Howard Shaft Reunion

ARTICLE BY VANELIS RIVERA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JO WILLIAMS

KEITH PATTERSON | DEREK MIXON | JAMES COOK | TONY CORTELLINI
CLAY JOHNSON  | JEREMY DAVIS | ADAM JONES

Jeremy Davis, saxophonist and vocalist of the North Louisianian band Howard Shaft, a frisky nineties-staple, can tell you exactly every exit on I-20. In a span of five to six years, his band made their living hauling band gear all over the Delta and beyond. They thought they had “arrived,” chuckles Davis, recalling the band’s enthusiasm over obtaining a 1970 Winnebago for their out-of-town gigs. It’s December 26, 2018, and Davis travels with his gear and family—wife Meredith and kids, Leighton, Maddie, and Miller—to Monroe, Louisiana from their residence in Savannah, Georgia on an attractive Mercedes Sprinter. As the high roofed, luxury vsan passes somewhere on I-20, near mile mark 75, Davis recalls when the band’s rickety ride broke down on its first trip somewhere nearby. While miles away from his Winnebago days, Davis closes in on the place that served as an enduring artistic foundation: Monroe, Louisiana. Even when Howard Shaft’s journey concluded, it never meant the end of their music, which the band celebrated in the form of a family reunion last December, a nod to North Louisiana’s musical legacy.

A mix of mostly “crazy” North Louisiana kids made up Howard Shaft: Monroe, West Monroe, and Rocky Branch. The LA Tech Jazz Ensemble was one of the first stepping stones of the band. As soon as rehearsal was over, the horn section—Davis, Adam Jones (trombone), and Clay Johnson (trombone, vocals)—joined with blues band Blue Monday and eventually became Blue Monday and the Howard Shaft Horns. Before they realized it, the “blues stuff,” time-honed Memphis and Texas blues, swiftly turned into high energy horns, with sounds like Otis Redding and the Blues Brothers. “Old R&B tunes redone,” says Davis.

Their audience-riling songs began to drip in one direction, seamlessly shifting the horn section from behind to the front of the stage, like a wave in slow motion. “The horns were so hot and so on fire,” recalls Davis. In one of their first performances as Blue Monday and the Howard Shaft Horns, the look on guitarist and leader of Blue Monday, the late John Simoneaux, suddenly became “this isn’t what I signed up for,” Davis fondly remembers regarding the audiences magnetism toward the horn section. They knew then that they had something special. Over the course of time, the band’s line-up changed, settling on the locals: Keith “The General” Patterson (guitar), Derek Mixon (drums), and James Cook (bass). A wildcard from Indianapolis, Indiana, Tony Cortellini (organ, keyboard, and flute) was the “yankee,” but only for a stint. “It was a bit of culture shock for all of us. He eventually became more like us, bless his heart,” humors Davis. The band actually went to him after they discovered he played organ. Soon enough he was known for the “eight hundred pounds of soul coming out of the speaker,” says Davis. Their new sound spun funky extended jams, led by influences like southern music genius and guru of the jam, Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarium Rescue Unit, a band they styled many of their music cues from.
The official trademark of Howard Shaft occured in 1995, beginning when they entered a talent show at the LA Tech Howard Auditorium. At the time, the band performed as CJ6. Even though they received the only standing ovation of the night, they were not mentioned as winner, nor did they even receive honorable mention. It was a let down, especially with some of their parents in the crowd. But when Johnson’s father wise-cracked, “you boys got the shaft,” the loss was almost worth it, as it naturally inspired one of the members to rename the group. The name, Howard Shaft, would eventually span the sun belt.

