Engine14 goes back to December 2002 when four DC-area work buddies---Rob (drums), Jeff (lead and rhythm guitars), Jerry (bass), and Dave (lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitar)---formed the band. Job reassignments in 2003 and 2004 took away Jerry and Dave, but in early 2005, Jeff and Rob found Stan to play bass, and Patrick for lead vocals and rhythm guitar, bringing Engine14 back again to a solid, capable lineup. The new foursome played their first gig in June 2005 and went on to perform a dozen more times over the next year. In July 2006, job reassignments yet again reached in and pulled away Stan "The Man", a big loss, but we were able to snag Gary, a bass player who also plays for a DC-area bluegrass band, Dirty River. After a great year with E14, Gary moved on, and in stepped John to cover bass. John played with the band for three years, before other commitments obliged him to step down in August, 2010. Engine14 added Alec on keyboards in October, 2010, followed almost immediately by Harry on bass.
Bios for the guys (in photo above, L to R: Patrick, Jeff, Rob, Harry, Alec)
Jeff Lead guitar and vocals jeff@engine14.com
Jeff is the leader of the band, not the least reason for which is that we practice in his basement! The band takes its name from Jeff's experience as a volunteer firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician, and Assistant Chief with Company 14 (Burke) of the Fairfax County, Virginia, Fire and Rescue Department. He joined the Department in 1973, at the age of 16, and remained an active member until a job transfer in 1999 took him to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jeff remains a Life Member of the Department.
Jeff first learned to play guitar in Geneva, Switzerland, where he received his preparatory education at the International School. After acquiring his first electric guitar, a used sparkle-green solid-body Framus, Jeff played from time to time with other aspiring would-be rock stars at school, performing occasionally when opportunities arose. His primary guitar influence during that formative period was Alvin Lee of Ten Years After. Upon returning to the United States in the early 70s, Jeff bought his first professional quality instruments, a 1974 Fender Tele Deluxe guitar and a Ampeg VT-22 amplifier, of the type favored at the time by the Rolling Stones. At the College of William and Mary, he formed a band, Spellbound, with some fellow undergraduates, playing Top 40 material full-time with them during summer vacation, at bars, hotel lounges, restaurants, and NCO Clubs on military bases. Then came law school at the American University, followed by full-time employment, and job transfers to Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, and back to D.C. Jeff's recreational pursuits include riding his red Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring motorcycle. He speaks fluent French.
Jeff's stage equipment includes several guitars--Gibson ES-355, Fender Strat Ultra, Fender Telecaster Deluxe, James Tyler Variax JT-59, Ovation Legend 12-string, Martin OMC-Aura, custom Emerald X5 Life travel guitar with color-changing chameleon paint finish, Rainsong JM-1000 jumbo, Mesa-Boogie Mark IV and TA-15 amplifiers with two Mesa speaker cabinets, a DV Mark Mini 12 speaker cabinet, a custom Pedaltrain pedalboard with VooDoo Labs PedalPower power supply, Area 51 wah, Wampler Pinnacle distortion/overdrive, AnalogMan Bi-Chorus and Dual Analog Delay, and Dr. Scientist Mini-reverberator pedals, all connected with Lava cable. Jeff uses Klotz speaker cables for his amps, and Electro-Voice N/D767a dynamic and Audio-Technica ATM-710 condenser vocal mics. With Engine14 Acoustic, and when playing solo, Jeff relies on a Fishman SA-220 SoloAmp line array system for amplification.
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Rob Drums and vocals rob@engine14.com
Rob keeps us on beat with his Slingerland acoustic drum set. Rob has thoroughly enjoyed music as an outlet, and particularly the friendships he's developed with musicians over the years. During college days at Millersville University (MU), Rob played in the MU Jazz band. He had some great drumming teachers, including time spent with Tony DeNicola, former drummer for legendary big band leader Harry James. In addition to DeNicola, Rob's list of favorite drummers include Buddy Rich, Gene Kupra, Peter Erskine, former drummer for Maynard Ferguson; Jim Chapin, author of the book Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer; and former Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine. In recent years, Rob's played many gigs including ones at The Pub at Brothers Encore in Montclair, VA, and the Hard Rock Café in Washington D.C. Rob also recalls the memorable experience of participating (along with Jeff) with local musicians in an informal jam session with Bill Kirchen at a private party held in Maryland. [Grammy-nominated guitarist Kirchen was inducted into the Washington Area Music Association Hall of Fame along with Dave Grohl(Foo Fighters, Nirvana) and John Phillip Sousa in 2002. He is the former lead guitarist and a vocalist for Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen.]
