Jeff Grippin – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

Jeff Grippin – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: Music genres are difficult for some artists. Some strictly adhere; others not so much. What is your perspective on the genre you play, or the genres you hover around?

Jeff: You’re right, answering “what kind of music do you play?” is the toughest question I get. Since 1976 I’ve been in rock bands and country rock bands and bluegrass bands, a folk  duo and I carry a little bit of all of them with me. As we were wrestling with ‘genre’ in the studio last year we kind of settled on Americana but I don’t believe that that is all encompassing

RRX: What was the very first reaction to your music, from the first person to ever hear so much as a practice jam or the demo of your first song?

Jeff: I started out as just a singer. My younger brother was playing guitar with another guy at school (1976) and once they worked a few songs up they realized neither of them could sing so my brother suggested I join the ‘band’. We worked up a set and, at the time, The Gong show was a big thing and a lot of schools were hosting Gong Show style talent contests. We signed up for one, played 3 songs and got a standing ovation. That was it, I’ve spent the last 40 some years chasing that feeling, with varying degrees of success

RRX: My singer punched my drummer out. Memorable moment, though nothing to brag about. But we have these things that, when summing up your endeavor, an incident comes to mind. What do you got?

Jeff: in 1981 I was a welder building bridges and a couple guys, also in the company, were brothers. One played fiddle, the other played bass in a local band (Rotterdam Jct) called Waterwitch. Country rock, biker band. At that point I had taught myself to play guitar and was doing some solo stuff. Their singer quit so the boys asked me if I was interested. What the hell I figured. We had about 2 weeks rehearsal before the first (my first) gig which was on the north end of Sacandaga Reservoir. We set up, got about ½ way through the first set and a fight broke out. Pool cues, pool balls flying, everybody in the band involved . I don’t know how no equipment got trashed but the fiddle player broke his arm, there were black eyes and bloody noses and I’m thinking what the hell did I get myself into, but I played with that band for over 2 years.

RRX: We have to play somewhere, and sometimes those places have more going for them than a stage and a power outlet. What is a memorable place you played, and bonus points if it’s not a well-known place

Jeff: In 1996 I was in a duo called Harmony Bay. We started in ’92 and played in the Albany area for over 25 years. The City of Albany was doing this thing called Riverfest and for this particular year the marquee act was Chuck Negron’s 3 Dog Night, Revisited and we were invited to be one of the opening acts. To this day it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever done, walk out on a stage, plug my guitar into 3 Dogs Night’s equipment and entertain the masses (right, there were about 40 people there because we were one of the earlier acts).

RRX: Would you rather have one of your songs blow up and make you a one-hit wonder and household name, or would you rather have all your songs be solidly received, but no chart-climbers? (You have to pick one or the other here.)

Jeff: I would much rather that my body of work was something that people would enjoy listening to. I’m a singer/songwriter and lyrics ,to me, whether in my songs or songs that I listen to, are the most important part of a song.

RRX: What would you like fans to know before they come to see you play? (No basic stuff; get specific.)

Jeff: That it’s important to me. That the only thing harder than being a solo musician is being a comic. That listening, paying attention, is becoming a lost art but, if you’re coming to see me, listening is the highest compliment you could give.

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