The OGeeZ are a talented twosome from California consisting of guitarist-composer Steve Gerick and lead singer and lyricist Lew Witter. Presently working in the San Francisco Bay Area, this studio act writes and records a healthy combination of songs in the genres of rock, pop and R&B. Their original work is the product of their desire to produce what they call “a counter-culture sound” that demonstrates their “desire to avoid the status quo” in the music industry as well as their diverse backgrounds.
Witter, like your rockin’ writer, was born in Hawaii. His family moved to California when he was a child. His parents turned him on to Hawaiian music, R&B, pop music, jazz, semi-classical music, country music, the standards and even show tunes.
He began his career in music as a teen singing in “Doo Wop” groups. He was half of the act named Denny and Lenny and cut the single “Ghoul Love” in the 1960s. He served a brief stint in the Marine Corps. The drug culture soon took its toll on him, however, and he was soon committing crimes and serving time in prison.
Meanwhile, Gerick, born and raised in the Midwest, became involved with drugs by the time he was 14. This was also the age at which he first began playing the guitar. He soon was playing in various cover bands. Eventually he would settle down, get a blue collar job and work on a family.
His career as a musician would come to a halt, however, thanks to psychological issues and criminal charges. He ran afoul of the law, was institutionalized and was even homeless until when he was 20-something he moved to California in 1977. He would join a jam band but would quit for a few years to work in the computer industry.
By the 1980s they had both long since tired of their perilous pasts and were in a 12-step program in order to keep their new lives together. It would be at one of these meetings that they both would meet. Oddly, it would be years before they would actually discuss music. Finally, one fateful night Gerick said he played “some guitar” and Witter responded “Hey, I sing a little” and The OGeeZ was born.
They began working together. In 2007 Gerick began learning about desktop music production. He also enrolled at the Berklee School of Music the next year. He built his first recording studio later that very same year.
Their previous experiences in different cover bands—Gerick in the mid-west and Witter on the west coast-- would lead them to experimenting with a number of different musical styles. Their goal was to find a way to share their life stories without relegating themselves to one signature sound. Gerick would compose and play most of the music and Witter would write the lyrics and take the lead on vocals.
In 2009 they would release their debut disc Seven Deadly Sins. It included seven deadly ditties such as “Mo’ Is Betta” and “Is This Lust Or Is This Love?” 2010 would be spent finalizing the tracks for their new album.
Just last year the pair put out their new CD, All Over The Map. The title was very appropriate considering the duo’s unwillingness to be pigeonholed into one particular genre. This 10-track indie album is a collection of tracks that both reveals something about the artists as well as demonstrates how two determined individuals can show what they’ve got regardless of how many twists and turns their lives might have taken.
The album’s lead-in is a track titled “Illusions”. It has a tinge of world music to it and speaks to the difference of a world the speaker would like to live in as opposed to the real world in which he truly exists. (Immediately there is something familiar about Witter’s vocals but it’s too soon to be certain.)
The second selection is “Be With Me”. This is a straight out tribute to Witter’s “loving, understanding wife”. This is practically a prerequisite when it comes to married musicians and works well for what it is.
“El Immigrante” follows. It’s got a bit of the expected “South of the border” sound to it that is thankfully not overdone. Artists in California shock no one when they cover this subject and yet this particular piece manages to have its own charm and avoid too much political nonsense. After all, there are a significant number of music fans that prefer their entertainers stay away from too much politicking.
“The Walking Dead” appears next. This cut was recently chosen to be included on a track of an upcoming segment of The Unsigned Show on both Radio Basingstoke, & Radio UK International. This is just another way that The OGeeZ are “all over the map.”
“Cross Currents” is a great instrumental piece and almost made “Critic’s Choice”. Without lyrics though it is more of a solo number so it was ‘disqualified”. This is, however, one of the best tracks on the entire album with an opening vaguely reminiscent of simpler Elton John and Tommy-era Who. While this may be no surprise considering one of the act’s many influences in indeed The Who the instrumental still rocks.
“Bailout Blues” is one of the more obvious, timely tracks. Inspired by current events and possibly B.B. King, this is a blues-soaked song that tells rockin’ rags to riches tale. The boys then go off in yet another direction with “Suenos Perdidos”. This is a tragic tale about two young lovers within a catchy cut injected with a bit of a world music/Latin sound and bilingual lyrics. This one is no doubt one of their more popular songs outside the US.
“Ode Billy Ray” earns the “Critic’s Choice” here. It made your rascally reviewer laugh. It is a lot like a Frank Zappa tune between the vocals, the character voices and the occasional odd bit of instrumentation. Again, considering Frank Zappa is among the long list of influences this should be no surprise. Still, no surprise is needed beyond a bit of unexpected humor injected into an album of personal experiences, social commentary and not always obvious political statements.
“Anarchist” is the next number. This one is a bit of gloom and doom, Zappa-like politically-pessimistic pieces. This world-is-in-chaos cut includes a vocal rant and surprisingly melodic rock riffs. Somehow it all comes together in an angry almost ominous piece.
The closing cut is “War Machine”. This is yet one more example of their musical abilities and ends an album inspired by numerous other acts including Los Lobos, The Eagles, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix to name but a few. The OGeeZ are currently promoting this recent album and working on new material. Here are a couple of older artists who are definitely more rocker than rocking chair.
My name is Phoenix and . . . that’s the bottom line.
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