Whitford Klyma Band brings both old and new magic to the mix
Duende show offers Americana songwriters on display
by Kevin J. Hosey
The Whitford Klyma Band has about 150 years of combined musical experience and a wide range of stylistic backgrounds among its members, but it’s talent, relatability and a touch of goofiness that sets it apart.
You can hear its mixture of Americana, folk, rock, blues and psychedelic pop rock when the Whitford Klyma Band performs two sets starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, at Duende at Silo City. There will be no cover charge but a donation hat will be available, as well as some CDs and other merchandise.
Short band description:
- Jim Whitford, on vocals, guitar, lap steel and dobro; member of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame; member of Pine Dogs, Skiffle Minstrels, the Steam Donkeys and the Twang Gang, and backed childhood friends and fellow Hall of Fame members Peter Case and Gurf Morlix.
- Greg Klyma, on guitar, harmonica and vocals; member of the last version of the Pine Dogs and the resulting band, the Redliners; extensive solo road and studio work.
- Cathy Carfagna, on vocals, keyboards and accordion; member of the Vores, the Black Rock Beatles and was formerly in the Jazzabels (two CDs) and recorded solo CD; wife of David Meinzer, longtime guitarist and singer/songwriter.
- Colin Brydalski, on bass; plays with the Funk Knights, C.O. Jones, the David Hill Group and JJ White and Mojo Sauce; is the son of Buffalo Music Hall of Famer and Pine Dogs singer Gretchen Schulz and musician, engineer and producer Michael Brydalski.
- Jamie Sunshine, on drums and vocals; is a member of the Sunshine Family; she is a music teacher and therapist; daughter of Judd Sunshine and member of Sunshine & Company and Jamie & Judd.
The band started when Whitford and Klyma started clicking again.
“I’ve been playing with Greg off and on for years. He lives in Boston, but tours a lot,” Whitford said. “His parents still live here, so between wanting to see them and having Buffalo be a perfect routing location, he always wants to put shows together while he’s here. I think it made sense to have a dedicated band in town rather than calling this bass player or that guitar player to throw something together.
Klyma’s tours as a singer-songwriter and Americana performer take him over a large swath of the eastern half of the U.S. for large chunks of the year, so opportunities to catch him both locally in Buffalo and with a full band are limited.
Whitford, meanwhile, has earned his reputation as an on-call player of almost any instrument with strings and as a songwriter as well.
“A couple years ago, I decided that I wanted to get back to playing my own music rather than being a side man, as I’ve been for the last 20 years or so,” Whitford said. “It made sense for us to team up since we both have a lot of original music and know and love each other’s tunes.”
Carfagna simply said about joining the band: “Short answer, Jim called and invited me. When Jim asks, I say yes because I know the music is gonna be good.”
Among the younger members, Sunshine noted, “I became involved when Jim asked me if I was interested in playing ‘a rock gig’ at some point … When Jim and Greg sent me their tunes, I of course didn’t listen to them thoroughly, not knowing that they were all originals! I was a bit … let’s say ‘underprepared’ for the first rehearsal.
“When playing our first show at Duende, I was so surprised to see that people in the crowd were singing along! Until this point, I have never even heard of the Pine Dogs.”
Brydalski was a bit more familiar: “I think it started with Jim – I believe he asked me if I had any interest in playing bass with the group. Having known and watched Jim and Cathy play for my entire life, I was very interested in taking on the project. I love branching out and taking gigs with artists I’ve never played with, especially if it involves styles I’m not as familiar with, such as the folk/Americana/country scene.
“Greg, Jamie and I playing as a trio led to the spontaneous creation of ‘Forever Taco,’ whose contribution to both the culinary and musical realm cannot be overstated”
The Whitford Klyma Band is a vehicle to play the original music of the two name members and Carfagna, but Brydalski may have found another reason: “Perhaps the real reason I was invited was because Jim didn’t want to play bass.”
Whitford noted, “I’ve always wanted to play with (Colin) but always figured he was too busy with other projects. I also felt that since we gravitated towards different musical styles that maybe it wouldn’t be a good fit. He’s more of a jazz and funk guy and I’m more a caveman thud/folk rock kinda guy. I was also afraid he’d find it boring.
“Luckily, it all seems to work just fine and he always brings great ideas and energy. “
Klyma returned to the three singer/songwriters idea: “When I think about bands, whether we’re talking about the Pine Dogs or the Beatles, all my favorites have several lead singers and songwriters. Vocal harmony! On our first gigs, with good reason, we focused on songs that Jim and I wrote and sang lead on.
