COLD SPRING – They say the dreams of youth die hard. But for some the dreams never die — they just get realized much later in life.
Jim Silvestri and Larry Graber are both in their 60s and have had an interest in music since they were kids. Silvestri got a guitar when he was 10; Graber started lessons when he was 12.
Graber said the real reason he picked up the guitar was, going to parties, all the guys with guitars had the girls. He said the guitar led to finding other musicians to play with. “We had a little combo we put together. Our first gig we played ‘Steppin’ Stone’ 30 times,” he said.
Silvestri, who grew up in Hudson County, knew a lot of guys who played instruments, and also got into a band. He said he was told because he was big he should play the bass. While he came to master the beginning bass solo in Yes’ “Roundabout,” he was also introduced to jazz musicians, such as Miles Davis.
Graber said also was introduced to various kinds of music. “I’m a guitar player. I try to play blues, swing funk … I try to explore all kinds of music,” he said.
Their broad appreciation for music has culminated in a recently formed band — and in its first studio album.
The band, named Eclipse, has released “Disturbing Criteria,” which was over a year in the making. Silvestri and Graber, who is the primary composer, partnered up with Jack Uzzardi on drums, as well as a couple other musicians who came into the studio to add something to various songs.
They were inspired by local musician Geno White, who heard some of the songs Graber was writing and said, “You need to get in the studio and record this.”
What “this” is is a lot of progressive music, progressive rock, jazz, fusion and more. According to Silvestri, there is no theme to the album; each tune stands on its own.
“That was my goal,” Graber said.
“I didn’t want to play straight blues or jazz,” Silvestri said.
They started working on their own and created some tracks but realized there was only so much they could do. They made the decision to get other people to help out. They found a sax player on Craig’s List, who came into the studio and did two songs.
They also found a keyboard player who, like the sax player, was a little creative. But even with only three guys together, after about five minutes of playing together they could tell it was working.
“It pretty much flowed – no real problems,” Silvestri said.
One potential problem – or challenge – the group faces is that in an area where people hear a lot of cover bands, a lot of people don’t want to hear original music.
“A lot of people are intimidated by original music,” Silvestri said. “With the band I’m in, when we have done original music, you hear crickets.”
However, Eclipse was approached by the End of the Road Theater in North Cape May with the idea of doing a show. Silvestri, the head of an international corporate tax company, and Graber, who owns a store on the Wildwood boardwalk, were happy to have the chance to get their music out there.
“I’d like to get some appreciate – to do a live show,” Silvestri said.
Look for announcements of their show at endoftheroadtheater.com.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
