Natural evolution: Black Flag founder brings new groove to White Hart
By Casey Gillis on Sep. 10, 2008
(434) 385-5525
To Greg Ginn, transitioning from hardcore punk rocker to rootsy, jam band leader was simply a natural evolution.
In 1976, the triple threat - guitarist, songwriter and singer - founded Black Flag, a pioneer in the hardcore punk rock scene.
He is currently performing with two bands: the Taylor Texas Corrugators, which blends country, jazz and blues instrumental tracks, and Jambang, which has a more electronica and rock-infused sound.
Both will be playing at The White Hart at 8 p.m. Thursday.
“I’ve kept playing consistently since (Black Flag). It’s not that easy of a path to describe over 20 years,” says Ginn, who was listed as one of Rolling Stone’s 100 greatest guitar players of all time.
“I just keep playing.”
Black Flag broke up in 1986, and Ginn later released a couple solo albums before spending about a decade off the radar. He still made music, but just didn’t release anything.
Part of it was meeting the right people, “musicians who were good and also available to tour a lot,” he says.
He found that in his current band mates: bassist Cliff Samuels, drummer Steve DeLollis and mandolin player Bobby Bancalari.
All four play in both bands and, in 2007, released their first album, “Bent Edge,” as Greg Ginn & The Texas Taylor Corrugators. As Jambang, they’ve released one album, “Connecting.”
Ginn says they decided to form two separate bands with two distinct sounds, rather than confusing people by being one act that touches on so many genres.
He describes Jambang’s sound as an electronic, organic hybrid. Their live shows combine samples and psychedelic projections with live instrumentation, which they describe as creating “a full sensory encounter with the band.”
With so many elements, Jambang’s shows have a very fixed structure. So as the Corrugators, the guys let loose, playing all-improvised shows. They don’t necessarily play songs off their two albums - a second album, “Goof Off Experts,” recently came out - but Ginn says they sometimes hit familiar territory.
That improvisational style is nothing new for Ginn, who cites similar work with Black Flag.
“It was a big part of my songwriting. It’s something I’ve always done,” he says. “I’m still stuck in the original concept that we had in the beginning of punk rock, which is you do new stuff all the time.”
IF YOU’RE GOING:
WHAT: Gregg Ginn & The Taylor Texas Corrugators and Jambang
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: The White Hart, 1208 Main St.
TICKETS: $5
INFO: (434) 455-1659 or http://www.inklingswhitehart.com
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