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Two short bios:
Colorado's Dewey Paul Band reaches beyond the jam band labeling
with thought-provoking, meaningful and inspiring material.
2009's "Ancient Heart" and 2008's "On The Devil's Highway" are only the most recent offering from
former concert promoter Dewey Paul Moffitt whom has taken that leap full time from behind the scenes to down stage
center. Moffitt previously released five CDs with his former band Dewey Decibel System while producing music
festivals
from Florida to Colorado as well as sound engineering for many venues and touring artists.
That type of backstage and front-of-house commitment has spawned a completely self-produced and do-it-yourself artist.
The music itself has a wide-array of influences and isn't easily pigeon-holed by the genre-labeling elite.
"I would consider it lyrically-driven folk rock with splashes of improvisational jamming thrown in every chance we get.
It seems everyone has the need to compare you to someone and I tend to hear a lot of people say Lou Reed, Petty,
Springsteen and Dylan. It's certainly an honor when I hear those things." Moffitt says.
The Dylan influence seems like an obvious one, considering Moffitt also fronts an all-Bob Dylan cover band,
Dylan66 and hosts an annual charity event honoring the music of Dylan. There is a lot of jam band influence
heard as well, especially when the band performs live. Moffitt got his behind the scenes break when legendary concert
promoter Bill Graham hired him to do production work in the early '90s. He spent several years setting up
dressing rooms
for the Grateful Dead before venturing out into producing music festivals and sound engineering.
"On one hand the (music) business is extremely harsh and unforgiving, and on the other hand when you are
fortunate enough to participate in that magical exchange with an audience, I have found nothing more rewarding than that.
Music is the medicine for the human soul, and I cannot imagine a life without it." Moffitt says.
Dewey Paul Band's 2009 CD "Ancient Heart" features band members Tim Steele on bass,
a Denver music veteran and Colorado native, and east coast drum virtuoso Ben E. King, whom also adds
several years of concert promoting experience to the team. Bill McKay, keyboardist for Leftover Salmon,
lends organ tracks to five cuts of the CD and Arnie J. Green, whose credits include many San Francisco Bay Area
bands including Steve Kimock and Zero, performs some guest guitar duties on the disc.
The name-dropping doesn't stop there, here's a few comments from other well-known
musicians whom Dewey has performed with...
"I love the CD, it's really great work."
"Dewey is a true professional and has lots of material that's very inspiring to work with."
"You're a pretty good guitar player Dewey. I really enjoyed jamming with you."
Dewey Paul Band is currently touring nationally.
bio version 2:
Dewey Paul Band is an Americana rock group from Denver, Colorado featuring guitarist, concert promoter and former Sonia Dada sound engineer
Dewey Paul Moffitt, bassist Tim Steele and drummer Ben E. King. The band blends soulful folk/singer-songwriter styles with elements of jam-band, blues, and a modern version of that
classic rock sound resulting in a unique, original, rootsy Americana music experience.
Heavily influenced by the writings of Bob Dylan, J.J. Cale, and Jackson Browne,
Moffitt tends to refer to his musical offerings
as 'lyrically driven'. His artistic passions are mostly derived
from living a well-traveled life on the road. He spent many years as a nomadic Deadhead before the band's biggest promoter,
Bill Graham, hired him to work behind the scenes in the early '90's. That spawned a career in the live concert business
eventually gaining Moffitt respect as a festival producer and audio engineer.
Having played the guitar since the early age of 9, Moffitt's passion for writing songs and performing has never wained.
He's regularly invited to sit in on all-star jam sessions and has participated as a guest musician on 5 annual
reenactments of The Band's famous Last Waltz Concert. He also produces an annual charity event which celebrates
the songs of Bob Dylan while benefiting music in Colorado public schools. Hundreds of Denver area musicians have
participated in the annual charity event along with legendary Jerry Garcia Band keyboardist Melvin Seals. A side
project was soon formed: an All-Star Bob Dylan cover group, Dylan66, which Dewey founded and performs with.
Moffitt was born a fourth generation native of Coshocton, Ohio, but has since adopted many other hometowns
throughout his journey such as Boca Raton, Florida, Oakland, California, Gainesville, Florida, New Orleans,
Louisiana, Lawrence, Kansas, and most recently Denver, Colorado. In Denver he spent over six years as
audio engineer at the Pepsi Center working closely with the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, NBA's Denver Nuggets,
AFL's Colorado Crush and NLL's
Colorado Mammoth in addition to being a festival director for Denver's LODO music festivals.
In 2008, Dewey Paul Band released its' first CD "On The Devil's Highway". Moffitt had previously released 5 CDs with an
earlier project Dewey Decibel System. Moffitt aligned himself in the studio again in 2009 with bassist
Tim Steele and drummer Ben E. King
for their second CD release "Ancient Heart". Guest keyboardist on the disc is Leftover Salmon's
Bill McKay whom Moffitt performs with in the Bob Dylan cover group, Dylan66. Also appearing on the CD is guitarist
and Colorado musical legend Arnie J. Green.
