Jay Lane

Last updated
Jay Lane
Jay Lane Primus Soundwave 2011 (cropped).jpg
Lane with Primus, Soundwave festival, Brisbane, Australia, 2011
Background information
Born (1964-12-05) December 5, 1964 (age 59)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres
OccupationMusician
InstrumentDrums
Years active1982–present
Labels
Member of
Formerly of
Website JayLane.net (archived)

Jay Lane (born December 5, 1964) is an American musician. He is a founding member of Bob Weir's RatDog, with Weir and Rob Wasserman, Wolf Bros, Furthur, Golden Gate Wingmen, Dead & Company and Alphabet Soup. He was the 7th drummer to play in Primus, playing with the band for around eight months in 1988 and later rejoining the band from 2010-2013. Lane was a member of San Francisco Bay Area bands The Uptones from '83-'85, and The Freaky Executives '84-'89.

Contents

Biography

Lane was born in San Francisco, California. [1] Lane began learning to play the drums at age nine, taking lessons with Bob Rose, and later Steve Savage, founder of Blue Bear School of Music in San Francisco. Lane continued to take lessons for two years. In 1979 during the 7th grade at Everett Jr. High School, his jazz band teacher and local tenor sax great Jerry Logas turned him on to the Jazz/Fusion group Weather Report and that was it, music was going to be his choice. He and best buddy Ray Paul Carter took turns torturing their beloved jazz band teacher between classes. At sixteen years old, he took a summer sanitation job at Cazadero music camp in Russian River California where he met the rest of his best lifetime friends to this day: future Ratdog/Charlie Hunter Trio/Uptones saxophonist Dave Ellis, future Spearhead guitarist Dave Shul, brothers Alcide and Andre Marshall ( sons of local jazz legend drummer Eddy Marshall ). [2] It was at this Summer music camp the decision to play music as a way of life was solidified for this tight group of friends. Some of the counselors at Cazadero Music and Arts Camp during that time ('80-'83) included Bobby McFerrin and Whoopi Goldberg, among other local jazz greats like John Handy, Eddy Marshall, Pete Escovedo, and the great Ed Kelly.

1980s

In 1982, [3] Lane played with Dave Shul in the band Ice Age. [4] In 1983, he joined Bay Area ska punk band The Uptones when their saxophonist left, prompting drummer Dave Ellis to switch instruments. [2] [4] They released an album, K.U.S.A. , [3] before Lane left in 1985 to join the Freaky Executives. [4] After four years of gigging the Executives landed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records. [4] It was during this time that Lane met Primus bassist Les Claypool in the bands' shared warehouse rehearsal space in Emeryville and would converse in the hallways, eventually jamming together. Claypool, Lane, and guitarist Todd Huth played together as Primus for about eight months, and recorded a demo cassette tape named Sausage. [4] [5] at Fungo Mungo's modified storage container rehearsal space, mixed by Matt Winegar.

1990s

After a 4 year dry spell, In 1994 Les Claypool called Lane for a recording session at San Francisco's famed Hyde St Studios that Grammy winning upright bass virtuoso Rob Wasserman had hired him for. It was to be acoustic bass, electric bass and drums recording one quick jam for a Levi's 501 jeans ad. After neither bassist wanted to, Lane added the vocal speaking part. [6] [3] After the session Wasserman asked Lane if he would do a session at Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir's home studio for a broadway musical Weir was working on with avant guard saxophonist David Murray about legendary baseball player Satchel Paige. They were looking for a drummer that could play quietly with brushes. Lane then joined the Weir Wasserman Duo with double bass player Wasserman and Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir. [4] Lane was reunited with Cazadero Music Camp friend Dave Ellis when he joined jazz combo the Charlie Hunter Trio, [4] [5] and co-founded the hip hop/jazz fusion group Alphabet Soup. [4] [5] The Charlie Hunter Trio released their debut album, Charlie Hunter Trio , in 1993. [7] Lane Wasserman and Claypool also then later performed a song at the Bammies as 3 Guys Names Shmoe.

Lane later reunited with Claypool and Huth as the band Sausage, [5] named in recognition of the Primus demo they recorded together six years prior. [8] They recorded a single album, 1994's Riddles Are Abound Tonight , [9] followed by a short tour in support of Helmet and Rollins Band. [4] [5] In 1995, Lane released his last album with the Charlie Hunter Trio, Bing, Bing, Bing! , [10] as well as Alphabet Soup's debut, Layin' Low in the Cut , [11] and following the death of Jerry Garcia, the trio of Lane, Weir and Wasserman became the basis for the band RatDog. [4] In 1996, Alphabet Soup released their second album, Strivin' , [4] and Lane guested on Claypool's debut solo album Highball with the Devil . [12] In 1997, Lane guested on Christión's debut album, Ghetto Cyrano , playing keyboards. [13]

2000s

Lane and Weir performing with RatDog in April 2009. Bob Weir Jay Lane RatDog 2009.jpg
Lane and Weir performing with RatDog in April 2009.

