Bio

love rocknroll how it began 98 by j willis pratt I J. Willis Pratt & We're Bionic's Latest Blog Entry [Subscribe to this Blog] 4 CDs * Now Available* ON CDBABY (view more) [View All Blog Entries] About J. Willis Pratt & We're Bionic TWO CDs *Now Available* ON CD BABY: J. Willis Pratt & We're Bionic: BLEEDING IN A SHARK'S TANK J. Willis Pratt & We're Bionic: RHYTHM OF THE SUN J. Willis Pratt Quick Facts: Jon Fishman met Willis (as he is known) at Goddard College, and the two have been playing together (off and on; first at the Haybarn Theater at Goddard) since. Fishman (credited as "Zerg-Man") co-produced and played drums (and screamed) on Willis' first album, Lost Paradox (which also featured Timberhole Rogers, Russel Flanagan, Dan Archer, and Aaron Hersy). The tape, which has received rave reviews, has been available via Phish's official merchandise (now Dry Goods) since February 1993. Fishman played drums with Willis again in May 1997, and supported Willis' second release, Bleeding in a Shark's Tank as well as Rhythm Of The Sun, released in 2000. Willis (b.1962) is described as a well-haired metalish guy may have given Fishman the 'Henrietta' nickname, and describes his music as "punk-metal". Willis and his trio, We're Bionic (with whom he has a second and third album), were the surprise opener for Phish 12-13-97 in Albany, where Fishman introduced Willis (who has written over 260 songs and recorded over 50 of them) as "one of the greatest and most prolific songwriters in the world". j Willis two releases will be re-released and made available in the fall of 2006. got my frist guitar in 1973-74 I asked the kid if he was sure he wanted to trade he said h e was sure but it didnt take long for him to change his mind. I told him a deals a deal. I didn t take music to serious back in the old days.never gave rock stardom a thought until I traded a mini bike for a stack of vinyl witch included the beach boys led zeppelin grand funk the stones the eagles the beatles 10cc / car DR hook cream and Clayton Boston and many more . on augurs 23 1980 I left mapel hill a group home I lived at till I was 18 . got my first apt in plainefield VT . the first job I had was as a stage hand & prop person for the two penny circus .a vermont based theater group . then I worked at McDs for 6 months then I mouthed off to the boss and got fired I still think I was in the right . then I worked at 2 different burger kings I lived on streets for about six years some times I only eat a box KRAF macaroni & cheese back then a 40 only coast $1.00 I know People say you should get your priorities stright i would say filling good is high on my list you. should try living in a car for a wile I worked at a egg farm for a week or two ,would you bleieve they fired me because I smeled bad ? I didnt have place I could shower every day some times I would go to the goddard pool room to stay warm I got pretty good for that table ;after years odd jobs ,this nice couple came to town. I stacked fire wood hung plastic & odds n ends for them one I went to eat at licky-split and tom asked if I wanted do dishes in exchange for food so I did, they liked the way I worked and asked if id like to take the job full time I said yes, that job lasted 2 -years . I worked at lums about 2 years than got fired they were wrong how it all began 4/4/98 rock it happend a long time ago when a band named phish came to goddard and played in the hay barn. I didnt care for the music at frist I think the guys were filling good It was. the third time I though they sounded - ok but its not really not my type of music. me and fishman always argued about who was great and who sucked I still say kiss is better then ac/dc but I love ac/dc to . he calls me a pilfic song writer . well any way I walked up and talked to the band and played wild on trays guitar they got a kick out of it especially fishman .lucky for me two of the band members Ddecided to go to Goddard.when people saw me comming they know I was going to ask have you seen fish, he was a hard guy to track down we practiced in goddards music building . we talked about making a album years before the lost paradox my first album came out i played mean on trays guitar once at nectars i also opened for the dude of life. back when I played roady for phish I lived in fishmans dorm room a whole semester wile he stayed in his girl friends room I called my salf the none student student .now years later I met my keyboard player, drew gatto he lived down the road from me for at least a year be we became band mates . but after the frist time we practiced in my apartment I liked the way we sounded then I told drew i wanted to start a band so we did we had a guitarist jon Nevill but he didnt fit in so for live shows we did not have lead. because Iallways forget my lryics but we put on good show. my baseist john kasiewicz was at a friends where he heard the lost paradox . he just had to come and meet me he brougth a coupel 40s, that was cool. we hung out a bit but it was a year or so before he became a band member .we dont have a permament drummer ill take the fhihsman as long as hes avaivable for the studio im the singer song writer my second album bleeding in a sharks tank came in the late fall 1997.and the band has its J WILLIS PRATT & WERE BIONIC .and the new album is in the making rythym of the sun ive played club toast a few times whit and whit out a band,i pefer the band. we just opened for phish in albany ny on dec 13th 1997 ;next show club toast / 98 ape 19 check out OUR web site HT.//www.goddard.edu/wgdr/WILLiS/ the lost pratt,htm paradox on tape is available from j WILLiS Pratt PO box 142 plainfield vt. 05667 $10.oo $2.oo for shipping & handling jwillis Pratt now a story by art edelstein john fishman helps j willis Pratt toward musical fame.makeing sure willis has all the opportunities any rock star could ask for. willis and his band were bionic recently opened up fore phish in albany one of americas top jam bands on small feat for any musician that hasnt play out much at albany concert jon fishman introduced j willis as one of greatest and most prolific song writers in the world. so visible is willis be coming that his name is bandied about the phish net news group (rec.music.phish) as if he were a member of the band. he is also mentioned as a road and spiritual adviser in the phishing manual willis recently released his second album bleeding in a sharks tank .willis thanks jon fishman for helping his career. and being part of the band.willis and fishman have ben frends since the mid 80,s .willis music has fresh innocence that savvy musicians look for. it is a style he described as punk metal its aggressive but not ignorant or with a bad attitude willis says my music is more positive and humorous it was this quality jon liked. I played my song wild for the band fishman liked it somehow we connected . willis is self taught. willis has over songs to be recorded his talent be not playing other peoples music . I decided to write my own its more fun.he said I DON put the words down some times I forget my lyrics I didnt think musicians could follow me, im supposed to have weird timeing he has played in burlington at club toast and nectars & gallaghers in waitsfield, however , fishman who plays on all hiss albums likes the wildness of his music in a article in modern drummer magazine fhisman listed willises album the lost paradox as one most representative of my drumming above all the phish albums he has recorded. JOHN kasiewicz base player for j willis Pratt and were bionic says willis,style the music is a series of elements that form a different show every time about performing with willis its a game of follow the leader it develops my listening skills I have to watch willis. the music he plays is a little bit of intuition and a ton of magic .willis said he like to play more shows this cd/ is not on any record label its in a few local stores /already he is working on his next album.he believes his connection to phish could push cd sales willis said he hopes fish dosent forget to mention his albums in the news letter he believes word of mouth from the albany show and all talk about him on the INTERNEt should push sales and help book concerts. willis said he hopes cd sales and a few local bookings will help bank roll his frist us tour until then ill keep writing songs and developing my unique playing style [color="red"][/color][color="red"][/color][b][/b]