinson and Doug Duffey. He’s also co founded or played with many bands and performers, too many to list!  Bill says he’s very thankful for being able to play with many of the younger musicians that are around these parts now.  For the past three years, he’s been the bass player for The Josh Madden Band.  He says he too learns from all the other musicians, and actually gave me the idea for the title of this column. (Thanks, Bill!)

Speaking of The Josh Madden Band, Josh himself is extremely versatile.  Anything he and his band does is great, down to the tiniest little detail.  I’ve seen he and his band play alone, but also his “Legends” show, where he takes on the persona of Van Morrison, and Jake from “The Blues Brothers.” He told me his greatest influence is Jerry Lee Lewis, and is always amazed by “The Killer,” when he watches YouTube videos of him.  He wrote and directed “The Million Dollar Quartet,” that was performed at the Strauss Little Theatre, which included his band, Mason Howard as Johnny Cash, Scott Stone as Sam  Phillips, Joel Jordan as Carl Perkins, and Asa Stone as Elvis.  One more thing about Josh, he’s also an award winning screenwriter.  

Micheal Martinez, who is Josh Madden’s drummer, told me he “always had a love for the way drums sounded,” and decided he wanted to play the drums.  Both his, and my friend and amazing drummer, Joel Stroud, from Vicksburg’s favorite and most influential drummer is Neal Peart of “Rush.”

Kevin, “The General” Patterson plays lead guitar for The Josh Madden Band.  I’ve been listening to “The General” for years, starting when I lived in Ruston and Kevin played with Monty Russell.  They still play together, by the way.  Kevin told me he wanted to be an archaeologist when he was in college, but just gravitated to playing guitar.  He’s also played with many bands around the area, and still thinks he “struggles,” but I’d have to say, he’s being modest.  He sure can play that guitar, and plays it well!

Adam Ryland is a good friend of mine that I met while we were both teachers at River Oaks.  He taught the drum line, and told me that he got his interest in playing the drums from his father, Ed Ryland, another talented musician. Even when he was little, his Mom would let him beat on pots and pans on the kitchen floor.  Now, he’s the drummer for Doug Duffey’s BADD, but he sits in with other bands when they need a drummer.

I met Rachal Ann Graham when I went to enjoy the Dylan Jam at Enoch’s.   She has the “voice of an angel,” and credits her mom with her success as a performer, since she sang to her when she was little.  She’d then go sing those songs in a long hallway at church to hear the words echo, “as if the words took on a life of their own.”  She started taking private voice lessons, and within a year, won a young artist competition, and got to sing on Red River Radio.  She earned a degree in classical music, and says she just truly loves to sing. 

“Singing is pairing words with music.  I always feel most powerful, and at home in my own skin when I’m singing on stage. It’s the best way I’ve ever been able to connect with myself and others.” Rachal is also a multi-faceted artist.  She works with bleach, drawing mandalas onto tee shirts. Her next project is painting different colored inks on silk scarves.

Mason Howard is an amazing young fellow!  His mom and grandparents sensed he had musical talent when he was very young.  He told me there were always musical instruments around the house, and he was allowed to play around with them as much as he wanted.  His aunt bought him a keyboard, and used animal stickers to teach him the notes.  He picked up a rented saxophone, and played “Amazing Grace” by ear. It turns out, Mason plays all kinds of different instruments. These days, you can catch him playing and singing solo with his guitar at many local clubs and restaurants. He’s very versatile as well, playing with “Dead Reckoning,” a blue grass group. He has a degree in Music Education, and taught music for several years.  He now gives lessons to a few private students. He’s portrayed Johnny Cash in Josh Madden’s “Legends” show, and “The Million Dollar Quartet,” and also played saxophone during “The Blues Brothers” act of “Legends.” If you are lucky, you might catch him doing a FB Live!

You may have read the article about Josh Love in last month’s Bayou Life.  I got to see him be Jimi Hendrix at the “Legends” show that took place at the Flying Tiger Brewery.  I thought I’d traveled back in time, and was actually seeing and hearing Jimi Hendrix! He also plays jazz guitar, and you can find him performing all over the place.  He also gives private guitar lessons, and his students love him!

Joel Jordan is one amazing performer.  I call him “the master of disguise,” since I saw him as Elwood Blues in the “Legends” show and then, when he walked into Enoch’s for the Dylan Jam, I thought Bob Dylan himself had slipped in!  But even without his “disguises,” who he credits with a great makeup artist and hair stylist, he’s just as great when he’s performing as himself.

There’s also the places we have around here where you can go to hear and see these, and other local musicians. Many thanks to Doyle, Yvette, Molly, and John Jeter for giving us Enoch’s, the best place to not only hear such a diverse variety of live music, but for all that really yummy food! (Oooh, that Guiness gravy!)  Enoch’s has been in business for 40 years, and I can’t imagine Monroe without that shamrock neon sign out front, welcoming patrons into its great ambience.  Doyle himself is a “walking encyclopedia” of musical knowledge, and I’m always learning something new, thanks to him! Doyle is also an incredible visual artist that makes prints, which is a very time consuming and tedious medium to work in.

There’s several other places that offer live entertainment, like The Flying Tiger Brewery, co-owned by James Simpson, who is also a talented musician. There’s also “The Hub,” located in downtown Monroe, and you can catch local talent performing at El  Paso, Miro’s and Trapp’s.

So, I hope I’ve encouraged all of my readers to get out and enjoy some great live music, performed by these musicians, and all the other musicians I’ve left out! (If I didn’t have a word limit to this article, I could go on, and on, and on…)  We are so blessed to have all this talent.  There’s always something to do right here in your own back yard!  

Many thanks to Doug Duffey, Bill Boles, Michael Martinez, Josh Madden, Keith “The General” Patterson, Mason Howard, Rachal Ann Graham, and Adam Ryland for sharing their back stories with me! ENCORE!