One minute it can sound like harmonious progressive rock mixed with hints of classical music or melodious folk and the next it's an improvised concoction of funk, jazz and classic rock. It's music of none other than the six-man band Umphrey's McGee.
"We all basically have ADD and can't stand to stay in the same place," explained guitarist Brendan Bayliss. "Because we have so many different angles and options, it's hard to lock down and stay in one spot. In that regard it's challenging because we are less limited and we don't know if we should switch gears, but we're working on that."
Formed in South Bend, Ind., Umphrey's McGee is a group whose title was inspired by the name of a band member's uncle. It belongs to what critics call the jamband scene with its propensity for live improvisation and mixture of various styles with influences that range from the Beatles and Led Zeppelin to Yes, Genesis (Peter Gabriel-era, of course) and King Crimson to the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius.
"Everybody approaches things differently and everyone works on stuff on their own," added Bayliss on the songwriting process. "Some of us are really good at taking someone else's idea and pointing out the strengths and eliminating or shortening the weaker parts. To be honest, every song is different. For me, I still approach it the way I would if I were writing a paper in college. I put if off until the last minute and then I cram it all in."
Umphrey's McGee has made its way into the hearts of a mainstream audience especially with the recent recognition in Rolling Stone magazine as an item on the publication's "2004 Hot List" that profiled the band's new album entitled "Anchor Drops."
"There are two ways that I look at the whole jamband thing," said Bayliss. "First, it's a good thing to be involved in a genre that is pretty well-talked about as of late and has a big base as far as listeners. Right now, it's a big community, and there are a lot of festivals and touring bands so the scene is big right now. It's a good thing to be a part of something that already has an infrastructure in place. On the other hand, there are so many bands out there and there is a certain connotation with the word jamband. A lot of people think they already know what the band sounds like, and expect long solos and noodling. So in that sense I think the definition is limited because I feel like some people are not as apt to go listen to it because they already think they know what it sounds like by definition."
Before gaining recognition in large magazines, the band already had a vast following of fans known as "Umphreaks" and "McGeeks," who live throughout the country. Some of these fans have even helped the band in developing a volunteer grass-roots publicity campaign that has become a great success.
In 1997, the merging of two South Bend bands created Umphrey's McGee with an original lineup of Joel Cummins (keyboards, vocals), Bayliss (guitar, vocals), Ryan Stasik (bass) and Mike Mirro (drums, vocals).
"It was right around seventh and eighth grade, and listening to some of the acoustic stuff on the (Beatles) 'White Album,'" recalled Bayliss about the first time music truly moved him. "'Julia,' that song got me at a young age. When I was a freshman in high school, my brother brought a guitar home back from college. Before that I was playing tennis. My dad was the head tennis coach at Notre Dame and as soon as my brother brought back the guitar I started playing guitar and stopped playing tennis. I didn't know I was trying to be a musician but my focus definitely shifted."
The group released its first studio work in 1998 titled "Greatest Hits Volume III" and later asked percussionist Andy Farag to join. Later that year, the band completed and released its second CD, "Songs For Older Women," with Farag as a member.
In 2000, guitarist Jake Cinninger began contributing his guitar chops and ace songwriting talents to the group. The group released a live album in 2000. It put out another studio record in 2002 called "Local Band Does OK," which helped to spread the band's name beyond the close-knit jamband community.
"In the beginning, I worked with Tony a lot because we were in different bands," explained Bayliss about his co-writing experiences with various band mates. "Once we formed the band with Joel, I started working with him a lot. Then once Jake joined I was doing a lot of stuff with him because I had never worked with him before. So, there really isn't a formula to it all but lately Jake and I have been doing more stuff together. It's a lot easier for us probably because we play the same instrument."
In 2003, Mirro left the band for medical school, Chicago drummer Kris Myers joined and the group recorded its latest work that was released this fall.
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