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Press Clippings:
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8th August 2008 -Summit Daily News
KEYSTONE -Dewey Paul Moffitt found Summit County 18 years ago, on a break from touring with the Grateful Dead.
He finally was able to move to the mountains permanently back in December, and is releasing the Dewey Paul Band's
first album
with a show at the Goat. Moffitt worked the Dead shows backstage setting up, and also worked as a concert
promoter in Florida while performing music with the Dewey Decibel System before he arrived here.
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5th July 2007 -Crested Butte Weekly
"I've been trying to come up with a funny story or joke about our name," says Dewey Paul, singer and guitarist with Dylan66,
"but the truth is, it's Bob Dylan?s age." But Dylan66 is not your average cover band, in fact, they're not a cover band at all.
The lead vocalist for the band is female vocalist
Chella Negro who Dewey describes as the "voice of the band." Now that?s a novel way to approach that classic Bob Dylan style... with a lady singer.
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29th June 2007 -Steamboat Pilot & Today
Don't call Dylan 66 a cover band.
"We don't like to think of ourselves as a cover group,"
guitarist and vocalist Dewey Moffitt said. "
We try to keep our own unique style while we play Dylan's songs."
Dylan 66, a compilation of artists that re-create Dylan's songs, started as a charity concert in 2006. The original idea for the event celebrated...
22nd June 2007 -Rocky Mountain News
RUMORS AND HEARSAY: The Dylan66 show at the Oriental Theatre is hitting the road with members of Leftover Salmon,
Shakedown Street and more. Dates are set in mountain towns and Denver...
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21st June 2007 -Summit Daily News
On Bob Dylan?s 65th birthday last year, Denver area musicians got together to perform the songwriter?s classic tunes, and raise money for music in the schools.
24th May June 2007 -Westword
Dewey Paul Moffitt is somewhat of a tribute giver extraordinaire. The co-owner of the Oriental Theater, 4335 West 44th Avenue,
Moffitt has paid homage to Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits and the Band. But last year's Bob Dylan tribute, Dylan65
(dubbed so because it was held on Dylan's 65th birthday), drew by far the biggest crowd.
"Bob's crossovers reach every genre of music. He is the best to interpret in your own way,"
Moffitt says. Last year's monumental response motivated Moffitt to do it again... but this time, even bigger...
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18th May 2007 -Rocky Mountain News
Speaking of Dylan, the Oriental Theatre is holding its annual tribute concert to him on his birthday (May 24) with...
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Blank Poster images:
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Reviews:
June 2007 -WhatsDoingTonight.com
from WHATSDOINGTONIGHT.COM:by Mark Stout
Two shows put on at the Oriental Theater - Dylan 65 and Who's Incognito - in the last month pulled together some of the biggest names in music for two incredible nights of musical entertainment. The first of these was the Dylan 65 show organized by Dewey Moffitt of Dewey Decibel System. A tribute to Bob Dylan on his 65th birthday, the show featured some of the hottest performers on the Denver music scene. The show was an organizational and musical masterpiece. In moments between songs when my attention wasn't fully on the music, I was left to wonder just how Moffitt managed to organize so many performers and pull it all off without a hitch. Talent rendering Dylan's songs included: Adam Stern of Double Parked; Angie Stevens; Aylon Baru; Bill McKay of Double Parked, Leftover Salmon; Brian Sofer; Bridget Law; Chris Barber of Spiv; Anna Zimmerli; Chris Stake of The Trampolines; Dan Treanor; Dewey Paul Moffitt; Evan Sitchler of Electrodelic; Jake Wolf of Shakedown Street and Rocky Mountain Grateful Dead Revue; Jeff St. Andrews; Jim Dalton of The Railbenders; Jimmy Giachetti of Soul Patch and U.S. Pipe; John Common; Jose' Rossy of Sonia Dada; Mark Sundermeier of The Trampolines; Michael "Stork" Caprara of Natchez Bound & Purple Buddha; Michelle Caponigro of Natchez Bound & Purple Buddha; Mike "Spanky" McCluer of Double Parked Two Ton Moxie; Mike Studeny of Hot Feet Herring; Missy Gutreuter of Soul Patch and U.S. Pipe Paul "Dr. Poz" Cohen of Double Parked; Peter Stelling of Two Ton Moxie; R.C. Griffin Jr.; Scott Baxendale; the legendary Terry Dalton; Tom Piercy of Double Parked; Tori Pater of Polytoxic. See what I mean about an organizational and music masterpiece? If you are one of the unfortunate few who missed the show, Moffit is doing it again on July 28th at Quixote's. |
 My good friend and fellow musician
Doug Riefler passed away on March 5, 2005. Doug was certainly a fine musician who had such a soulful and charismatic approach
to his bass playing. I recorded with Doug in August of 1995 at Mirror Image Studios in Gainesville, Florida. He played acoustic stand-up bass
on the first Dewey Decibel System CD, Not All Who Wander Are Lost. His performances on "Springwater" and the title track
"Not All Who Wander Are Lost" were absolutely stellar. I remember hanging out with Doug at parties and seeing him perform
in many bands around Gainesville. He was an exceptionally kind person and will indeed be missed by many. -Dew
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