EASTHAMPTON — They say “two out of three ain’t bad,” but local musician Anand Nayak couldn’t leave well enough alone.
This isn’t surprising, as along with playing his own music, Nayak serves as a music producer and plays with several other groups, most notably (and for the longest time) Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem.
So, when he found himself already acting as a sideman for two of the acts (Adam and the Whodunnits and Jim Eagan) at Luthiers Co-op in Easthampton on Dec. 5, he decided to make it a trifecta.
“Adam and Jim were already on the bill, the third slot was open, and Noam Schatz, Jim Bliss and Mike Benoit all happened to be available,” Nayak said in a recent interview with The Republican. “I’ll be in my happy place all night.”
(That third slot is for another band Nayak regularly plays with, formerly known as The Lucky Shots. But the band recently found out, via a cease-and-desist letter, that someone in California had trademarked the name, so they have to change it. The new name will be revealed at the show.)
Nayak has known Schatz the longest of all the other artists, having overlapped with him in college. Both have lived locally for a couple of decades.
“But we didn’t start making music together until around that same period of time, 10 years ago, when we started a songwriting group along with Adam and Matt Silberstein,” Nayak said. “Around the same time, Adam was looking for a producer for his album “The Backup Plan,” and got in touch with me through Mark Miller.”
Nayak met Eagan at the Shutesbury Athletic Club around a decade ago.
“I was sitting in with Abe Loomis, and Jim was opening. He has a voice you just want to wrap around yourself,” he said.
As a guitarist, Nayak will serve similar roles during each slot with some slight variations.
“I’ll be playing acoustic guitar with Jim, electric and lapsteel with Adam, and electric with the band that until now was known as The Lucky Shots,” he said. “Singing with all three.”
Because the acts don’t always play out regularly, was there a need for much rehearsal?
“All of these groups play for the joy of it, and life is full for everyone, so rehearsals are often squeezed in,” he said. “Ironically, the band formerly known as The Lucky Shots rehearses the most regularly and plays out the least, but that music is probably the most complex and varied.”
Each act has a special appeal for Nayak.
“I mentioned Jim’s voice, and that feeling extends to his whole vibe. Also, Jim’s daughter Nomi Tuzman-Eagan is a wonderful singer who will be joining us on harmonies,” he said. “With the Whodunnits, among many things, there’s the standout pleasure of playing with Jason Smith. The apparently un-Lucky Shots have started to reach brotherhood status; the music feels vast and it’s exciting to be a part of it.”
While many people might want to lighten their loads during the holiday season, Nayak welcomed the opportunity to play all night. When asked what motivated him, he had a two-pronged answer.
“Mainly the joy that comes from making great music with talented friends,” he said. “Plus, doing anything original and creative these days feels like taking a stand against fascism.”
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.masslive.com ’
