tesville, playing random gigs and taping the BETshow. When Matthews heard Carter was back in Virginia, he decided to approach himabout making the demo tape. Matthews, Beauford, and Moore then approached StefanLessard, who at 16, was already an accomplished upright bass player The trio asked Stefan to play electric bass guitar for the newly forming band. Lessard was already a verywell respected bass player in the Jazz circles of Virginia. He converted to the electric bassfor the band. The bass is really the only non acoustic instrument in the band. Sometimes,though, Lessard uses the upright. Stefan considers revolutionary bass player JacoPastorius to be his greatest musical influence.While recording the demo one of the tunes seemed to need a supporting violin, thegroup then sought out Boyd Tinsely who was a classical violinist until 1985, when heswitched over to rock and roll. Before joining Dave, Carter, Leroi, and Stefan, Boydplayed with a few local outfits. He had his Boyd Tinsley Band, which he continued to playwith until 93, and he played with Down Boy Down, an acoustic duo that played fraternityparties and college bars around Charlottesville. After playing with the new band on thedemo tape, Tinsley approached Dave and Carter and asked to join.Now for seven years the band has been playing a very different brand of pop. WithBeaufords funky back beat and the unconventionalism of saxophone and violin leadinstruments, The Dave Matthews Band is very different from todays typical three chordpop music. Five musicians coming from such different backgrounds is what makes thisband so different and talented. While the band hardly can be considered fusion the influence of Jazz is especiallyprevalent in the style of the Dave Matthews Bands music. When listening to the band it is obvious that the tambour is closely related to Jazz.The guitar is primarily used as a rhythm instrument, playing the same riff or progressionrepetitively. This le...
