Up to Scales
Steel drum act Jonathan Scales Fourchestra returns to Boone April 16

By Tiffany Allison

Taking an authentic Caribbean instrument and turning it into a jazz instrument, Ashville-based Jonathan Scales of Jonathan Scales Fourchestra manipulates the sound of his steel drum, creating a distinct resonance that adds a refreshing vibe to the jazz scene.

His sound is a mixture of Bela Fleck with Harry Belafonte and a splash of Pat Metheny. Mimicking their biggest influence, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra managed to use the steel drum instead of the banjo as their forward instrument while leaning on guitar to provide the rhythm and chord progression.

“He (Bela Fleck) takes the banjo out of its normal settings and does cool stuff with it,” Scales said.

Guitarist Duane Simpson recently joined the group in 2009.

“He brings a strong blues-rock background into the band,” Scales said. “People kind of latch on to that because they are used to hearing that type of sound.”

Starting in 2007, Scales and his drummer, Ryan Lassiter, are the only two original members of the band. They added Shannon Hoover in January 2009 as their bass player around the same time as Simpson. Hoover intermittently adds tight and smooth bass lines throughout their songs and is considered to be one of the most talent bassists in the area.

“He’s pretty much monstrous on the bass,” Scales said. “He’s probably one of the best bass players that people have seen around here. He just brings the whole virtuosic approach to the music.”

Scales has released two albums since his beginning– One-Track-Mind in 2007 and Plot/Scheme in 2008. Plot/Scheme features Flecktone and Grammy award winner Jeff Coffin in the songs entitled “Old Jailhouse” and “Yep.” In reference to working with Coffin, Scales said, “Working with Jeff Coffin was a dream come true. I’ve listen to the Flecktones for years, so it was a big deal for me to work with someone who I’m a fan of and has had a big impact on my style.”

A graduate of Appalachian State University, Scales received his B.A in Music Composition in 2006. Scales started off as a saxophone and percussion player. Inspired by his friends try out for ASU’s steel band, Scales began playing the steel drum his freshman year in 2002.

“It felt natural to me,” he said. “It felt more natural to me personally than playing saxophone, so I was attracted to it more.”

Scales met Lassiter during his time spent at ASU. The two quickly discovered they had a similar passion to create a unique sound of music and decided to form Jonathan Scales Fourchestra. Scales met his other members through his interaction with the music scene in Asheville.

“Being on the scene for a while and playing with all kinds of people, people start to recommend other people that would fit our sound,” he said. “It’s kind of how it happens.”

Even with two new additions, Scales said they have not lost their momentum. If anything, the change has made things run a lot smoother.

“We are still moving full steam ahead,” he said. “I’m focused more on just getting us to the right places and making sure what we are going down the right path.”

Scales accredits his developed sound to him just being himself and writing the kind of music he enjoys.

“I just wrote the music that I like to write and I composed it how I want to compose,” he said. “It just so happens that I play the steel drums.”

The band is not currently recording a new album but is focusing on strengthening its foundation.

“We are still working on some things,” he said. “We are trying to build on what we have right now. We are solidifying the base.”

Jonathan Scales Fourchestra will be playing a Dragon Fly Theater and Pub April 16 at 10 p.m. For more information about Jonathan Scales Fourchestra or to check out their music, please visit www.jonscales.com