Drums/Sound Tech
Born in California in 1966, Kurt Lotero picked up the piano at age 12, the clarinet at age 13 and the drums at 15. He has always had a flare for music with influences such as Rush and the Police. Neil Pert predominately influences his broadening style in alternative rock and classic rock n roll. Embracing the drums as his instrument of choice is accredited to compliments on his natural playing ability over the last 10 years.
As a member of his High School drum Corp, he learned formal drum rudiments by Steve Graves, the number 2 pro drum line instructor in the U.S. This Corp took first place in all regional competitions in their class through 1984.
After 6 years serving in the United States Navy working in the electronic field, Kurt moved to Houston from California and picked up a job working at the Johnson Space Center. He then spent 5 years at Southwest Airlines. In the year 2000 he found a new fire for music during a visit to "Pete’s Barn", an open stage in League City where many local bands get together to share their talents and have open jam sessions.
Kurt Lotero has worked in 5 bands playing venues and clubs in the Houston and surrounding areas for the last several years frequenting the Turtle Club on Nasa Rd 1 with the band "Random Xcess". He has served as Sound Technician, successfully built his own sound room in his Clear Lake home as well as taking on the title of Band Organizer for many years.
His most recent band project, "Joey D & Travelin Heat" has given him the opportunity to use his creativity while building his own drum patterns to singer/songwriter Joey D’s originals songs that will be included in the bands set. The bands effort in the rehearsal room on the originals will extend into a 10 track CD scheduled for release in October of 2005.
During the day, Kurt works as a Computer Technician at the University of Houston.
His drum kit includes:
Tama, Rototoms, Sabian pro sonic, Evans headskurtlotero@earthlink.net
Lead Guitar/Vocals
Born
in New Orleans, Rick was sucking crawfish heads before he could walk and draws a
large part of his musical influence from such Crescent City natives such as Dr.
John and the Neville Brothers. He got his 1st guitar at the age of 4
and put on regular Elvis shows at the Ortega house for anyone who would listen.
In the 70s, Rick played in rock cover bands and original material bands in and
around New Orleans.
For the past 12
years, Rick has lived in the Houston Clear Lake area with his wife Marcy and
their daughter Tracy. He is a founding member and still a part of The Plan B
Band as a guitarist and vocalist. Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris will always be
his most influential non-guitarist artists.
Guitar/keyboards/Vocals
Born
in St. Louis MO.
Started playing the piano at age 5. Al was inspired musically by his Father and
by his grandmothers nagging, since she was a pianist by trade. He
picked up the ukulele because it was laying around the house.
After a while of lugging around pianos and/or organs to rehearsals and gigs, he
couldn't figure out how to amplify the ukulele. So his interest in the guitar
grew with his love for music also playing the steel guitar for a while during
his schitzo-country/western (Urban Cowboy) phase blending well with his
oversized belt buckles hidden behind his guitar.
Main musical influences and inspirations include (in roughly chronological
order):
Grandma;
The Al Judd Band (a 12-piece swing band);
ukelelist Arthur Godfrey;
Local St. Louie sensations, the Reeb Toors (that's root beer spelled backwards!)
and the Aardvarks;
organists Stan Kahn and Jimmy Smith;
Bob Kuban and the Inmen (Hit tune "The Cheater");
keyboardist Ray Manzarek of The Doors;
guitarist Duane Allman;
guitarist Joe Taylor of Harrison Blues Family;
steel guitarist Buddy Emmons;
songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Lindell Hill; and
Spinal Tap
He enjoys playing and listening to most types of blues and rock.
He has Played in too many
bands to remember... the longest-lived bands being "The Ralph Schmidt Group"
(popular local wedding band) at over 10 years, and "The Lindell Hill Group" at
over 20 years.
He has fun performing other artist's works and put his own spin on them.
"I think, one time a band I was playing with accidentally got some radio play
when a radio crew was doing a live show at some red-neck festival. Other than
that, my "radio play" is instead "play radio".
He performed at the St. Louis Blues Heritage Festival in 1997 for several
thousand people and got to ride around in chauffeured golf carts wearing a VIP
Backstage Pass.
"As far as sharing the stage with a well-know act, I guess you could say that I
almost did. In the early seventies, me and a musician-friend of mine got thrown
off of Albert King's tour bus when we were persistently trying to talk him into
letting us sit in with his band one night when he came to a downtown St. Louis
club. That was fun".
Alg0Rythum@aol.com
Bass/Vocals
Born
in 1960 Pascagoula, Miss. Paul picked up the Bass at the age of 15 encouraged by
his father who was in need of one for his band. He enjoys all genres of music
with Toto as his strongest inspiration.
With 30 years on the bass, 20 years on the
guitar and 25 years on the keyboards he has played in numerous bands scouring
Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida stages.
He has shared the stage with artists such as Gloria Gaynor, Paul Overstreet, Lee
Greenwood and Ray Stevens. Before the well known rock band "3 Doors Down" hit
mainstream, Paul living one mile away from the band had the opportunity to visit
with the young musicians as they frequently stopped in at the music store Paul
was employed at. He was quite proud to see hard working musicians make their
dreams come true and become successful artists.
Paul's studio experience includes stand up bass and guitar work at Rick
Bradshaw's Legend Recording Studio in Pascagoula, MS.
www.legendrecording.com
chappyes@yahoo.com