As with any musical group, people often ask, “What kind of music do you play”, expecting an easily digestible answer.  But there is no easy reply.  If we were a Dixieland band, or could say we sound like The Beatles, or played Indian classical music, one would have a sound in their head to use as a reference. For us it just isn’t so. So when we tell people, “Oh its Balkan surf ska, with a Western Swing Ethiopian twist”, their eyes glaze over. To ease your way into Go Van Gogh, we will tell you a small bit about what we are currently doing without mentioning every place on the planet that birthed our influences.

Go Van Gogh spent its decade and a half performing self-composed works of startling beauty, and dance floor exuberance. Led by Connie and Jesse Walkershaw, we rambled up and down many musical paths as our tastes and interest changed. How these tunes were enacted depended largely on the makeup of the group.  Two saxophones, a violin, bass and drums will shape a piece of music differently than lap steel, sax, riq (hand drum) and bass.  The notes of the main melody may be the same, but perhaps their meter, emphasis, or intent may change.  The band’s line up is currently Connie Walkershaw on soprano, tenor, and alto saxophone, Brad Bechtel on lap steel, Jesse Walkershaw on bass, Kelvin Burton on drums, and Jesse Jackson on guitar. This five piece line up of veteran players, with advanced musicality, provides Go Van Gogh with a pallet of tonal and rhythmic colors wider than would be suggested by their instrumentation.

The point for the Walkershaws, as the primary composers, was always to use the inspiration of the moment, letting the pieces fall as they may. Thus a huge volume of material was introduced and discarded, not solely on an assessment of quality, as much as what tickles the fancy on a given day.  Any tune lucky enough to come around more than once would not know itself if it happened to glance in the mirror.

Forging ahead once again, we have introduced words/vocals into our mix. Penning songs of social significance (and some no so socially signifying), as well as tunes from our new guitarist Jesse Jackson, whose dark take has found a narrative and musical home in the Go Van Gogh milieu