E.Company has been laying their grooves out around the music halls of New Orleans for the past couple of years, but with a new name and the acquisition of two musicians, the band said they have the chemistry to reach new and bold musical horizons. This past summer was one of major changes for the band formerly known as Easy Company.
After the departure of two of their members, the band found replacements for both roles with upright bassist LSU student Trey Boudreaux and tenor saxophonist Matt “Rev” Gooden.
“They’ve put a whole different spin on the direction we’re going in,” said Chris Lippincott, guitarist and music industry studies senior. “We’re five best friends who push each other individually.”
Gooden hails from another great music city, Memphis, Tenn., and the band said they were immediately struck by his “other-worldly” playing.
Gooden said he values the personal interactions on and off the stage that come with being in a band.
“I think I bring honesty to the band,” Gooden said. “When we have common ground and trust to build from, it allows us to converse on stage very naturally.”
“I’m based in jazz and classical traditions and enjoy being experimental and having that sense of freedom to have a conversation musically,”said Boudreaux, the bassist.
The quintet strives to bring their individual tastes to the band to create a melting pot of sound ranging from jazz to funk to blues, backed by high energy while leaving plenty of room for exploration.
Their set lists contain material anywhere from originals like “Gold” to jazz standards like Miles Davis’ classic “All Blues.”
Recently the group has stressed a strong commitment to writing songs and further developing what they call groove-based music “Being a composer and piano player, I bring a harmonic sense to the group that is grounded in the classical world,”said Joe Shirley, drummer and music business senior.
Composing and trying new material forces us to hone in our efforts in where we want our sound to go.” This year, the band hopes to expand their fan base and plans to tour Texas and the southeast in preparation for a national tour in the future.
Their business strategy also changed when they hired Rabbit Hole Consulting, a local start-up run by Loyola graduates Patrick Reagan and David Buttrey, to manage them.
The band now records their live shows and offers them as free downloads accessible through their website, the object being to make their art available to as many people as possible
Through all these changes over the past few months, the men of E. Company said they have gained a new-found appreciation for what it takes to be a cohesive unit and realize each other’s roles and honor each other’s talents on and off stage without forgetting to have fun.
Shirley said, “I strive to bring energy and be completely connected to the music, and of course, bring those nasty grooves.
George Stokely can be reached at
