E-Mail
Print
tool name
close
Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007
The Midnight Flyers: 'This is what we do'
For two long years they worked on their first album; now they are ready to show the public what they are all about
Mile after mile, you gotta keep it between the lines. You're bound to lose your mind, rolling down Highway 99. Trains on the left, 18 wheels on the right. You're bound to lose your mind, rolling down Highway 99.
Any Merced County resident might relate to those lyrics. And a group of three locals has written, performed and put the track "Highway 99" -- along with 10 other tunes -- onto a new CD.
The Midnight Flyers describe themselves as a blues-inflected rock band. "Or a rock-inflected blues band," said drummer Charles "Chas" Benedict, 55, of Merced. "We haven't figured it out yet."
Whatever their inflection, Mercedians can see them in action at the band's CD release party Dec. 29 at the Partisan.
This 3-year-old group's album title "Out of the Blues," plays off the Midnight Flyers' fascination with airplanes. Its members liked Castle Air Museum being so close, and they display the old Strategic Air Command base in CD cover photographs.
Although the band rarely tours outside the Valley, its songs have already reached Germany, Italy, France, the Virgin Islands and Scotland through Internet sales, said Mark Tuttle, who plays guitar, sings vocals and has also written many of the band's songs with bassist John Freel.
Kansas City, Mo., even got to hear "Highway 99" recently on the Internet program "Road Rash Blues Show." And during a Sunday afternoon practice in Tuttle's "Studio D" practice room, the three musicians whipped that same song into shape for their upcoming show.
Tuttle calls the practice room behind his Winton home "Studio D" for obvious reasons. "I've already had a 'Studio A,' 'Studio B' and 'Studio C,' " he said.
The 52-year-old started his musical career as a drummer at age 10 before moving from the Bay Area to the Valley around 1971. At that time he switched his focus to the guitar, and later attended the Guitar Institute of Technology, Sacramento campus.
"Out of the Blues" is the third CD he's worked on out of the five bands he's played with.
Freel, now 47, was only 7 when his mom -- who was a huge influence on his musical career -- asked, "Which instrument are you going to play?" He took guitar lessons until age 10, when he began playing on his own.
His family moved to the county in 1967, and in 1989 he began playing with what he called a "rockin' Christian band" at Yosemite Church. Freel, a Herbert H. Cruickshank Middle School sixth-grade math and science teacher, then joined up with a bunch of teachers at the school to form the band, The Drug Sniffing Dogs, which later became Staff Infection.
He met Tuttle and some other musicians at Star Club, and they formed the blues band Night Train. After that group lost its drummer, Benedict stepped in. They changed its name to the Midnight Flyers. "About 2004, this band jelled," Freel said. "Same sound as Night Train; a lot of the same stuff."
About two years ago, Tuttle participated in the former Rudy's Jazz & Blues Club's "Battle of the Jams." The top prize was 24 hours of studio recording time.
"I showed up, played two or three songs and smoked the house," he said. In other words, he won.
His band planned to use his prize to record a couple of songs. However, 24 hours just wasn't enough -- try more than 200 hours over two years. And the Midnight Flyers' first CD "Out of the Blues" was born.
It's sound and song subjects don't follow any theme, despite its cover and title's numerous references to flight. "The CD is just to say, 'this is what we do,' " Freel said. "West Coast electric blues."
The band has natural chemistry, Tuttle added. And its members hope that chemistry mixes well with the Partisan's new hip crowd.
Reporter Dhyana Levey can be reached at 209 385-2472 or dlevey@mercedsun-star.com
If you go
WHAT: The Midnight Flyers CD release party and concert
WHEN: 9 a.m. to midnight Dec. 29
WHERE: The Partisan, 432 W. Main St., Merced
ADMISSION: $5 (only ages 21 and over allowed)
INFORMATION: Read about the band and its new CD at www.themidnightflyers.net
On the Web
MUSIC: Listen to the track "Highway 99" at mercedsun-star.com/multimedia
A few rules are needed to help foster a feeling of community. We encourage a free, CIVIL and open exchange of ideas in a climate of mutual respect, but any post that violates someone's right to use and enjoy mercedsunstar.com is prohibited. Before you post, please read the terms of use and obey these simple guidelines. Here are the ground rules:
1. Be yourself. A nickname will be used for posts, but if an editor finds a user without a verifiable name , that user will be warned or banned.
2. Keep it clean. Foul language (defined by prime-time standards) will not be tolerated. Neither will the intentional misspelling of foul language or the use of non-English curse words.
3. Be truthful. Do not lie or link to sites that may be considered libelous, defamatory or false.
4. Be nice. Don't harass anyone. Don't threaten anyone. Don't use racial slurs. Don't post anything sexually explicit.
5. Be an individual. Do not advertise or solicit. Do not harvest any information for business use.
6. Be original. Do not post copyrighted material.
7. Follow the law. Don't do anything or post anything considered illegal by city, county, state or federal regulations and laws.
On most news stories, the commenting period is closed after three days. If you wish to continue a discussion, please use The Sunspot forum.
@Nyx.CommentBody@