West Chester Life Magazine Fall Winter 2008 : Page 34
West Chester Life aradox is a long- time Chester County music group that thrills its devoted fans with reliably great-sounding classic rock. The core of the group is made up of three broth- ers, Tom, Bill and Jamie Alvord, originally from Malvern, but now residing in the Downingtown area. Recently, we conducted an interview with Jamie Alvord. Barbara Hoffman (BH): Give us the background on this group. Jamie Alvord: We grew up as a family of eight in the mid 60’s. We had few toys Courtesy photo The Alvord brothers: From left to right, Bill Alvord, Jamie Alvord and Tom Alvord. Paradox: It’s a Family Affair P By Barbara E. Hoffman Paradox: It’s a Family Affair 34 Fall/Winter 2008 • West Chester Life
Paradox : It's a Family Affair
Barbara E. Hoffman
Paradox is a longtime Chester County music group that thrills its devoted fans with reliably great-sounding classic rock.
The core of the group is made up of three brothers, Tom, Bill and Jamie Alvord, originally from Malvern, but now residing in the Downingtown area.
Recently, we conducted an interview with Jamie Alvord.
Barbara Hoffman (BH): Give us the background on this group.
Jamie Alvord: We grew up as a family of eight in the mid 60’s. We had few toys And opportunities, but we learned to play music together at an early age. Tom learned to play the bass guitar, Bill learned lead guitar, and I learned to play rhythm guitar. I also sang in the school and church choirs. We all learned to sing various vocal parts and shared the lead vocal roles.
As the band formed and began playing around the local area, we added a few friends along the way to play the drums. The drummer position has been a difficult position to keep filled over the years. Due to performance-limiting injuries and a few very untimely deaths, our drummers have changed several times over the years, though the three Alvord front men have always remained the same. Some of the better known drummers that we have had the pleasure to work with during our performance career have been our brothers--Bobby, Kenny and Bryan Alvord. There are also quite a few good friends that have played drums for our band over the years, such as Harry Forwood, Levi Wilson and Tom Perry. Clyde Eshleman is our current drummer.
BH: Where have you played?
Alvord: Our band grew in popularity in the mid 80’s and early 90’s when we added our younger brother Kenny as the drummer. At that time, we played many local establishments and events in the Chester County area. Performing top 40 classic dance rock, we made regular appearances at Margarita’s Restaurant, Central Park, Alibi’s, Spectators, The Brass Eagle, Appeteazers, and many other local clubs and establishments. We specialized in large outdoor venues such as the Turk’s Head Festival, the Carlisle Corvette Show, and other annual festivals and events. Since the loss of our brother Kenny to cancer in the mid 90’s, we have continued to play with the addition of a new drummer. We appear at local establishments and enjoy performing regularly for local beef and beer fundraisers, festivals and private parties for area residents and friends.
BH: Describe your music for us.
Alvord: We play top 40 classic rock from the 70’s and 80’s. We like to sing multiple part harmonies and try to mix the song list for a variety of age groups and event situations. We like having a good time with our audience and enjoy the rewards of watching them have fun.
BH: What made you and your brothers decide to become a professional performing group?
Alvord: Our oldest brother Bobby played drums in a local band in the early 60’s. We used to watch their band practice on occasion and enjoyed the sound of live music. The age of rock n’ roll was in its infancy, and we could feel the excitement in the music when we listened to bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. We were draw to the music of that time.
As brothers, we grew up in the usual way—loving and fighting each other here and there. Our older brother brought a few drums home to mess around with.
My brother Tom saved up and bought a few instruments. Bill latched onto one of Tom’s guitars and got pretty good with it. Tom finally bought a bass and stuck with it. I always liked to sing. I tried the drums for a while, but eventually learned the rhythm guitar to fill in and complete the rhythm section.
BH: Where was the first place you performed?
Alvord: We used to practice at an old garage out on Rt. 401 that Tom rented for us. Our first gig was at a friend’s graduation party in the Malvern area.
BH: What is your favorite venue for performing?
Alvord: We love to play large venues, benefits, and local beef and beer fundraisers.