Throughout the 2000s, Lane continued to tour with RatDog, playing hometown shows with Alphabet Soup whenever they had a break in the schedule. [4] In 2000, RatDog released their own debut album, Evening Moods , [14] followed by Live at Roseland in 2001. [15] Also in 2001, Lane appeared once more alongside Claypool and Huth, plus others, on the Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade albums Live Frogs Set 1 [16] and Live Frogs Set 2 , [3] the latter of which is a complete performance of Pink Floyd's Animals . [17] In 2002, Lane guested on the Frog Brigade's studio album, Purple Onion , [18] and was named "drummer of the year" by the California Music Awards. [4]

In 2005, Claypool released his retrospective DVD 5 Gallons of Diesel , featuring many projects that included Lane, [3] and Lane toured with him as part of his Fancy Band. [4] In 2006, many members of Alphabet Soup branched out to form the hip hop/reggae fusion group Band of Brotherz, and Lane joined shortly after. [4] They released their debut album Deadbeats and Murderous Melodys in 2009, [3] featuring covers of Grateful Dead songs, [2] supported by a tour of the East Coast of the United States and a number of dates nationwide with special guests, [4] including the trio of Lane, Weir and Wasserman reunited under the name Scaring the Children. [19] At the end of 2009, Weir put RatDog on hiatus in order to dedicate his time to forming the band Furthur with Phil Lesh, and Lane joined them as a charter member. [4]

2010s

In 2010, [3] Lane left both Furthur and Band of Brotherz to rejoin Primus with Claypool and long-standing guitarist Larry LaLonde, and they released the free June 2010 Rehearsal digital EP, followed in 2011 by a new album, titled Green Naugahyde . [20] As of 2012, Lane's official site still credited him as an active member of RatDog despite the hiatus, [3] as well as Alphabet Soup, [3] and Scaring the Children. [6] In September 2013, it was revealed that Lane had left Primus to rejoin RatDog, who were ending their hiatus. [21] In 2014 Jay Joined The Golden Gate Wingmen. They are a jam band formed in November 2014, featuring Jeff Chimenti, John Kadlecik from Dark Star Orchestra & Reed Mathis from Tea Leaf Green. They record every show and release them to download.

In 2018, Lane joined Weir and bassist Don Was to form Wolf Bros, a trio which undertook a North American tour in the Fall of 2018, [22] and continued with a second tour of twenty more shows in the Spring of 2019. [23]

Lane currently endorses Ludwig drums, Sabian cymbals, and Innovative Percussion drumsticks.

2020s

Lane joined Dead & Company as a stand-in drummer for their October 19 and 20, 2021 shows at Red Rocks in Morrison, CO, their October 22 and 23 shows at Fiddler's Green in Greenwood Village, CO, and their October 31 show at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA. For the Dead & Company 2022 Summer Tour, he sat in for Bill Kreutzmann starting with the Bethel, NY show. [24] With Kreutzmann stepping out for the final Dead & Company tour in 2023, Jay Lane has played each show on the tour. [25]

Three weeks after the last show on the final tour of Dead and Company, Jay Lane debuted the first band under his own name. They opened for ALO at the Bruns Amphitheatre in Orinda, CA. Debut show of Jay Lane and the Mayhem (Orinda, 8-6-23).jpg
Three weeks after the last show on the final tour of Dead and Company, Jay Lane debuted the first band under his own name. They opened for ALO at the Bruns Amphitheatre in Orinda, CA.

Discography

1984 – The Uptones – K.U.S.A.
1988 – Primus –Sausage (demo)
1993 – Charlie Hunter Trio – Charlie Hunter Trio
1994 – Sausage – Riddles Are Abound Tonight
1995 – Charlie Hunter Trio – Bing, Bing, Bing!
1995 – Alphabet Soup – Layin' Low in the Cut
1996 – Alphabet Soup – Strivin'
1996 – Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel – Highball with the Devil
1997 – Christión – Ghetto Cyrano
2000 – RatDog – Evening Moods
2001 – RatDog – Live at Roseland
2001 – Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade – Live Frogs Set 1
2001 – Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade – Live Frogs Set 2
2002 – The Les Claypool Frog Brigade – Purple Onion
2005 – Les Claypool – 5 Gallons of Diesel (DVD)
2009 – Band of Brotherz – Deadbeats and Murderous Melodys
2010 – Primus – June 2010 Rehearsal (EP)
2011 – Primus – Green Naugahyde
2022 – Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros – Live in Colorado
2022 – Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros – Live in Colorado Vol. 2

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Les Claypool</span> American musician

Leslie Edward Claypool is an American rock musician. He is the founder, lead singer, bassist, and primary songwriter of the band Primus. Listed as one of the greatest bassists of all time by Rolling Stone, his playing style mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends, and slapping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primus (band)</span> American rock band

Primus is an American rock band formed in El Sobrante, California in 1984. The band is currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool and guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by drummer Jay Lane, though the latter two had departed the band by the beginning of 1989, and were replaced by LaLonde and Tim "Herb" Alexander respectively.

