Lawrence.com

Posted by Tom King March 16, 2006 at 12:39 p.m.

How To Shake It Loose

From an interview with Bradford Hoopes, February 28, 2006_On November 5, 2000, Bradford Hoopes and Kelly White found the groove and The Yards were born. Back then, they were all about The Meters. Now the recipe includes a chunk of Jimmy McGriff, a seasoning of Steely Dan, and, with all the horns surrounding [The Yards][1] lately - "Wit," their third recording, features trombone, tenor sax and trumpet - a heaping dose of Tower of Power. The Yards mash up jazz and funk with R & B and sweet soul, add some Latin sounds and a stiff shot of gospel's stomping rapture, and then turn on the heat.With only a few exceptions during ultra-spirited live performances, The Yards play instrumentals - or, more to the point, groovescapes. That may change in the near future. Secondly, there's a Hammond organ. An honest person cannot deny that the sound of a Hammond does something nice to the human pelvis. "I've always seen The Yards as a four piece engine with changing accompaniments," says Bradford Hoopes, a keyboard player of jaw-dropping talent and more than a few spiffy, onstage dance moves. "When I play, I need to put out," he explains. Kelly White's drumming skills are equally potent, a master of restraint and bop, and of rockabilly rim shots. With 'awesome' now rendered nearly meaningless, you hate to overwork the _virtuosi word, but that's what it is with The Yards - these guys are genuine badass musicians. And after six years, Bradford Hoopes and Kelly White are still the red-hot nucleus of The Yards, the energy for their increasingly powerful musical engine. To understate, Hoopes is an interesting man. Highlights of his back-story include: capturing his parents' attention in his third year by picking out "The Age of Aquarius" on the piano, perfectly, by ear; and being hired to play in the touring band of a big-label indie performer, only to be booted just days before kickoff for excessive onstage movement: "Too much boogaloo."On a sortie through the Midwest, jazz guitarist John Scofield asked The Yards to open for him in St. Louis, Lawrence and Boulder, three nights in a row. Scofield called The Yards' St. Louis set "blazing," and he issued more superlatives after the set in Boulder. But in between - in their hometown - the promoter had different ideas, and The Yards were denied the opening slot at the Scofield show in Lawrence. "That one made me wince," says Hoopes. Hoopes has knocked around NY, Jersey, Philly and Seattle; he rode out the '94 Northridge quake in Los Angeles; and in 1998, he met his wife Linda, mother of their two children, through a personals ad in The Pitch. Hoopes carries the ad in his wallet. They are, irrevocably it seems, headed towards bliss. At present, Hoopes plays in three bands, does the occasional soundtrack, and educates thirty piano students. He is a working musician, a teacher and a family man. "Can't do it without the right partner," he says.There are three family men in The Yards. "We're planning our career around our families," says Hoopes. "It's a slow process towards world domination. We have a five year plan to get to the point where we can tour." And tour they should, because you groove most when The Yards are live. They make you get up. One groove ends and 1-2-3, they're into another, an even funkier line. Hoopes is everywhere: bouncing behind the board, taking the melodica into the audience; and the engine is chugging hard, it sounds alive, and all the toes in the house are tapping. At the moment, the engine is: Hoopes and White; Michael Hamm, guitar; and Dave Shelton, bass. Former bassist Brad Maestas, who has appeared on all of The Yards' recordings to date, moved on to the Big Apple some months ago. If a recent performance on the patio (in March!), at the Gaslight is any indication, incoming bassist Shelton is a good pick. Michael Hamm took over guitar duties, impeccably, on the Yards' second release: "Munchimoo Boogaloo". Hoopes says the sound of The Yards' is the sound of old jazz; Ellington, pop-friendly and swinging; but still it's a riff on jazz because "the intellectualism of pure jazz is scary. And we love the funk, you know. We love to make you move".In a town blessed with an unusually large number of accomplished musicians, The Yards have risen steadily to the top of the heap. "Keep your foot in the door, maintain it," Hoopes advises. "Don't try to do too much or you'll burn out. Be realistic.We've been around for nearly six years, and it's just getting better and better."The Yards will officially debut "Wit" with an all-star lineup on April 6 at the Jazzhaus. Plans are in motion for shows in England in November, and there's talk of next year's Blues and Jazz Heritage Festival in New Orleans. The Yards will be playing around the Midwest over the summer - catch them while you can. Once The Yards get to Europe, I suspect we won't be able to call them our own anymore. [1]: http://www.lawrence.com/bands/the_yards/