Extreme Isolation Headphones founder John Gresko teamed up with another manufacturer, Phil Jones of Phil Jones Bass, to form a St. Louis-area jazz band. “Phil had handpicked the St. Louis musicians and from the very first night, the group sounded as if we had been playing together for a long time,” said Gresko. “Phil and I had booths close to each other in Hall E at Winter NAMM this year. Some of our endorsers would come by and visit both booths. Phil has set up a small tour for our jazz group this August.
“We will perform in China, Tokyo, and Taiwan. We plan to record a demo DVD this year in Los Angeles. This DVD will be given to customers when they purchase our products. We hope that customers will be more at ease that these products were created and developed by seasoned professional musicians.”
Pat Brown |
Louie Sharp, vice president of sales at Morley/Ebtech, plays guitar, mandolin, and harmonica for Stone Quarry Road. “Being a guitar player helps me relate to the buying public by understanding their problems, issues, and concerns,” said Sharp. “This gives me the ability to have positive input into R&D for new products. It also gives me the insight to help dealers understand and solve the guitar players’ problems by being able to suggest the correct solution or product to remedy the problem.”
Billy Bones, president of Sparrow Guitars, is a garage rocker in the British Columbia band The Vicious Cycles. As the band says, “We play catchy, ‘rawk’ and/or roll in with a ‘motorsickle’ influence.”
Marc Lee Shannon, vice president of sales at Audio-Technica, has released his own album, “Any Ordinary Man,” with the help of producer Michael Stanley, who had some hits of his own. Five of the 11 songs are Shannon originals. The album is available from Line Level Music Ltd. “I signed on for a three-record deal. I have such a passion for playing music,” said Shannon. “It’s like being in a club. You don’t want to quit the club. For me, it was 34 years of wishing and 18 months of working one night a week. I have a full-time job and three kids. That’s all I could fit into my life. What’s really good about doing this is it keeps me in the framework of being a consumer for the product. That’s what’s essential in our industry.”
Marc Provenzano is a manufacturer rep for MPRO Sales and Marketing/Shoreview Distribution, which serves several companies including Pioneer, Sony, JVC, and Tascam. He’s a guitarist and vocalist in Brass Taxi, a Rochester, N.Y., wedding and club band. “Being able to perform live and use the gear I represent or want to try out is a great way to get a sales guy pumped about selling stuff,” said Provenzano. “If you use it and love it, it isn’t really selling! [Also], the contacts and relationships you establish with players, performers, technicians, and live sound companies is priceless.”
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