One of the JSJBF’s newest Jazz/Fusion Member bands. Tina spoke to Casey Sky Noon, about her band and how it came together.
1). How did the band meet or come together?
After a wild five years of playing the late-night Jersey shore party rock dance cover band scene, I decided to make a hard right toward jazz. It was kind of on a whim actually. While singing backup for Asbury Park-based Des and the Swagmatics on the Fourth of July, I met a saxophonist who mentioned that there was an open jazz jam at the Long Branch Distillery later that week. Although I had never sang jazz or been to an open jam, the seed for a new project to throw myself into was planted. It took coddling from a very encouraging bartender and some liquid persuasion too, but eventually I broke out a decent version of Etta James’ At Last with pianist Erez Lirov and upright bassist Jay Sweet. In a month’s time, with only a minor amount of friendly stalking, we were the core of our new band, The Vintage Vibe Tribe. We played our first show on August 19th as a trio and are now gearing up for an exciting 2023 season!
2). Who are your biggest influences?
My (Casey’s) biggest influences are Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse, and Postmodern Jukebox. Erez, a pianist and trumpet aficionado, is most inspired by Chet Baker. A published jazz historian, Jay is a Ray Brown enthusiast. Really, we could go on for days with a list of musicians we admire including many members of the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation.
3). What’s the craziest thing that has happened while performing?
To explain the craziest thing that ever happened to me while performing I need to give a little backstory. I am a woman of many different hats, when I am not working at an engineering firm or singing, I also moonlight (believe it or not) as a concert venue bouncer. I can easily trade my combat boots and BDUs for heels and glitter, but it’s not so simple to take the security out of the girl. While singing at a venue with a high stage, I had the leverage to see a fight break out between two women at the bar. Without a moment of hesitation, I popped my microphone into its stand, jumped off the stage, and pushed my way through the crowd to what I would call the “code red.” I wrapped the younger woman in a full nelson, dragged her out of the venue, and immediately sprinted back to the stage. I had a few scratches and my hair was a bit of a rat’s nest, but I continued singing the rest of the song without skipping a beat. Ever so Jerry Springer, I later found out that the women were a dueling mother and daughter who continued their family feuding in the parking lot until they were arrested. Now that’s rock n roll and all that jazz.
4). What is your creative process like?
We pick a combination of songs that we personally want to play and that we think audiences will want to hear. Some tunes are emotionally charged with meaning, others are just plain fun. For example, “It’s Too Late Baby,” by Carol King was on repeat endlessly in the months leading up to my divorce. As such it is sentimental and cathartic to me. “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse is another setlist keeper simply because it is lively and recognizable. It’s easy to add solos, bring in guest performers, and a great way to get audience members to sing along. The creative process is to lay down the basics of a song, but keep lots of room for performance freedom. We’ll probably never do any song the same way twice.
5). If you could open a show from any artist who would it be?
Opening up for Billy Joel would be a dream come true. More realistically, The Vintage Vibe Tribe would be a great fit to open for Postmodern Jukebox. Honestly, we’d be honored to share the stage with anyone who plays to connect people through music.
6). Do you have anything else to add? (promos etc.)
Brand new to the scene, The Vintage Vibe Tribe is thrilled to be welcomed into this great community. We are excited to get more involved with the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation and grateful for every opportunity we have to share the joys and sorrows of life through music whenever we can.