Hobo Paradise

One day out of the blue JL Stiles was called upon to specifically do a ragtime show at Coit Tower's 80th Anniversary. The producers of the event had heard correctly that Stiles is a ragtime guitar finger picking maniac, aside from his singer/songwriter identity as JL Stiles. Since the event called for an ensemble Stiles called his long time compadre Zachary Morris to play the drums and Doug Ellington (Duke's great nephew) to blow the trumpet. The music came out like butter, just as it should, Stiles thunking away with his Blind Blake thumbrolling style and crooning the rags, Zachary tickling the drums with his brushes and Doug blowing the horn with a free form abandon that had all the verve and tone of King Oliver.

After the gig was over Stiles figured he would give this music and this side of his songwriting the full treatment and thusly recruited bandmate Ben Bernstein, who plays with a freedom and fluidity few ever approach, to play stand up bass. Soon after Stiles called Mike Rinta, the Bay Area's most reknown trombonist and arranger, and much to his surprise, Mike and Stiles are both ragtime fanatics who listen to Scott Joplin like they are hearing the calls of divinity. Mike, in fact, also a piano player, used to bang out such classic rags on the keys and Stiles, likewise has converted some of Joplin to his guitar. Soon after, Stiles got wind of clarinet and sax maestro Ben Doitel and with another call the band was complete.

Stiles started making visits to Mike Rinta's apartment in Berkeley where Mike tirelessly arranged Stiles' original material in this vein for the horn section and bass. The songs range from raucous fun to weird and creepy rag compositions and were by no means trivial to write out. But to make matters more palatable, literally, they also took part in Mike's famous barbecue and dirty rice you can't stop eating which only added to the inspiration. The band then began rehearsing and recently stepped into the studio to lay down some incredible tracks at Ben Bernstein's little shack of a studio in Oakland. Master engineer, Bernstein recorded the band playing together as the music was meant to be done.

But the beauty of this band are the individual personalities coming together in harmony formulated by the Diablo himself. Ben Doitel has a clean and classic style that is understated yet surprising and deep, while his counterpart on the trumpet, Doug Ellington, blows with a swanky melodic feel that projects the bold confidence and brilliance of his ancestry. Mike Rinta on the bone often brings us to New Orleans, binding the section together with leadership few trombone players dream of doing and when they all let loose together in joyous cacophony, smiles seem to plant themselves on everyone within earshot.

But it would all be for naught if the rhythm section of Stiles, Morris and Bernstein didn't lay down a loose and rollicking pad over which Stiles belts, croons and coaxes out songs of mysterious beauty and thunks the guitar as one might play a piano. Could Morris and Bernstein be the greatest rhythm section alive at this art form? You will have to see it for yourself.