Around 2008 I was playing with John Lee Sanders and our bass player, Dean Singh, had just moved to Edmonton so we decided to try a new bassist. Introducing Jim Ryan. So we were going to play our first show with Jim at Lorenzo’s in Ashton creek.
Now I was really nervous because Jim was the bassist in an act that I loved called the Cruzeros, they were a great band, hugely popular and I knew Jim to be a monster.
Get to the sit behind the kit, look off to the left and front row is Gary Smyth another Cruzero just watching us(I was so nervous that I can’t remember if Pauline was even at that show). I’m so nervous now because these guys are the best of
the best that this town has to offer. I play the show probably very badly but don’t really remember much except that I was really nervous. Gary came out again and caught us at the Minstrel with Dennis Mercenko on bass as Jim left for family commitments.
Fast forward a couple of years and Gary contacts me to play a show with Sideshow Bob. It was a one off for a Blues Festival opening for Harpdog Brown, whom I later played for until his untimely passing a month prior to Gary’s untimely passing.
I don’t hear from Gary for a couple of more years until he asks me if I want to play in a Jam band at Riley’s with him and Jim Ryan. Sure!!!
I get to the show and Jim wants to switch between drummers, one week me and one week Scott Gamble cause “Scotty’s my guy.” Ok. So that goes on for a few weeks, like an audition everytime we play. lol. And at some point I just became the drummer
and GRR (Green Room Riders) was born. About my 4th week of playing with Gary and Jim, I’m loading in, slip on the ice and my bass drum scratches Gary’s green Mini. So Gary got all my pay for the next year from those Shows to pay for the paint job
and he started driving his old truck to Riley’s.
The band was fun, funny, witty (the back and forth between Jim and Gary on stage was something to behold) two of the smartest, wittiest people verbally jousting all night long. And the musicianship those two brought to the table every night was unparalleled.
Every time we played at some point magic happened! A couple of great shows at the Rug Room one with Niki Martinus, New Years every single show. MAGIC.
From there Gary ponied me up for the RMH (Rocky Mountain High) show that Rick Worrall was putting together. And again it was amazing, we took that show across Canada with Rick and Lee Holdridge at the helm and a beautiful cast of great musicians propping them up.
And the two that made the travel bearable were Gary and Chris Stevens, so funny. Just great people. Constant laughs.
So, Gary decided to move to Ontario to be closer to his family and I had to miss his going away party due to work but, we had a tour planned for RMH this November so I was feeling good. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing each other anytime soon.
Rest In Power My friend.