San Francisco Voice

Pat Morris, Jim Knowles and Tim Cuny – three of the guys that make up Project Greenfield

Project Greenfield is a quintet of musicians that have known each other since the 1970’s but have only recently started making music together again. That music is often described as “fresh, retro rock” jam band with jazz and funk influences, a basis in storytelling and a live music edge that runs through every song. They’re releasing their second CD, Spiral Path. Check out this interview with percussionist Tim Cuny.

What’s the story on how the band formed?

Gather round children, it was a dark and stormy night…  Actually, Project Greenfield was formed around three friends; Jim Knowles, Pat Morris, and Tim Cuny.  Jim and I, brothers with different parents, went to high school and played together musically over the years.  We hooked up with Pat when he moved to San Francisco from Boston.  We played in various bands in the 70’s and 80’s until we all got married, had kids, and explored the idea of growing up – with varying success.  We all continued to play and to stay in touch over the years.  Two or three years ago, we burst into spontaneous creativity and started to increase the frequency of jamming together.  We added different friends and instrumentations along the way.  Good things have happened and continue so now we have our second CD, Spiral Path, being released.  Our journey moves forward.

Where did the Project Greenfield name come from?

We rehearse and record on Greenfield Street in San Rafael.  The term “Greenfield Project” is used for unstructured, open projects that aren’t bound by pre-existing work or ideas.  Our musical basis is free jamming conversations that evolve naturally and lead where they may.  So, we thought Project Greenfield fit nicely.

If you had to sum up your sound, what would you say?

We talk about this a lot, as our sound is a synthesis of our creative experiences.  We definitely have a psychedelic rock sound coming from the 60’s with dashes of East Bay funk, World beat, and jazz tones.  Our  music comes from jamming and listening to each other as a way of telling stories.  The lyrics are expressions of personal growth and social activism given the world condition.  When critics listen to our CDs, we often get the label of fresh, retro rock – whatever that means – though given our ages and experiences, it seems to fit.

What can you tell us about your collaborative/ creative process? 

We’re very big on jamming.  Essentially, we just start playing, listening hard, following and exploring.  We let the tapes roll all the time so we don’t even think about it – it’s very free.  Then Pat mixes down what we have and burns CDs.  Sometimes we take one of the cuts, develop lyrics and just lay vocals over the track, maybe add some percussion or a guitar or keyboard track as well, maybe just vocals.  Find Peace is like that, so is The Girl Can’t Help It.  Sometimes, the basic idea is there, but we want to add a bridge or otherwise alter the structure.   So, we’ll cut a new track, lay vocals over that.

We also have a few songs we’ve written individually or with other friends.  We bring those in and run through them.  Usually, the tapes are rolling – we try to get a live, raw sound, so it’s mostly a single take, maybe two.  We may overdub the vocals, or just go with the reference vocal, add some backup.  The only song we really “worked” is Judgment Day.  We had probably four takes – different keyboard patches mainly. Then Pat took one of the tracks and laid a vocal and, I think, added some slide acoustic.  We loved the mood so we just added a bit of backing vocal.   Really, anything we play twice, we’re already bored.  The first cut’s the deepest.

Describe the average fan of Project Greenfield.

Gray, with 12 inch blades and a noisy motor.  Our fans are rockers who enjoy listening to music that tell stories about who we all are, and what we face as we dance through this life.  Since our music is a synthesis of common experiences, we are lucky to have fan feedback from a broad group of species.

If the band was a San Francisco landmark, which one would it be and why?

Lombard Street, ‘cause we’re old and twisted?

Do you have a favorite SF venue?

The Fillmore is a great room that evokes tremendous sounds and psychedelic flashbacks.  Gotta love that the flashbacks are free.

Which spots in the city can you be found in when you’re just out and about? 

Farmer’s Market, various Thai restaurants, but mostly we’re out and about of the city.

Where do you guys want to be a year from now?

Releasing our third CD while playing in Paris and bragging that we are a San Francisco band.

If there was anything that you could make sure your fans knew, what would it be?

Everything once and never again.

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