A 14 year veteran Keyboard Player, Eric Safka, is the "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" of the band. His "mad man" antics on stage do not reflect the same
personality as the humble person he is off stage.
Just watch him when he is approached by an
enthusiastic fan after a show, he blushes and always
seems to reference the famous Garth Algar line
"Thanks... I like to play". After watching him live,
there is no doubt about the truth of that statement.
It's never been about money or fame for Eric, but
about the experience of communicating with the
audience and his band on a level that words could
never do justice... and communicate he does, with
all the intensity and enthusiasm of a man possessed
by the love of his craft.
Formerly of the rock group Days Awake, Eric has
shared the stage with notable artists such as Dickey
Betts, Rich Robinson, Blues Traveler, as well having
performed on projects with Jon Bon Jovi, the
E-Streets Band's Gary Tallent and Living Colour's
Vernon Reed. Tom Marshall of Phish fame once stated
that Eric was "One of the best keyboard players he
has ever seen".
To Eric, none of this really matters in
comparison to what he considers his greatest
success, which is simply being able to share in
those magical live moments with his band and the
crowd. His hope is to inject into people the same
inspiration that bit him fourteen years ago at his
first concert and has led him to building his entire
life around the idea that he "likes to play".
Birth Date: February 5
Eric's Equipment: Hammond B-3, Hammond Model A,
Leslie 122, Leslie 145, Rhodes 73 Custom, Hohner
Clavinet/Pianet Duo, Wurlitzer Model 140 B,
Wurlitzer 200 A, Moog Little Phatty Analog
Sythesizer.
Scott Bennert
Bass Guitar
After toying with the saxophone, keyboards, and guitar, Scott discovered the bass guitar at the age of 23. With his new starter bass and
two free lessons, he was instantly consumed by the possibilities of music and the bass guitar. Scott would come home from college on the weekends, absorb as much information as possible from his bass teacher, and return to campus to work on his lessons. The hard work would soon pay off when, after only one year, Scott would land his first paying bass gig - filling in for Matt O'Ree and the Blueshounds! "The gig was 1/2-mile from my house. I drank for free and was paid 100 bucks. Not to mention it felt as though I was on stage with this Stevie Ray Vaughn/Hendrix mutant. It rocked! I was hooked!"
Matt put another call in to Scott and offered him a long-term gig while his regular bassist was away at school. Scott, however, was beginning a new musical project - a trio band that would soon become Big Baby Ernie - a
six-piece R&B/Groove band. Highly regarded as one of the best bands of the local music scene, BBE took its original music and cover band show up and down the East Coast, as well as across the Atlantic for four successful UK tours. During his 12-year tenure as BBE's bassist, Scott continued his musical education and personal musical growth. He quit a full-time teaching job to pursue a music performance degree at the renowned Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, studying Jazz Performance on the double bass.
"The early years of BBE, as well as my time at Mason Gross, were my formative years in music. At school, the music seeped into your pours from the practice rooms. And the disparity of musical taste in BBE is immense. I listened to everything: Motown, classic rock, Jazz, hip-hop, rap, classical, prog
rock, metal, hard core - everything!"
The influences began to blend. Scott's love of the freedom of jazz, the groove of R&B, and the adrenaline of rock 'n' roll started to fuse. It was then when he saw a Matt O'Ree Band show, fresh off of Matt's crowning as the Guitarmageddon "King of the Blues" winner. "I can't explain it. I looked up on stage and listened. Then I said, 'I should be in this band.' That was it." Scott and Matt began going to each other's shows, sitting in with their respective bands, testing the waters and the attitudes. They decided that the only way they will know if Scott was the right bass player, was to go to a studio and jam. And so they did.
Lew "Sweet Lew" Rosengrant began playing drums at
the age of twelve. He was bitten by the music bug
early on soon was spending every waking hour
practicing, listening, or just thinking about music.
Many times in school, he would get in trouble for
tapping out drum grooves on his desk, causing
disruption to every class he attended. In high
school, joining the band was the logical course of
action for the young drummer, giving him a chance to
hone his skills in orchestra, marching band, jazz
band, and classic rock classes. Numerous music
projects with friends took up after school hours and
soon it was time for college.
Brookdale College offered some opportunities to
grow in the jazz band, electronic studio and in the
theatre, but it wasn't until he transferred to
Monmouth University, that he started to realize his
musical goals. The jazz and theatre programs, as
well as orchestra, kept him in and around an
exciting music community. This experience led to
gigs with many bands such as Lunar City, Jaski,
Random Test, Mimi Cross, deSol, and many others.
School also led Lew to begin teaching at Drummers
Alley and Red Bank Academy of the Arts where he
teaches and average of 40 students per week. It was
there he eventually met Matt O'Ree, who also teaches
at both places. After striking up a friendship with
Matt and being asked to fill in on numerous gigs
with his band, it was evident to Lew that this was
his 'musical home', yet it would be a few years
before he moved in.
During his wait, Lew relocated to New York City
to study and gig with such drummers as; Derrek
Phillips from The Charlie Hunter Trio, the Brazilian
Parade Band "Samba New York", as well as sitting in
on many jam sessions with musicians from all over
the world. New York City also gave Lew an
opportunity to explore writing his own music for his
wife Kristin's dance company, DeXdance, and has led
to many of his compositions featured in venues
ranging from Maine to Florida.
Upon moving back to NJ, Lew began working with
the folk band, 'Causeway', 'Recreation Arts and
Pets', and Marco Fuchs of M'Zume, with whom he began
teaching Brazilian and world beat rhythms to
students at the Count Basie Theatre's "Cool School's
weekly Drum Circle" in Red Bank, NJ. Not long after,
Matt O'Ree once again asked him to fill in for some
gigs and as it turns out, the drum stool was open
for a full time position this time.
Naturally, Lew never looked back.
Birth Date: April 8, 1977
Equipment: Zildjian Cymbals (newbeat Hihats, K
crashes, projection ride), Gretsch Drums (Catalina
Club Mod), Yamaha Hardware, Promark Sticks, Meinl
Percussion (cowbell/shakers), Combination of
Aquarian and Evans Heads, Combination Impact and
Humes & Berg Cases
