"We're going to keep going because we get better each time out."
James McMurtry 

The Band
Early on it was just James, a cup of coffee and a glass of Wild Turkey. As his career has developed, so has the band. The band close to home has consisted of Lisa Mednick, accordion, Daren Hess, drums and Ronnie Johnson, harmony vocals/bass. Recent tours have included the "power trio" of McMurtry, Hess and Johnson. See them if you get the opportunity.
They'll renew your faith in today's music.


photo by Julie Farthing

Some Current Photos of the Band by Justin St.Clair
If you haven't caught the band this time around, these will surely inspire you to catch up with them. If you have, these shots will bring back great memories! CLICK HERE to view photos from the Iowa City concert.

". . .the sound man is God, actually. . ."
James McMurtry


Tim Holt , 2004
photo courtesy of Compadre Records
Tim courtesy of Heaven

Tim Holt accompanies the band on
"Too Long in the Wasteland"
photo by Craig Seth

Kinda looks like Tim's the only one
who knows what he's doing. ; )

Equipment Specs

Guitars
-photos and profile courtesy of the Tim Holt Agency

1. a red Washburn red rocker Sammy Hagar model
2. a red Guild acoustic (he has 2 more of the same model
   in green and blue)
   
3. a yellow tele built out of spare parts by an old friend
   
4. the Jerry Jones barritone (the guitar that paints the
   memorable Levelland intro)
   
5. a black ESP tele copy Ron Wood model
   
6. and a brown Guild - it's either a G-300 or S-60 something
   like that from the mid 70's
   
   Amps

• a new Vox AC 15
  
• the Lab Series L5
  
• and the re-issue Fender Vibrolux
  

Pedals

• a boss chromatic tuner
  
• a dynacomp compressor (possibly made by MXR)
  
• a boss reverb/delay pedal
  
• a flanger (might be MXR)
• the Durham Electronics pedal,
  (designed in Austin) for Charlie Sexton by Allen Durham
  

photo by Craig Seth 2004

So... he plays the acoustic and the barritone
through the Lab Series amp. Everything else goes
through the other two amps (one or the other or both).
He only uses the flanger on the barritone.
The reverb/delay pedal is only used to split the guitar
signal to the two amps (the vibrolux and the Vox).

So his sound is basically guitar through the
dynacomp to the two amps.

"Geary" Details From the Past

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Daren Hess & Ronnie Johnson
With Daren Hess on drums and Ronnie Johnson on bass, the McMurtry band takes McMurtry's tunes (and the band's collaborations) to new heights. Below is a review of the band members' credits.

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Daren Hess' previous affiliations:
* The Ronnie Lane Group
  for Ronnie Lane in Lane's Austin years
* Poi Dog Pondering.
* The Silos
* Toured with Dave Alvin
* Green On Red

The Silos circa 1994, Daren Hess, far right

Daren Hess, 2004
photo by Craig Seth
you're not getting older, baby,
you're getting better

 

Ronnie Johnson's previous affiliations:
* The Ronnie Lane Group
  for Ronnie Lane in Lane's Austin years
* Played guitar for the Shakin' Apostles
* Bassist for JMcM as early as the WYHtB tour
* Toured with Ray Wylie Hubbard

The recording at the Zephyr Club and some news on Ronnie's latest album appearance.

back to home
Ronnie Johnson
photo by Craig Seth