When Giants Fall

The latest incarnation of When Giants Fall started in early 2006. WGF came together in the studio, when I enlisted the help of producers Wayne Horvitz and Scott Ross to record an album of carefully crafted songs utilizing some common methodologies, but often stepping outside what is expected …and certainly it is not music that is common in Seattle . The songs mix rock and pop, experimenting with song writing and sound-scaping to create an experience. It is music that very few people in Seattle could pull off in just 3 days of recording. Wayne and Scott brought some of Seattle’s best rockers: Mike Stone on drums, Tim Young and Chad Quist on guitars and Micah Hulscher on the Hammond B-3. The results were amazing, like they were born to play this music. I remember when Tim and Eric Eagle, (who played drums on a couple tracks) were warming up at Studio Litho before the session. They were playing old ZZ Top, “Waitin' for the Bus/ Jesus Just Left Chicago” and “La Grange”. I just smiled, knowing that these guys were really going to get the music.
With big, solid, Who-like drums and brilliant, 70’s era guitar sounds, the CD delivers a sound with roots in early 70’s rock influenced by the Northwest greats. The songs are raw, organic and flex a little muscle.

And then the next step: gigging.
Very soon after the recording, Tim, Micah, and Chad moved to LA to pursue their own musical careers. Early/mid 2007 the band was up and running, but soon another exodus and a spontaneously combusted drummer put us back in the shed for the winter. (And we added a little rocker to the family… that’ll keep you busy!)
Come spring, Andy Stoller (Tracey Chapman’s bassist), introduced me to a couple incredible guys: guitarist, long time friend, former band mate, Andrew Sherbrooke, and Ben Smith of Heart. When Ben checked out the tunes on Myspace he replied, “holy shit, man....... great stuff there.... Amazing arrangements, Stone sounds awesome, everybody does, and wow, that's some dense-ass music!”
And then he joined the band.

So, yes, we have a kick ass live show.

Guitar:
Andrew Sherbrooke has played jazz, rock, and funk guitar for over 25 years. After years playing with the band Abstract, up and down the East Coast, as well as a number of years in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he moved to California and worked with a variety of R&B, funk, and world music players. Andrew is now doing a variety of studio and live work in Tacoma, Washington.

Drums:
Ben Smith has performed and/or recorded with: Heart, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Buddahead, Taj Mahal, Cyndi Lauper, Lovemongers, Pete Droge, Don Gilmore, Tracy Nelson, Boy Meets Girls, Denice Williams, Peter Frampton, P.F. Sloan (legendary producer and writer of "Eve of Destruction" and "Secret Agent Man"), Cornelius Bumpus, Danny O'Keefe, Sugar Pie de Santos, jazz artists Nancy Wilson, Ernestine Anderson and Glenn Alexander, Phoebe Snow, The Songcatchers featuring Charles Neville, Kenny G, banjo god Danny Barnes, as well as many other talented artists live and in the studio..... (it goes on and on, if you want more, please visit http://www.myspace.com/bensmithdrummer!)