Wind 1

Wind (1976)

On stage at the Hamilton Lounge (in the bowling alley).

Back in 1976 or so when I was 16, my friend Bobby and I were at The Hamilton Lanes bowling alley for a church teen club, midnight bowling party. Since the legal drinking age at the time was 18 and we were both kinda big, we figured we would sneak into the lounge. After the door man stopped collecting, we walked in and kinda grabbed a spot along the wall behind a bunch of people (so as not to be noticed), to watch the band. I don’t know if was because we were at a church thing that night or what, but, Jesus, I SAW THE LIGHT!! The band is rocking its way through "Rock & Roll Never Forgets", near the end of the song where he sings "OOOh Lord", Ernie White, dressed in a BP gas pumper’s jumpsuit, leaps into the air with his big red Gibson guitar. The second he hits the stage, flash pots go off and the strobe lights come on! WOW, I WAS HOOKED!!!

(yeah I know, thats twice with the strobe lights!)

Record Producer/Entertainment Newspaper Publisher Norm Tiedemann at left
and Drummer Sam Masiello on right with the Wind stage banner (I wonder where it's at these days?!!)

Tuesday nite rolls around and so it's over to Angeloni's for alot more disco, a lot more funk, and even a little bit of rock. Starting off this evening at Angeloni's is the baddest group around (ask 'em, they'll tell ya themselves), Wind. From left to right we have phabulous Phil "the rap" Zito on clavinet, electronic wizardry, vocals, etc. Sammy Masiello on, in, and around.. .drums (and vocals). Ernie (five string Ernie) White lead and rhythm guitar, vocals, and general poor wit. Last but definitely not least (he's at least 6' 4") Jeff Guenther on the funkiest bass in town. Together these guys are and always will be "The four who give you more" (They'll tell ya this themselves too).

These guys are still playing other peoples music, despite the fact their originals include such monsters as "Another", and "A Good Man's Hard To Find". And don't let them kid you, they have many more originals. In fact, I think they're stockpiling them somewhere underneath Puzio's Barber Shop on Hamilton Avenue. We'll see.

As for the material they are playing, it's still mostly funk, funk, funk! These guys have broken the ethnic barrier and proven that you don't have to be Black or Scottish to play mean, funky tunes.

Mixed in with the disco-funk numbers are rockers like Hall and Oates' "Sara Smile", and Peter Frampton's "Show Me The Way", and a jazzy George Benson song entitled "Masquerade". They ended their last set with a shortened version of "How Blue Can You Get?". Yes, they could make it as a blues band in any club around.