Initially Gordon and Picca began playing traditional songs down the street at the Somber Reptile under the name Stella Bluegrass, with Gordon on harmonica and Picca on acoustic guitar. Ginzburg joined in, also on acoustic guitar, and a small gathering of friends began turning up each Thursday to hear some standards. Then -- misfortune struck! "We had a good thing going because people were dancing and stuff," Alex Ginzburg recalls, "and as soon as we decided to start writing our own material and playing electric instruments and incorporating drums and bass, everyone stopped dancing! Because we were not playing songs they knew anymore. We took a little dive for the worse right there, but we still had our friends and they came to see us through the transition period." Brian Weinberg joined on drums and Clark Lee became full-time bass man.  


Alex Picca

 
     
  The new, electrified sound seemed to merit a new name. The group began thinking over new monikers, and chose one that indirectly saluted their influences, "We decided on Ghost Trane. Its kind of a shout out to all the musicians who lived and died before us who have inspired us (Note 'Trane' = John Coltrane -- Art)."  
   
 

Willis Gordon:
Our next Joe Cocker?
  The tribe of Homepark hippie kids is still the core of the Ghost Trane following, but its becoming augmented by a more diverse audience, such as your 30 year old, stubby-haired writer. Occassional Jambands.com contributor Rob Turner writes, "We should all rally around this band. They play with passion. They sing so friggin' well. They know how to work the energy."

Playing their half-hour slot at Music Midtown, which they won at a battle of the bands, Ghost Trane actually looks a bit nervous to be on a big stage; only Will Gordon seems totally at ease. Ginzburg only smiles when the set ends, appearing almost relieved to be off. The set is smooth and never stops or stammers, however, and the drawn out instrumental parts are pretty sophisticated for a brand-new band. Being a set of fresh-faced young guys, the listener winds up wishing them the best and rooting for them, curious to see how the project will develop.
 
     
 
Want a studio CD? Well, you can't have one -- they don't exist. Ginzburg says the young band is holding off on recording for now while they perfect the live show, "We all feel that music should be straight up and honest. If you can't do it live you shouldn't try to cover anything up by tracking and re-tracking in a studio. When we do go in a studio hopefully we'll pull it off really quick in a day or two."  

Clark Lee
 

Brian Weinberg
  Their fans like to say, "This Trane is bound for glory!" Put your ticket on reserve and check them out at ghosttrane.com.
 

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