The first “taste of success” arrived in the form of three hundred audience members in downtown Ruston at hot spot Sundown Tavern, which quickly became their personal launch pad. From there, they went to Monroe night hangouts, like the former 6th Street Bar and Sal’s Saloon, where they really took off. Once they hit the road, they stopped mainly among the southeast from Texas to Virginia, playing in small community college towns. They travelled “super hard-core” (nineties style: no phones, open paper maps, and beepers out), driving twelve hours at a time, setting up gear at venues, “crushing it” on stage, and then driving back about five hours to “deadhead” home, recalls Davis, adding Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga to their pit stops.
Their road stories abound, like the time the band opened for the considerably controversial rap group from Miami, 2 Live Crew, and having to share a dressing room, witnessed some unsavory antics. Or the time they played the Millennium “Y2K” New Year at Pat O’Brien’s, the one on top of Jack’s Brewery in New Orleans. Convinced that the “Y2k” scare could happen, they wanted to avoid potential pandemonium, so half an hour after the show, they were already loaded and on the road—family, friends, and all. Though their travels took them all the way to Universal Studios, New Orleans will always stand out as the most memorable music venue, namely the rustic landmark of live music and Cajun dancing Tipitina’s and House of Blues New Orleans.

Moments between work and play allow for the unpredictable. Capturing sound in the framework of a space, sometimes cements with no effort. Such is Howard Shaft’s imprint on North Louisiana. Fans still inquire about obtaining burnt copies of the band’s only released CD. Some local bands have been known to cover original Howard Shaft songs in their sets. There is even a fraternity song that is a Patterson original, “Child of God.” While the rumors are true, some band members have reached levels of stardom that most musicians aspire to, and the numbers that Howard Shaft reunions are known for are due to local success. Undisputedly, it doesn’t hurt that drummer Mixon, a West Monroe native, has collaborated for years with Grammy award winner Chris Stapleton. Or that bassist Cook has been touring, for the past four years, with Capital recording artist Luke Bryan, nominated for many ACM and CMA awards. Davis and Johnson, friends since seventh grade, joined forces in Savannah, Georgia and formed The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra, a “fiery hot” 17-piece big band that play sophisticated arrangements in the “style and swagger” of Frank Sinatra and is the official ambassador of Savannah. Meanwhile, Patterson, Jones, and Cortellini reside in the area, periodically taking the stage and recording.

“North Louisiana should be proud of their musical legacy,” says Davis, attributing his success to the local music programs of his upbringing. A West Monroe High School (WMHS) alumni, he praises the late Dr. Michael D. Spears, respected music educator serving WMHS for forty-seven years. Speaking to the value of music programs, Davis asserts, “Our music careers started in his band program.” With this pride of place prevalent in their music identity, it’s no surprise that Howard Shaft has held about ten family reunions in Monroe, with no signs of stopping. They play their reunions as if they were playing at their own house party. Regardless of venue, that’s usually the case, because when they play in Monroe, their family and close friends are usually in the audience. There’s only ever time for one impromptu rehearsal: “It’s like breathing. Everything comes back,” says Davis. This reunion’s stage was at Flying Tiger Brewery. A show that began at 7 PM was packed wall-to-wall within thirty minutes. A dance-line naturally formed in congruence with the “unique musical DNA of the horns” section. The band played to the crowd: hammering epic sets of instrumental improv, heckling each other, and roaring to the crowd like New Orleans style jazz bands. The freestyle vibe resonated with the crowd, a taste of Howard Shaft’s hayday that goes beyond music, and holds the carefree moments of times past for many in the crowd.

How a person becomes a person begins where they grow up. It’s a rhythmic counterplay of individual willpower and the steady hand of community. Howard Shaft is driven by hard syncopated sounds and accented by gusto. Though some moved on to reach heights of music nobility, none ever forgot the road home, proving that sometimes home is where stars are born.

Listen to The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra on iTunes and/or Spotify. Follow them on Facebook or on Instagram (@equinoxorchestra) and catch their exclusive Valentine’s party in Monroe, Friday, February 8th. This exclusive dinner show features amazing food from Doe’s Eat Place of Monroe. You won’t want to miss!

Howard Shaft celebrates the following extended members:
BRAD BLACK (trumpet, toured with The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra)
ALCEDRICK TODD (trumpet, plays with Wu Tang Clan)
JOHN SIMONEAUX (guitar, founder of Blue Monday)
CLARK HICKENBOTTOM (bass, member of Blue Monday)
DONOVAN HATCHER (drums, member of Blue Monday)