Emissaries of Light: The Jamissaries Play Jam Band Bliss
By Julie Horner with Ed Levy
Hit the dance floor at any of the multitude of local venues where The Jamissaries are playing and prepare to bliss out. The Jamissaries pride themselves on bringing forward heartfelt originals and rocking select favorites from the highly danceable jam band playbook. Formed a year and a half ago, The Jamissaries grew out of a group called Arindam & Company to showcase original music composed by singer/songwriter and keyboardist/guitarist Ed Levy, also known as Arindam Krishna Das. He and Ben Lomond’s John Burton, the beloved percussionist who passed away unexpectedly last year, were founding members. “John was a big proponent of my originals and their lyrical and musical content,” Ed said. “Without him there would be no Jamissaries.”
After John left his body an old friend and musical cohort Rob Borella stepped up to the plate, “a phenomenal drum wizard behind his mothership of a drum kit,” as Ed put it. He and Rob worked on quite a few musical projects together when Ed moved to Santa Cruz from his native New York 25 years ago and became a full-time director/music director and producer of countless theatrical productions throughout the county. Ed said, “He played for many of my musical theater projects, among them three different productions of the original live staged version of The Rocky Horror Show, as well as my Grateful Dead tribute band Wheelhouse, which performed regularly at Michael’s on Main and Don Quixote’s, now known as Felton Music Hall.” Rob also sings lead on the band’s covers of classic songs by the Doobie Brothers, The Band, and the Dead.
On lead guitar we have 22-year old wunderkind Alex Bahler, whose fluid playing and ear for exploratory improvisation bring the jams to the next level. Jonathan Kessler, the band’s bassist, is an unparalleled virtuoso on his instrument. Playing a fretless, mounted instrument that seems to float in mid-air, his tone and chops are literally mind-blowing. He also has a soulful baritone voice singing lead vocals on songs by Bill Withers and The Staples Singers, among others.
Playing funked up takes on songs by Cream, The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, David Bowie, Tenacious D, and more, Ed said that what sets The Jamissaries apart from many of the local cover bands is that half their setlists are original compositions. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and CalArts where he received a full scholarship and majored in Music Performance, Ed said that he fell in love with the ocean, the mountains, the like-minded spiritual people, and the music scene in Santa Cruz. Also a member of the band Love Creek, Ed is inspired to say that the intention of his music is “for us jammers to be emissaries of light, love, dance, bliss, and sweet sticky funky psychedelic rock.”
The Jamissaries play Abbott Square Market in downtown Santa Cruz on Saturday November 22 from 7:00 to 10:00 pm and Joe’s Bar in Boulder Creek on Saturday, December 7 from 8:30 to 12:00 pm. They also perform regularly at Shanty Shack Brewing in Santa Cruz and at Discretion Brewing in Soquel. Follow The Jamissaries on Facebook. Booking: (831) 234-6533
Photo credit:
Featured photo by Julie Horner: The Jamissaries l to r: Alex Bahler, Ed Levy, Jonathan Kessler, and Rob Borella
***
Have a story or article to contribute? The San Lorenzo Valley Post welcomes your Santa Cruz Mountains news, story ideas, photos, and letters. Send us an email.
Sign up for our newsletter to stay connected to news and events in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Julie Horner is Co-Founder and Editor for the San Lorenzo Valley Post. Julie lives and works in Boulder Creek and is an active participant in the county's vibrant music scene. She loves the outdoors and is the go-to expert on Santa Cruz Mountains hiking trails.
