Stiff Necked Fools
Shreveport, Louisiana, United States | SELF
Music
Press
This new 13 song album from the six piece band out of the Shreveport, La has an extremely unique, melodic sound for the listener. With the recent release of “Too Much Rain” the “Stiff Necked Fools” will provide you with funky bass lines, soulful horns, one of a kind lyrical flow, smooth keys and creative style throughout the album.
“Too Much Rain” kicks off with the “Greg likes your Mom”, a funky bass and horn collaboration mixed with dub and a distinctive flow to start off the album with an awesome jam. The next three tracks will have you bouncing to that bayou-reggae feel that “Stiff Necked Fools” provides all their listeners.
With the fifth track of their album, “GJam” will set the vibe with a vocal free, funky, soulful jam that may have you movin’ all around, Cajun style. The rest of the 13 song album has all sorts of unique soulful melodies and smooth lyrics that give the “Stiff Necked Fools” such an exclusive sound.
“Our genre of music has been dubbed Bayou Reggae” says Ryan Viser (trumpet) “We definitely have that sound that Reggae is known for, but we’ve put a unique Louisiana-style twist on it that makes it really different”. That quote sums up the vibe that the “Stiff Necked Fools” provides each one of their listeners with. So spread the word and keep an eye out for this funky, jazzy, jam band out of the south, cuz they’ll be skankin their way towards you soon! - David Ricks at Musicbailout.net
This new 13 song album from the six piece band out of the Shreveport, La has an extremely unique, melodic sound for the listener. With the recent release of “Too Much Rain” the “Stiff Necked Fools” will provide you with funky bass lines, soulful horns, one of a kind lyrical flow, smooth keys and creative style throughout the album.
“Too Much Rain” kicks off with the “Greg likes your Mom”, a funky bass and horn collaboration mixed with dub and a distinctive flow to start off the album with an awesome jam. The next three tracks will have you bouncing to that bayou-reggae feel that “Stiff Necked Fools” provides all their listeners.
With the fifth track of their album, “GJam” will set the vibe with a vocal free, funky, soulful jam that may have you movin’ all around, Cajun style. The rest of the 13 song album has all sorts of unique soulful melodies and smooth lyrics that give the “Stiff Necked Fools” such an exclusive sound.
“Our genre of music has been dubbed Bayou Reggae” says Ryan Viser (trumpet) “We definitely have that sound that Reggae is known for, but we’ve put a unique Louisiana-style twist on it that makes it really different”. That quote sums up the vibe that the “Stiff Necked Fools” provides each one of their listeners with. So spread the word and keep an eye out for this funky, jazzy, jam band out of the south, cuz they’ll be skankin their way towards you soon! - David Ricks at Musicbailout.net
Haven’t heard of the Stiff Necked Fools? You will! Stiff Necked Fools are a Reggae band based out of Shreveport-Bossier City. The story goes that founder Dan Sanchez, an award-winning Blues artist born and raised in Los Angeles, was looking for an artistic outlet and one day he decided to explore his love for reggae music. His hobby turned into his passion and led him to form a trio. Dan recruited the sounds of John Hoffman (the son of Stan Hoffman of the Killer Bees) on drums, Jason Ball on keys, and Greg Pitts on Bass. What started out as a side project quickly turned into something much more serious. As the group began to pick up steam, Ryan Viser (trumpet) and Scotty Gerardy (saxophones) were added to the lineup. Daniel Breithaupt (congas) played with the band off and on and joined them full-time at the beginning of 2010. From there, things started taking off.
Unfortunately, just as the band was starting to blossom, Dan fell ill to cancer and passed away in March 2010. Devastated but determined, the Fools worked to pick up the pieces and keep moving and grooving. They recently added Stefan Poole (saxophone and vocals) to their group. Today, they are easily the hottest Reggae/Jam Band in the Shreveport-Bossier City area. They are relentless in their pursuit of achieving the ultimate sound. While they are a Reggae based band, Stiff Necked Fools are also inspired by other musical genres, which include rock, funk, blues, jazz, and jam bands. Stiff Necked Fools are making their mark on the music scene in Louisiana and are a group to keep your eyes and ears on. Don’t miss the chance to catch this truly unique band. - Louisiana's Other Side
If Zydeco isn't your thing, how about the Stiff Necked Fools and their brand of Reggae? The Shreveport-based band was founded by Dan Sanchez, an outstanding Blues musician who sadly passed away earlier this year. The band rallied, and Dan’s legacy is one of the hottest Reggae bands around. Not just Reggae: The Stiff Necked Fools set off fireworks with Rock, Funk, Blues, and Jazz.
The Stiff Necked Fools will perform at the Boomtown Casino from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday night. Their fans are fanatics (as all really good fans are) and will shake the rafters, but this show will be ratcheted up a notch. These musical fools will perform with a burlesque troop in a Moulin Rouge-themed masquerade ball. This should be a show to make you forget everything bad that might have happened to you in 2010. Celebrate! - The Washington Times
If Zydeco isn't your thing, how about the Stiff Necked Fools and their brand of Reggae? The Shreveport-based band was founded by Dan Sanchez, an outstanding Blues musician who sadly passed away earlier this year. The band rallied, and Dan’s legacy is one of the hottest Reggae bands around. Not just Reggae: The Stiff Necked Fools set off fireworks with Rock, Funk, Blues, and Jazz.
