Continued from Pag* 2B
Three Fingered lack broke up
in 1974; actually they became
the Nighthawks. with the addi
tion of Jimmy Cochran and
Frank Speaker on guitars. Ratso
went to San Francisco, and
points east, for a number of
months, and came back to play
flute with an original rock band.
Aaro. which included his
brother Rick on drums and Ed
Campy on bass, who was later
with Curtis Salgado and In Yo'
Face.
"At that point. 1 was told that
since I wasn’t black, the blues
would be too tough I decided to
show 'em they were wrong,"
Reece says.
lie also met the superb
bluesman from Tacoma.
Washington, Robert Cray, and
his bass player Richard
Cousins, brother of local drum
mer Hutch Cousins. This was
before there was actually a
Robert (’ray Hand.
After playing with a number
of other shorter-lived
ensembles, and establishing a
relationship with the Robert
Cray Hand. Reece joined his se
cond major band. Shinola.
Shinola was Roliert Hailey,
piano and vocals, Mark
Spangler on guitar. Wayne Fri
day on second guitar. Hob Jones
on bass. Kip Richardson on
drums, and Reece.
"Robert Bailey had the very
best voice I ever heard, let alone
played with. He eventually
became avidly Christian, and
has three gospel albums out
now. That was my one and only
adventure into doing the old
soul and Motown stuff," Reece
says.‘‘We were the most
popular band in town, and we
were getting some publicity in
places like Billboard
Magazine."
From the end of 1974 through
1976, Shinola played to Nor
thwest audiences. Then, the
band broke up at the begin
ning of 1977.
"At that point, I started doing
a country gig. playing drums
locally. That was real steady
money for about six months,
(also. 1 was) trying to get
another seminal band. Full
House, off the ground. I spent
several years in the late 70s
backing up bands all over the
Eli gene-Port land corridor.",
Reece says.
"Then, local guitarist Chris
Porter, then 'roadieing' for
Robert ('.ray. called me up and
asked me to audition for
bluesman Pete Karnes, in
Portland. I played one night
with them, and was hired on the
spot.
"It was just like jumping on a
merry-go-round. This was the
most widely travelled band I
have taken part in to this day.
We played the entire Western
United States, from Missoula,
Montana to Sun Valley, Califor
nia The travelling and separa
tion ended up costing me my
marriage. No lingering regrets. I
guess. It happens to touring
musicians,” he adds.
For a year after leaving the
Karnes Hand in late 1980. Reece
came back to Eugene and
played with local guitarist
Ricky Johnson in the King
Snakes.
"I first met Ratso in 1972."
Johnson says. "He’s been in
strumental in bringing a lot of
people together in this town.
Even when he’s been playing
top-40 and rock ’n’ roll, he’s
always had a feeling for the
blues. He’s introduced me to
practically every good musician
I’ve ever met."
"One thing." adds Johnson.
"He can’t move on stage to save
his life. Hit’s all hands and no
feet on the stage. If you want to
line dance with Kandy, forget
it!" he grins. “And that’s a
paradox, because he’s such a
fine drummer. And he’s a loyal
friend, that’s a fact."
"I’ve been free-lancing ever
since then (playing with the
King Snakes). ” Reece says.
"I’ve been playing with Joey
(Pepper) and The Allnighters,
the I,os Falcons, and others.
Then, about the end of 1983, I
decided I was going to have to
follow the money, and signed
on with the Little Big Band, a
top-40, hard-rock lounge
band."
In Little Big Band. Ed
Demarteau played rhythm
guitar and keyboards; Steve
Cochran on guitar — ”1 was like
a second lead guitar, except I
was playing sax. Steve and I
REALLY got tight together” -
Dave Cooper, who has a great
voice, was the lead vocalist and
bass; and Drew Fife played
drums." he says.
"Little Big Band was pro
bably the most well-known
band around the Salem area We
did a lot of original material as
well as top-40 covers. They
wanted me to move to Salem;
but when Steve left the band. I
just never felt it worked for me
as well. We did get one song on
the KZEL Rock Album, released
in 1085."
From there. Reece helped the
McConnell brothers, who play
as RMS McConnell, get off the
ground. "I was playing bass on
about half their tunes, but
realized that I really didn’t want
to play bass full-time And
besides. I decided that, after all
this time, the blues is really
where my roots lie." Reece
says. "I also feel now that it's
hard to put all my eggs in one
band’s basket I’m no whore,
but I'll play with anyone that
plays good music, especially
the blues, now "
looking back, Reece con
sidered what he has sacrificed
for his peripatetic musical
existence.
"I know I have lost my wife,
and my financial security. But I
haven’t sacrificed the political
and musical ideals I started
with. I didn’t want to waste my
time in a 9-to-5. Mom (a school
teacher for 25 years in the SI
Louis school system, who will
be retiring next year) wanted me
to be anything but a musician
My father supported me in it
totally, though." he says.
"If I had it to do over again. I
would probably be more
businesslike, and take some of
the emotional involvement out
of it.
"Advice for young musicians
coming up now? It used to l>e
that bands were more able to
find business. All these loose,
half-assed bands I see around
today not counting us. of
course — are failing to get their
scene together, partly because
there's less work around, but I
think partly because they're less
inclined to hustle."
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