Biography
Originating in North Carolina, Smokin' Granny fits among those American rock outfits that fused prog structures with free funk energy. While echoes of like-minded ensembles such as French TV, Volare, and the free-form jazz/funk outfit World of Tomorrow from New York City can be detected, the Grannies maintained a distinct identity of their own.
The group coalesced around 1993 when longtime North Carolina associates Todd Barbee, Jeffrey Damon Lindsay, and Brian Preston joined forces, drawing from their earlier local projects. Saxophonist Barbee had already appeared with the impro-jazz ensemble Good Neighbors and, years afterward, the Micro-East Collective. Drummer Lindsay had cut tracks with Daily Planet and later the Accidentals, while bassist Brian K. Preston had also played in Daily Planet. All three had previously belonged to the jazz-prog band Freehand, whose sole album Thinking Out Loud... was eventually reissued by Metaphoric Music Productions. They added acoustic guitarist David Oskardmay, whose résumé included time in Chicago with Sunz of Nunz and lessons with Robert Fripp, and began gigging with a mix of energetic fusion pieces and open-ended improvisations. Electric guitarist John Heitzenrater completed the five-piece lineup. A performance at the Bat Cave was captured and issued as the 1997 cassette Smokin' Granny, also known as Live at the Bat Cave, on the band’s own Metaphoric Music Productions imprint.
Favorable notices in regional and specialist American outlets encouraged the musicians to invest further resources, resulting in the 1999 CD Sirius Matter, which blended much of the live repertoire with fresh studio material. On this release the lineup was presented as a quartet, with Heitzenrater and Volare’s Steve Hatch listed as guest guitarists. By the time of the second album, Tarth Shook, issued in 2001 after Volare’s breakup, Hatch had joined as a permanent member, steering the sound deeper into prog territory. Barbee and Preston continue to collaborate in Onomata.
The group coalesced around 1993 when longtime North Carolina associates Todd Barbee, Jeffrey Damon Lindsay, and Brian Preston joined forces, drawing from their earlier local projects. Saxophonist Barbee had already appeared with the impro-jazz ensemble Good Neighbors and, years afterward, the Micro-East Collective. Drummer Lindsay had cut tracks with Daily Planet and later the Accidentals, while bassist Brian K. Preston had also played in Daily Planet. All three had previously belonged to the jazz-prog band Freehand, whose sole album Thinking Out Loud... was eventually reissued by Metaphoric Music Productions. They added acoustic guitarist David Oskardmay, whose résumé included time in Chicago with Sunz of Nunz and lessons with Robert Fripp, and began gigging with a mix of energetic fusion pieces and open-ended improvisations. Electric guitarist John Heitzenrater completed the five-piece lineup. A performance at the Bat Cave was captured and issued as the 1997 cassette Smokin' Granny, also known as Live at the Bat Cave, on the band’s own Metaphoric Music Productions imprint.
Favorable notices in regional and specialist American outlets encouraged the musicians to invest further resources, resulting in the 1999 CD Sirius Matter, which blended much of the live repertoire with fresh studio material. On this release the lineup was presented as a quartet, with Heitzenrater and Volare’s Steve Hatch listed as guest guitarists. By the time of the second album, Tarth Shook, issued in 2001 after Volare’s breakup, Hatch had joined as a permanent member, steering the sound deeper into prog territory. Barbee and Preston continue to collaborate in Onomata.
Albums