The Stiff Necked Fools will perform at the Boomtown Casino from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday night. Their fans are fanatics (as all really good fans are) and will shake the rafters, but this show will be ratcheted up a notch. These musical fools will perform with a burlesque troop in a Moulin Rouge-themed masquerade ball. This should be a show to make you forget everything bad that might have happened to you in 2010. Celebrate! - The Washington Times
Local reggae band Stiff Necked Fools is getting some much-deserved recognition. The group stays busy performing at venues such as Tiki Bar on Thursdays, Fatty Arbuckles, Chicky's Boom Boom Room, Sundance Cantina at Boomtown Casino and the Warehouse. They also perform at private parties. Members of the band recently took time to talk about the group and its beginnings. Question: How did the group get started? Answer: Stiff Necked Fools was born from Dan Sanchez and The Kings of Pleasure. Tiki Bar & Grill wanted to do something different on Thursday nights, and Dan Sanchez had a genius idea. So a West Coast swing blues band metamorphosed into an incredible modern reggae band in 2009. Dan passed away in March 2010, and we just kept his vision going. Q: Who are the members of the band and what instruments do they play? A: John Hoffman, drums and vocals; Jason Ball keyboards and vocals; Greg Pitts, bass guitar; John Bundrick, guitar and vocals; Ryan Viser, trumpet and vocals; Stefan Poole, alto sax and vocals. Auxiliary members are Scott Gerardy, sax and vocals; Daniel Breithaupt, percussion; and Eddie Hoffman, drums. Q: How did you come up with the name for the band? A: It was named after a famous Bob Marley song called "Stiff Necked Fools." We liked the song and had covered it and really needed a name at the time, and with the nature of the band being somewhat silly, the name seemed to fit, so we went with it. Q: What is your style of music? A: Our music is definitely reggae with a funky kind of Louisiana feel to it. All of us have eclectic backgrounds in music, ranging from anywhere to anything from jazz, funk, blues. Q: Are you inspired by other styles of music? A: We are influenced by all other styles of music. Reggae, jazz, blues, rock, jam band, pop, R&B, rap, etc. I think you get the point. Q: Have you released a CD yet? A: Not yet, but ("Too Much Rain") should be out by the end of March, just in time for Louisiana summer. Q: What Is The Driving Force Behind The Band? A: All of us love this music. And the fans that come out time after time, the positive vibe that comes through the people is awesome. It's good honest music that gets people grooving. - The Shreveport Times
Discography
Too Much Rain (2011)
Photos
Bio
Stiff Necked Fools are a Reggae band based out of Shreveport, Louisiana. Dan Sanchez was an award-winning Blues artist from Los Angeles who was looking to do something different. His search led him to Reggae music, which soon became his passion and led him to form a project. Mr. Sanchez recruited the sounds of John Hoffman (the son of Stanton Hoffman of the Killer Bees) on drums, the fast fingers of Jason Ball on keys, and the explosive basslines of Greg Pitts. What started out as a fun side project quickly turned into something much more serious and a weekly gig. As the group began to pick up steam, the horn players arrived. Ryan Viser (Trumpet) and Stefan Poole (Saxophones) were brought in to help give the band that big, full sound. From here things started taking off. Unfortunately, just as the group was starting to blossom, Dan fell ill to cancer and passed away in March of 2010.
Devastated, but determined, the Fools worked to pick up the pieces and keep on moving. Their persistence paid off. With more players added to the group and a new sound emerging, the weekly Reggae Thursdays jam at the Tiki started exploding. With the newfound energy came creativity and original songs started pouring out week after week. Today, they are easily one of the hottest Reggae/Jam bands in this part of the country. With the group opening up for bands such as Nappy Roots, Fortunate Youth, Rebirth Brass Band, Cowboy Mouth, and many others, it is surely only a matter of time before they gain a national following of their own.
Stiff Necked Fools are making their mark on the music scene and are building a rising following among music lovers who enjoy groups such as Slightly Stoopid, Rebelution, The Expendables, etc. “Our genre of music has been dubbed Bayou Reggae” says Ryan Viser (Trumpet) “We definitely have that sound that Reggae is known for, but we’ve put a unique Louisiana-style twist on it that makes it really different”. This is what sets Stiff Necked Fools apart from other bands. The horn players are up front and in your face bringing heat all night. Then they’ll grab the mic and bust out a rap or sing. “You just never know what we’re going to do. The amount of talent each member brings makes this band very versatile” says John Hoffman (Lead Vocals). Stiff Necked Fools debut album, Too Much Rain, released in 2011 and has already been a huge success! This is definitely a group to keep your eyes and ears on. Stiff Necked Fools….coming soon to a club near you!!
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