Recording: The Ryan Driver Band

Artist: The Ryan Driver Band

Songs: Fruitless Endeavour + Cat's Peak

Recorded at Ratio, May 8, 2015.

The Ryan Driver Band - Fruitless Endeavour

The Ryan Driver Band - Cat's Peak

It should be noted at the outset that although the name of the Ryan Driver Band is quite similar to the Ryan Driver Quartet/Quintet/Sextet — and even has some overlapping membership — we're actually talking about two separate projects. The latter specializes in Driver's languid interpretations of (old and new) standards, while the "band" is a vehicle for his work as a songwriter, furthering his "solo" works as well as his previous efforts in The Silt. It's from the latter project that these lovely songs come, beautifully rendered by Driver's vox and nylon-stringed guitar alongside Michael Davidson (vibes), Blake Howard (percussion) and Chris Banks (bass). (You can compare how "Fruitless Endeavour" is rendered in a different context via this recording of The Silt.) The set also included some of Driver's newer compositions, and the band has been turning up a bit more regularly of late, so keep an eye out for another chance to catch one of the city's best songwriters in action.