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Patrick Lead vocals and rhythm guitar patrick@engine14.com
Patrick takes the lead on vocals and also plays rhythm guitar on a Taylor 510CE short-scale acoustic guitar, through a Fishman amplifier. He grew up in a musically inclined, military, and LARGE (7 kids) family. On that note, you might say Engine14 is actually the second band Patrick's played in...his first dip into R&R music was around age 12, circa 1974, playing a beat up old snare drum and single cymbal along with his two older brothers as they wailed through Dylan, Stones, Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, etc., on guitar and piano. Those "bedroom band" sessions did a lot to establish his preferences for late 60s/early 70s hits and to safely insulate those preferences from the disco era that soon followed! Patrick first performed publicly as a member of the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) Glee Club, from 1980 to 1984. He then served as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1984 to 1990, completing his service as a captain with a one-year assignment in South Korea. He spent two years at a consulting firm before getting a Finance MBA from The Wharton School. Patrick now works as a finance analyst in the DC area. Engine14 fills the time he has left between work, spending time with wife and 11-year old twins, trips to Lowes and Home Depot in support of the next home improvement project, and watching favorite TV shows (#1: The Simpsons!). All time music group: BEATLES without question....but then again, there's The Who, Simon & Garfunkel, CSN&Y, Neil Young, Billy Joel, Police, U2, Pearl Jam, STP....
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Alec Keyboards alec@engine14.com
Alec started taking piano lessons at age 8 learning the standard classical repertoire until the age of 12, when he realized that basketball, not piano, was his true calling. At 16, after having grown only an inch or two in the intervening years and not possessing any particular ball-playing prowess, he bought a used Farfisa electric organ for $100. He played classic rock in a few high school bands (though we just called it “rock” back then); the one with the most distinctive name, though perhaps fewest gigs, was the Ultra-Violet Frozen Toes. Music unfortunately took a back seat during college and law school, although a sneak visit to an empty piano practice room was always something he enjoyed. Throughout most of the 1990’s, Alec worked for a firm out of Budapest, Hungary. There he found time to play keyboards for his own enjoyment (having decided that being over 30 was way too old to play in a band!). Fortunately, he eventually overcame this terrible age prejudice and took to playing both individually and with bands with a renewed fervor. Prior to joining Engine 14, Alec was in a blues band that could be heard at local pubs and festivals and was a finalist at the DC Blues Society Battle of the Bands. Keyboard players he finds most inspiring include Professor Longhair (who, oddly enough, did have a band called the “Shuffling Hungarians”), Dr. John, Billy Preston, Jon Lord and Chuck Leavell. Alec relies on his Nord Stage EX for piano/electric piano/organ and synth sounds, and occasionally supplements it with his trusty Hammond XK1 for organ-heavy gigs. At home the sounds of Chicago blues, Scott Joplin and New Orleans music can be heard from his black Kawai 48” upright, a very special birthday present from his very special girl. He still has the old Farfisa, which has appreciated considerably and might now be worth $125. On a good day!
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Harry Bass Guitar harry@engine14.com
Harry is the ‘New Kid in Town’, coming to Engine 14 from stints in many local groups playing everything from country to hard rock. Like other band members, he took piano and violin lessons at an early age (to little avail), but it wasn’t until the folk revolution that he got his first guitar and developed a life-long love of music, strumming along with the Kingston Trio and Journeyman. During college he played more contemporary music with local bands in the Atlanta area, to the detriment of his scholastic achievements. It’s so much more fun playing Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin than doing differential calculus!
Over the years Harry has accumulated a nice collection of instruments, including keyboards, 6- and 12-string guitars, and basses galore, including 4, 5, and 8-string types. Of course basses require amps, so he has an assortment ranging from a small Polytone combo to the more contemporary Class D 400W 7-pound Carvin, the amp you are most likely to see at shows, along with his go-to guitar, the oddly orange-colored Modulus bass with the graphite neck.
His musical tastes can best be described as eclectic, ranging from classical concerts to head-banging rock. His favorites, however, are guitar-driven bands like the Beatles, Tom Petty, and the Eagles. What a wonderful time for music, with You Tube, digital radio, and lots of local bands to hear and enjoy!
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