Welcome back friends to my blog regarding the band called Without a Net.In this post, we profile guitarist Jeff Thornton. As I have said before, the Without a Net guys are talented in multiple dimensions and Jeff is a great example.
Jeff’s most obvious talents are musical. If you were to draw a parallel between the members of the band and the Grateful Dead (who are a major influence) Jeff would be a mix of Bob Weir and the late Jerry Garcia. And those are no small shoes to fill, but Jeff makes it look easy.
What you may not know about Jeff is that he is an accomplished artist. Jeff paints a variety of subjects, landscapes, portraits and scenes of every day life. On your left is of my favorites from his series on the Croton River. You can also get an appreciation for how much work goes into his paintings on his Facebook page Jeff Thornton Artwork where you can see day to day progress some of his work.
Jeff's work is available for sale on his web site Jeff Thornton Fine Art and you can also find his work on display at local businesses and art shows. So like his Facebook page to show your support and to keep up on his progress.
Jeff also designed the band's web site at Without a Net and creates the posters and artwork that you see on the Facebook events for the band's shows.
One last thing and on a personal note - Jeff doesn’t have the slightest bit of ego or attitude. In a world where the loudest and most aggressive people often get most of the attention, Jeff doesn’t have the slightest bit of New York attitude and is true to his Midwestern roots. Let’s get to the Q&A.
What is your full name?
“Jeffrey Melvin Chabrunn Philip Thornton”
Where were you born?
“Champaign, Illinois”
Where did you spend most of your time growing up?
“We lived in Champaign, Illinois until I was 4, then we moved to Madison, Wisconsin. Madison was quite a hippie center in those years. When I was 8, we moved to Lincoln, Nebraska.”
“Running down the hall at age 2 helping my mom (probably getting something for my younger brother).
What was your first formative experience or memory, particularly when it comes to music?
“Dancing in my bedroom to Three Dog Night at age 7. My mother plays violin, so I heard a lot of classical music as a kid.
I am the oldest in my family, so I didn’t have an older sibling to influence my musical tastes. I mostly listened to pop music until I became interested in the Rolling Stones in high school. A few friends and I started a Stones tribute band.
Lincoln, Nebraska has a great blues bar, called The Zoo. All of the great blues players came through over the years: Bernard Allison, Luther Allison, Dave Alvin, Billy Bacon and the Forbidden Pigs, Tab Benoit, Tommy Castro, Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Deke Dickerson, Bo Diddley, Chris Duarte, Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Tinsley Ellis, Rick Estrin, Anson Funderburgh, Buddy Guy, the Hacienda Brothers, John Hammond, The Belairs, James Harman, Mark Hummel, Candye Kane, Jay McShann, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Charlie Musselwhite, Rod Piazza, Ana Popovic, Otis Rush, Doug Sahm, Curtis Salgado, Gina Sicilia, Magic Slim, Watermelon Slim, Son Seals, Koko Taylor, Junior Wells, Kim Wilson, and Link Wray. Eddie Clearwater, Mighty Joe Young, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Carey Bell.”
“As for college, I graduated from Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI), in Kansas City Missouri. At KCAI, I played in a band called ‘The Blues Problem.’ My painting professor played sax with us. A lot of guitar players end up going to art school, so it’s a great place to jam and learn from others. I learned a lot musically there.
I also operated the soundboard at KCAI for bands that came through including ‘Sun Ra and his Arkestra’ and a lot of Kansas City blues and jazz players.”
I also went on to get a graduate degree in painting from Queens College.”
Who are your primary musical inspirations?
“The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Beatles, BB King, Eric Clapton, Grateful Dead.”
“My specific musical inspiration for guitar influences are Mick Taylor, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, BB King, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, David Gilmour, Jimi Hendrix, Dicky Betts.”
Where do you work now, or what do you do for a living. What impact if any does it have on your part in the band.
“I work as a graphic designer. Turns out a band needs a lot of graphic design!”
What is your ideal future self, i.e., if money was not an issue what would you do with yourself on a day to day basis?
“I would set up an awesome home studio, play and record music and I would paint In my art studio and hang out with my family.
Any other random inspirations quotes, etc, etc?
“Saw an amazing Dead show back in 1978 at Red Rocks in Colorado. What a beautiful spot and a great concert. I will always remember that day. I once met BB King (RIP) outside the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, MO –where he had just performed - he was a great guy.”
Also, join Jeff and the rest of the Without a Net band at Tenampa on Saturday September 19, 2015 at 8PM. I'll see you there.