People have a lot of fun and help to contribute to a good cause at the same time.
BH: What is the venue you avoid like the plague?
Alvord: There is no place that we really try to avoid. We enjoy playing for all people. If the audience is having a good time, we are having a good time too.
BH: Every performer has a horror story to tell. What is yours?
Alvord: The worst part of our 35-year history is the loss of our two brothers Bobby and Kenny. They were two truly talented and fun loving brothers. We miss them and think of them everyday.
BH: What were your most successful performances?
Alvord: Some of the greatest times were when we would play the larger clubs and we could feel the whole place in sync with us. I used to get tears in my eyes, looking to my left, to my right and behind me, surrounded by my brothers.
It was such an awesome feeling to be part of those moments and the sound would be so sweet.
BH: What would you like to see Paradox doing in the future?
Alvord: I would like to see us continue playing around the local area. As long as the people enjoy what we do and we are having fun, we will continue to perform.
BH: How do you manage to fit in work, rehearsals and performing?
Alvord: Wow! It’s not easy, that’s for sure. The main thing is we don’t look at it as work. We enjoy what we do. We realize it is more than just music when we get together. I think our fans sense that too.
BH: Have you ever worked through an agent?
Alvord: We were booked through a fairly large booking agent in the early 80’s. We played all over the tri-state area for a few years, but we felt the agent was calling too many of the shots for us. We wanted to control and expand more of our bookings to include the local area and larger outdoor venues.
BH: Who books your jobs now?
Alvord: Most of the bookings are handled by me and Tom.
We have our own website, www.Paradoxrocks.com, where clients can find booking information. At the website, you can review information, book the band or send us an e-mail.
We work together on publicity. Tom and a friend, Maggie Horosky, maintain our website and I produce all the other literature and publicity material for the band.
BH: How do you choose what pieces to sing and play?
Alvord: Most of the time we pick a song and the pieces just fall into place. We get a feel for who is going to sing and do whatever instrumentation is needed, and then we work out the arrangement as we go.
BH: When you write your own material, from where do you get your inspiration?
Alvord: Most of the original material I write is inspired by a combination of my life experiences when growing up, the vast array of personal relationships that have touched my life in some special way, and the spiritual journey I believe we are all on.
BH: What is your idea of a dream gig?
Alvord: We like playing for all of our fans, friends, and family. Having everyone together and having fun while we play our music is a great feeling.
BH: If you could take your music to a new level, where would you take it?
Alvord: We have a lot of original material that we have yet to record. It would be nice to assemble and record all of our own material and perform our new songs for our fans.
BH: What have you recorded to date And where can it be purchased?
Alvord: We have a mix of cover and original material on CD that we offer through our website and at our shows. We also have T-shirts and other items available.
BH: What recording studio or equipment do you use to record your material?
Alvord: We spent some session time in a few recording studios throughout the Philadelphia area in the early 80’s. We have since built our own practice and recording studio for Recording purposes. We have a complete set of light, sound and band equipment for on-the-road use. We have a second set of band equipment and recording gear in our studio setup for practice and recording purposes.
BH: Where do you see this group five or ten years from now?
Alvord: We will continue playing local establishments and events thought the Chester County area. We hope to have our original CD completed and released in the near future.
BH: What artists have influenced your music the most?
Alvord: We like all types of music, from pop and easy rock to the heavier sounds of classic rock. We like playing anything from the Beatles, Rolling Stones to ZZ Top, John Cougar-Mellencamp and Led Zeppelin.
BH: What advice do you have for bands just starting out?
Alvord: Well, we like the music, the people and the whole process of the gig, from the setup and playing to meeting all the people along the way. We enjoy each other, even though we might get on each other’s nerves once in a while. When we walk out on the stage, something happens that makes it all worthwhile. It should happen that way to you too. Like I always say, it’s more than just music.
A few quotes from Paradox fans and critics say it all: “Wow these guys are awesome, they sound just like the record.” “They play such a wide variety of music, there’s something for everyone.” “Paradox rocks!”