<i>Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People</i> 2003 video and EP by Primus

Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People is a career-spanning retrospective DVD plus bonus EP by American band Primus, released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist Larry LaLonde's son, and the cover depicts a sculpture made by long-time Primus collaborator Lance "Link" Montoya. The DVD features all of the band's music videos to date, plus short films and live footage from as far back as 1986, whereas the bonus EP features five new songs written and recorded specifically for this release. When promoting the release, bassist Les Claypool remarked that "It seems of late that bands are adding supplemental DVD material to their album releases to promote record sales. We've done the opposite. We've added a supplemental audio recording of brand new music to an extremely comprehensive DVD of classic visuals."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RatDog</span> American rock band

RatDog is an American rock band. The group began in 1995 as a side project for Grateful Dead guitarist and singer Bob Weir. After the Dead disbanded later that year, RatDog became Weir's primary band. They performed some Grateful Dead songs, a mixture of covers, and some originals. They released two albums – Evening Moods (2000) and Live at Roseland (2001). RatDog has not toured since July 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Weir</span> American musician; member of the Grateful Dead

Robert Hall Weir is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead. Weir also founded and played in several other bands during and after his career with the Grateful Dead, including Kingfish, the Bob Weir Band, Bobby and the Midnites, Scaring the Children, RatDog, and Furthur, which he co-led with former Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. In 2015, Weir, along with former Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, joined with Grammy-winning singer/guitarist John Mayer, bassist Oteil Burbridge, and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti to form the band Dead & Company.

<i>Purple Onion</i> (album) 2002 studio album by The Les Claypool Frog Brigade

Purple Onion is the debut studio album by The Les Claypool Frog Brigade, released on September 24, 2002. It followed two live releases by the band, and is the first release of the Frog Brigade's original compositions. While the Brigade regulars are consistent on much of the record such as Jay Lane, Eenor Wildeboar, Skerik and new percussionist Mike "Tree Frog" Dillon, many special guests appear on the album as well. Guests on multiple tracks include Ben Barnes and Sam Bass. "D's Diner," a tribute to a Sebastopol, California restaurant, features sitar player Gabby La La in addition to the triple-bass onslaught of Claypool, Norwood Fisher (Fishbone) and Lonnie Marshall. Warren Haynes adds slide guitar on the "Buzzards of Green Hill" and Fish Fisher guests on "Whamola." "Whamola" was a live show staple named after the unique instrument Les employs—a one-string bass played with a drumstick. The song later appeared as a remix for the theme of South Park Season 10. "Barrington Hall" is a tribute to the UC Berkeley student housing known in the 1960s-1980s for counterculture. Purple Onion was released on vinyl for the first time on November 24, 2009.

Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains (C2B3) was an experimental rock supergroup featuring bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist Bernie Worrell and drummer Brain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade</span> Musical artist

Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade is a musical project with rotating personnel, led by American singer/bassist Les Claypool. The Frog Brigade was formed during a hiatus from Claypool's main group Primus.

<i>Live Frogs Set 1</i> 2001 live album by Colonel Les Claypools Fearless Flying Frog Brigade

Live Frogs Set 1 is a live album by Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, released by Prawn Song Records on 10 April 2001. It is composed of songs recorded during the 8–9 October 2000 shows the Frog Brigade played at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, the second part released as Live Frogs Set 2. It is primarily composed of originals by the various side projects of Claypool and his fellow band members but also includes two cover songs.

Todd Richard Huth is an American guitarist, best known as an original member of the band Primus, along with bassist/lyricist Les Claypool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prawn Song Records</span> Record label

Prawn Song Records is an independent record label owned by Les Claypool of Primus. The name and logo are a parody of Led Zeppelin's label Swan Song Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sausage (band)</span> Alternative/funk rock band

Sausage was a short-lived alternative/funk rock band featuring a reunion of the 1988 lineup of the San Francisco Bay Area band Primus. They released the album Riddles Are Abound Tonight in April 1994 through the Interscope Records imprint Prawn Song Records.

