The members:
Wixom Slim & The Wyze Gyze is Wixom Slim on lead vocals and harmonica, Pete Bullard on guitar and vocals, Matt Zacharias on keyboards and vocals, Don Oatman on bass and vocals and drummer and vocalist Tom Twiss.
The history:
Formed in December 2000, the Milford-based band grew out of jump blues/West Coast swing band Wixom Slim and the Notebenders. The new group was put together, according to Slim, with the purpose of sticking strictly to the blues and swing sounds.
What's up with the name:
The “Wyze Gyze” title was made up by the band’s first guitar player who, according to Slim, noticed that everybody in the band were wise guys. Wixom Slim comes from the fact that the artist is from Wixom and, as he says, “on the slim side.”
The style:
As mentioned, the band plays two forms of music known as jump blues and West Coast swing. Slim cites the group’s top influences as Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flowers, Little Charlie and the Nightcats, Charlie Musslewhite and Gary Primach. “Personally, I wish I had a voice like James Harmon and the harmonica skills of Kim Wilson,” Slim said.
Got anything recorded?
Wixom Slim & The Wyze Gyze released “Amtrak Shuffle” this April. It is a collection of live recordings from both in concert and in the studio, and contains 14 songs. It is available at www.cdbaby.com for $11.99, or you can inquire about the disc by e-mailing the band at wixomslim@att.net. Song samples are also available at www.cdbaby.com/wswg.
Tell us your future?
“We would like to release another CD by the year’s end, and this time with more originals on it,” Slim said. The artist adds that it is also a future goal to get exposure in places where they haven’t been heard yet, and is planning for a potential tour of Europe.
Website:
www.wswg.net
