Take a Trip with Harmonious Junk
When I received a message from former James Brown guitarist Damon Wood predicting a “funk throw-down” at Herb’s, I knew I had to attend. The house was packed and the crowd was buzzing with excitement. The night of May 25th was one to remember. Sitting in with Harmonious Junk was long time bassist for the James Brown Band, Fred Thomas. Thomas laid down the funk and took over on vocals from time to time. Joining the band during the second and third sets were two more Brown alumni: Jeff Watkins on saxophone and Hollie Farris on trumpet. The band whipped the crowd into a dancing frenzy as they flawlessly snaked through songs of varying genres such as funk, reggae, rock, and jam, and the James Brown covers were performed with precision and joy. I have never seen Wood and the members of his band smile so much while playing. A friend tapped me on the shoulder as she leaned over to yell in my ear, “James Brown is in the house - who knew?”
There was no shortage of soaring, epic guitar solos, and the rhythm section segued between songs with mastery of dense polyrhythms. The notable original songs written by Wood were “Hippy Girl,” the lyrics of which lists the various attributes of a proper hippy girl, “Too Cocky in Nagasaki,” which describes the exploits of a world traveler with not-so-thinly-veiled double entendres accompanied by funky scratching on the guitar and a throbbing, repetitive bass line. “Space Cadet” and “Pipe Fitter Blues” left the old school fans of Harmonious Junk wanting more funk and the James Brown covers of “Sex Machine,” “Get Up Offa That Thing,” “Cold Sweat,” and “Funky Drummer” left the crowd satisfied.
If you don’t grasp the not-so-subtle inspiration for the band’s name, perhaps you need to acquaint yourself with the celebrated jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. According to Wood, the play on words can be interpreted in many ways: the most obvious would be that the “band has a jazz side and a mysterious side as well since Monk is considered very unique in the jazz world. “Harmonious” means everything makes sense together and “Junk” portrays a comedic edge. We all can’t take ourselves too seriously,” smiled Wood over his frosty mug of beer. Wood has admitted that he always wanted to be a comedian and he recognizes the important aspect of fun in life.
Wood’s original tunes often make a statement – with humor. He is aware that there is enough negativity in music and he consciously tries to insert comic features into his songs. Inspiration is found in various places, from the bathtub (Wood once related to me a hilarious story of his inspiration to writing “Hippy Girl”: “Well, I was in the tub, thinking of Rob Wasserman…” was how the story started), to hearing music in foreign countries. Wood describes his music as “improv rock that is funk and jazz-based. I don’t want to be classified in any particular genre - it’s hard to step out of that box if you want to do something different in the future.”
Wood thinks the local music scene “is really good. People keep stepping it up all the time. If you’re good, you’ll be accepted.” Wood wants to see more energy, showmanship, and interaction on stage between band members in the local scene. “It’s not just about playing and getting through the song; it’s about getting the song over on other people. I don’t care about being in the most popular band in town; I want to be in the best band in town.” Harmonious Junk will release their second album at the end of summer. Featured on the album is drummer Jason Kather, saxophonist Justin Jones, keyboardist Chad Aman, and bassists Sam Smith and Fred Thomas. If you missed the show at Herb’s, celebrate July 4th with the Junk and Fred Thomas at Upstairs at Jonny G’s in Frisco.
Originally published in the Colorado Music Buzz Magazine
