BandInfo

Deuterium

Band Information

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Forming The Band

By Yasha Susoeff

After being in rock bands, soul bands, Latino bands, Tex-Mex bands, and pop bands on and off for over 30 years, I thought it was time to do what I want – play jazz. And more specifically, my jazz. Original music. Covers sound great, hey, I like them, but I was ready for a greater creative commitment.

Deuterium started as a jazz duet, keyboards and tenor saxophone. The idea was to have a very sparse sound that emphasized only the essentials of the music. But when I sat in on a couple of jams, I was instantly convinced that I needed a quartet. This band was put together using ads in the San Diego Reader, the local free weekly. I lost count of the number of tryouts. But when the right player came along, it was immediate recognition.

All the members of the band choose this project because of the joy of creating music. Each player is given the space and encouragement to create and compose on the spot. And we all love a challenge. I composed one piece in 8/4 time, that's 1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2 with a few extra 1-2-3s here and there. Improvising melodic phrases in that is a blast!

Usually, it takes about 6 months playing together before you can read the other musicians' mind, but that seemed to happen right from the start. Maybe it’s because we all listen and anticipate, but it’s exciting when we choose the same accents or all break into jazz swing at once.

The goal of this band is to make original music and the band has responded. Every member has contributed original music. And every time we play it is reinvented again.

Personnel:

Yasha Susoeff – Keyboards

Yasha is the founder of the band and began composing jazz as a teen-ager in the 60s. As a student of music, he is self-taught on clarinet, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, euphonium, drums, vibraphone, piano, organ, and mandolin. In later life, he has focused on keyboards and reeds.

Yasha started playing pop-rock in the late 60s. He has been in a string of local and regional bands. He has played with Rock, Latino, Soul and Tex-Mex bands. His biggest gig was at the Sands in Las Vegas on Cinco de Mayo with the Tex-Mex band’s name up in lights. He is now also currently working with Straight Six, a 7-piece R&B band, website at www.straightsix.com.

Ramsey Lewis, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Ray Bryant, Jimmy Smith, and Dave Brubeck were strong influences on Yasha. You can hear them in the compositions and improvisation work.

Yasha’s vision in creating Deuterium is to allow talented musicians the freedom to create music every performance and to depend on that talent instead of the arrangement.

Jim Weis – Tenor and Alto Sax

For over twenty five years, San Diego native Jim Weiss has been performing the saxophone in front of Audiences. Jim’s hard work over the years has paid off and he's now a firm member of a small select group of in-demand saxophonists in Southern California.

Jim’s playing credits in San Diego over the last ten years include such notables as: (Jump Jones, B Three-4, The Sophistacats, Rod Stewart Tribute band, The Shelltown Horns, Johnny Eager, Shelle Blue, Supertrax, Swing Shift, AM Jazz band, Deuterium, SD Jazz Duo, Big Daddy Orchestra, Smokestaxx, Steely Damned, Rockola, Chippendales).

Jim is also one of the original members of the San Diego based group, Big Time Operator. His work with Big Time Operator has had him performing in front of audiences in Miami, Fl, Orlando Florida’s Walt Disney World, various Hard Rock Cafes, and numerous Las Vegas hot spots including Caesar’s Palace. Jim and Big Time Operator were featured a few years back in the movie, Pearl Harbor. He has also been busy performing at the House of Blues, the Brown Derby, and various clubs in San Francisco, Ca.

A relentless student of his instrument, Jim still makes time in his busy playing schedule for master classes to further hone his craft. Jim Weiss has studied with many notable saxophonists to include acclaiming recording artists Eric Marienthal and Charles McPherson.

Gregg Carpenter – Bass

Gregg primarily plays acoustic and electric bass. He enjoys playing many styles of music including jazz, country, rockabilly, funk, blues, bluegrass, and classic rock and roll. Throughout his career he has performed and recorded with bands in all of these styles. His most recent completed project with The Dave Keller Blues Band is called Faith, and contains originals that Gregg composed with Dave Keller. The CD can be purchased in music stores on the East Coast, or through Internet vendors. Prior to that recording Gregg performed and recorded with Satin and Steel, a 10 piece funk band. Their music can be heard on the soundtrack of the motion picture Diamond Run.

Raised in Northern New England, Gregg has been playing professionally since the age of 16. Early in his career Gregg studied bass with Rich Applemen, currently a columnist for Bass Player magazine. He then went on to study arranging and composition with Greg Hopkins, lead trumpet for the Buddy Rich Big Band.

Gregg has appeared in nightclubs and performance centers throughout the East Coast, including Boston, New York City, Montreal and New Orleans. He has shared the stage with well-known acts including Asleep at the Wheel, Maria Muldaur, and New Riders of the Purple Sage.

Gregg’s other endeavors in the music industry include a partnership in a large sound company, Ezra Sound, a New England distributor for JBL, Electro Voice, and Yamaha professional sound equipment.

Gregg has recently relocated to the San Diego area. Performances in the area include bassist for "Solid Gold Rock and Roll" (an R&R impersonator show with a six week run), a year with the rockabilly trio the Stilettos, bluegrass project Sockdolleger, the jumpswing band Swingshift and now with Jazz sensation Deuterium.

Dan Lancelot – Drums

Dan has been playing music for over twenty-two years with emphasis on drums and guitar. He attended Phoenix College as a music performance major, toured with the Jazz ensemble playing drum-set, and with the Concert band and Orchestra playing snare drum and percussion. Studied Funk, Jazz and Latin music with respected drummer/percussionist Dom Moio and drummer/recording artist Danny Tomlinson from the Lyle Lovett Band.

Record label and Touring accomplishments include: Touring drummer for Skunk recording artist Slightly Stoopid, playing Reggae/Dub originals on the Van’s Warped Tour; Performed with RCA recording artist Gloritone on drum-set and backing vocals, touring the United States and Canada following the international release of their CD Cup Runneth Over.

Provided tour support for national acts such as: Foo Fighters, 311, Blind Melon, Sugar Ray, Big Wreck, Long Pigs, Space Hog, Rancid, Sunnyday Real Estate, AFI, Pennywise, The Vandals, Alien Aunt Farm, LA Guns, The Refreshments, Semisonic, Dead Hot Workshop, Swervedriver, Dogstar, The Dandy Warhols, Candlebox, Kid Rock, Sprung Monkey, and The Gin Blossoms.

Now living in the San Diego area, Dan provides steel drum and percussion entertainment as leader and manager of Dano’s Island Sounds. He performs shows for SeaWorld, Pacific Event Productions, Aquarium of the Pacific, and clients all over Southern California.

In addition to his own productions, Dan performs on drum-set with the Tropical Seasons Band playing Brazilian Pop and Samba standards, Deuterium playing Jazz standards and originals, and sits in with Theo and the Zydeco Patrol playing Zydeco and Pop standards.

Performs, Records, and Produces original music for himself and other talent. In addition, he offers private instruction for drum-set and guitar.