“But it wasn’t long before we began to work on Cathy’s material. It’s great being in a band with three established songwriters and four vocalists. It feels like a super power. If there’s a downside to any of this, it’s that we get to the end of a show without playing all the songs we have available to us. It’s a deep well.”
Having songs from three singer/songwriters may present the “problem” of not getting to all songs in a performance, but no one is complaining.
“It can be a balancing act to decide which songs to include or omit in a set, but having more choices is a nice ‘problem’ to have,” Carfagna said. “Sometimes a song might not fit the mood of a particular venue or event, or fit within a grouping of songs, and it’s great to have options, all of them good.”
Whitford, who has worked and written songs with Klyma for years, welcomed the chance with Carfagna: “Cathy and I have also played together off and on for a long time. I got to play some tracks on her great ‘Turn Your Face To The Sun’ album. She’s a remarkably good singer/songwriter/musician who doesn’t seem to have the capacity for negative energy. She and her husband Dave Meinzer operate a household that is basically a handbook of musical knowledge and good vibes.”
Klyma added that, “I understand why some bands play covers all night and others work covers into their sets of original material. Sometimes I think we’d benefit from adding a few more covers to the show, maybe to appeal to folks who just happened by on any given night and need something familiar to hang their hats on. But our songs are so accessible. We see people dancing and singing along all night long.”
The bandmates don’t put much weight in age differences while appreciating their varying experiences and musical backgrounds.
“I’m honestly not sure how much age difference makes in music. Jamie and Colin are probably the most schooled band members and they are the youngest by far. But they also have great sensibilities and feel, and can think on their feet,” Whitford said. “Cathy has a ton of technical understanding of music, but plays by emotional and artistic rules. They all do! We all, as a band, are always trying to connect emotionally with the listener. That can mean that a certain song or lyric makes them feel something or they simply leave feeling good.”
Brydalski added that “Everyone in the band has played in various outfits for their entire lives, which aids in communication and the backend nuts-and-bolts side of music: rehearsals, working with venues, compensation and logistics. I think we get along great. And there is a healthy dose of silliness, which is a requirement to work with me.
“Jamie and I both come from very different musical backgrounds, so we bring a very interesting and fresh perspective to the tunes. This is especially important as the rhythm section. But playing with Cathy, Greg and Jim offers a truly unique experience as I’ve grown up listening to their songs (well, Jim and Cathy’s anyways). Playing with authentic musicians who have dedicated a large chunk of their life to a particular sound is a very special thing that can’t be learned any other way than by playing with your musical elders. ”
Carfagna added that “I think there’s a lot of versatility and experience that we can and do tap into. And given everyone’s scheduling constraints, which can be very challenging, I appreciate that we can work separately and pull things together relatively quickly when we get in the same room.
“Also, everyone seems able to adapt and “go with the flow” in live situations. Younger band members bring fresh, different frames of reference. Jamie and Colin are both incredibly skilled, versatile, in-demand musicians, so I don’t really think there’s an ‘experience’ gap. And they know a lot more about, say, the mysteries of jazz than I do!”
Whitford and Klyma have written some new songs together; Klyma is a productive songwriter.
“I write a lot and tend to write quickly. I’ve collaborated a handful of times with Jim over the years, but haven’t written with any of the other bandmates yet. I wrote two songs this August specifically for the band. I’m hopeful that they’ll like the songs and want to work on the arrangements. I have a handful of others from the past couple of years that I’d like for us to play. We’ll see!”
Whitford noted that “Greg has been on a crazy writing kick recently. And by recently, I mean about 20 years. The man is nothing if not prolific. There is definitely more to come.”
Brydalski has basically known Whitford since he was born (Whitford was in the Pine Dogs with Brydalski’s mother when Colin was born). Brydalski said, ”I always loved Jim’s writing in the Pine Dogs, so to be able to play the same songs (and new ones) with him is really something special. Plus he’s very funny. We are cracking jokes all the time. There are even musical jokes we play during songs to try and get a rise out of everyone.“
One could go on about music with the bandmates for hours, but we should end with what makes a good Whitford Klyma Band show: ”A lively audience! We have the songs and the skills. The more people dance and sing and smile, the better the show gets,” Klyma said.
“Energy, a good mix of material, and a responsive audience, “ Carfagna added.”
“Having a good and receptive audience giving us energy back. Having a good sound system. Me not showing up to a show with an empty stomach (it makes me a little grumpy),” Sunshine said, while Brydalski concluded with “Amazing people in the audience to groove to it! Come out to the next show.”