Rob Wasserman was an American composer and bass player. A Grammy Award and NEA grant winner, he played and recorded with a wide variety of musicians including Bob Weir, Bruce Cockburn, Elvis Costello, Ani di Franco, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Stéphane Grappelli, Rickie Lee Jones, Van Morrison, Steve Morse, Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, Pete Seeger, Jules Shear, Brian Wilson, Chris Whitley, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Laurie Anderson, Stephen Perkins, Banyan, Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, and Ratdog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Chimenti</span> American keyboardist

Jeff Chimenti is an American keyboardist, best known for his ongoing work with former members of the Grateful Dead. Since May 1997 he has played with Bob Weir & RatDog, and has also played on every tour of The Dead and Furthur. He currently plays with Dead & Company.

<i>Evening Moods</i> 2000 studio album by RatDog with Bob Weir

Evening Moods is the only studio album by the band RatDog, featuring former Grateful Dead guitarist and singer Bob Weir. Released on 26 September 2000, it consists of a number of new songs introduced by RatDog during the previous year and a Grateful Dead song, "Corrina". Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart makes a guest appearance on a few tracks. "Ashes and Glass" and "Two Djinn" are both included on Weir Here – The Best of Bob Weir.

<i>Live at Roseland</i> 2001 live album by RatDog with Bob Weir

Live at Roseland is a 2001 live album by the band RatDog, featuring former Grateful Dead guitarist and singer Bob Weir. In contrast to studio album Evening Moods, this release contains mostly songs from the Grateful Dead song book. It was recorded at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon, on April 25 and 26, 2001.

Jay Blakesberg is an American, San Francisco-based, photographer and film maker.

<i>Green Naugahyde</i> 2011 studio album by Primus

Green Naugahyde is the seventh studio album by rock group Primus, released by ATO Records and Prawn Song on September 12, 2011, in Europe, and on September 13, 2011, in the United States. It is the band's first album since 1999's Antipop, and features their first new material since 2003's Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People EP. It is the only Primus album to feature Jay Lane on drums, as he left the band in September 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solano Avenue Stroll</span>

The Solano Avenue Stroll, also known as the Solano Stroll, is an annual street fair held on the second Sunday of September on the Solano Avenue shopping district of Albany and Berkeley, California. Stretching close to 2 miles long and bringing between 250,000 and 300,000 attendees in a single day, it has been called the oldest and largest street festival in the San Francisco Bay Area and the "world's biggest block party". In 2001, the Library of Congress's American Folklife Center in Washington, D.C. designated the festival as a "National Local Legacy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tragedy's a' Comin'</span> 2011 single by Primus

"Tragedy's a' Comin'" is the first single from Green Naugahyde, the seventh studio album by rock band Primus. It marked the band's first new material since 2003's Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People EP. It is their first single in 12 years.

References

  1. ↑ Doran, Bob (August 26, 2010). "Dead Beatz". North Coast Journal. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Our Newest Tour Member Profile: Jay Lane". Rat-Dog.com. May 1, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Credits". JayLane.net. Archived from the original on August 14, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "About Jay Lane". JayLane.net. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Sausage at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  6. 1 2 "Scaring the Children". JayLane.net. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
  7. ↑ Charlie Hunter Trio – Charlie Hunter Trio at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  8. ↑ Michael Goldberg. "Primus Through the Years: Les Claypool Reflects on His Past". Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  9. ↑ Riddles Are Abound Tonight – Sausage at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  10. ↑ Bing, Bing, Bing! – Charlie Hunter at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  11. ↑ Layin' Low in the Cut – Alphabet Soup at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  12. ↑ Highball with the Devil – Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  13. ↑ Ghetto Cyrano – Christión at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  14. ↑ Evening Moods – Bob Weir at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  15. ↑ Live at Roseland – RatDog at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  16. ↑ Live Frogs: Set 1 – Les Claypool at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  17. ↑ Live Frogs: Set 2 – Les Claypool at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  18. ↑ Purple Onion – Les Claypool at AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Weir/Wasserman/Lane are S.T.C. - Band of Brotherz". Rat-Dog.com. February 20, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  20. ↑ Press release (June 6, 2011). "Primus to Release New Album in September". theprp.com. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Primus Reuniting with Drummer Tim Alexander". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Bob Weir & Wolf Bros. Announce Fall Tour". jambase.com. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  23. ↑ "Bob Weir & Wolf Bros Confirm Spring Tour 2019". jambase.com. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  24. ↑ @deadandcompany (22 October 2021). "Our brother @BKreutzmann continues to be on the mend from a non-Covid related illness and will be back with us in P…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. ↑ "Dead and Company farewell tour 2023". nypost.com. New York Post. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.