Osmosis
began in the summer of 1994 after much discussion of the music scene
between Warren Henry and Michael Stephens. The two got together with
Sam Kibler - a bassist they had performed with in Fat City Blues -
and experimented with many original ideas, which culminated in their
first performance at the end of the summer. On the drums originally,
Brett Brandon played with the band until the following winter.
In need of a percussionist, Stephens sought out
a
dynamic drummer with
whom he had performed in the Bluestones, Joe Culley. Culley fit
perfectly with the band and has been a member since March of '95. In
November of '95, the four-piece group consisting of Henry, Stephens,
Kibler, and Culley went into Canton Music Center to record a demo tape.
This project turn into the band's first CD, entitled simply Music. The
band's official CD release party was held at the Northside Tavern on
November 30, 1996. This CD earned the band the recognition of Musician
magazine, ranking in the top 25 bands in the country in their "Unsigned
Band Contest".
1998 marked some major steps for Osmosis, and
also
brought about some
changes in personnel. When Marion Meadows came to town in February,
Osmosis had the pleasure of opening for his group at the Highland
Theatre in Akron. Will Caynon brought his keyboard talents to the group
in May, and this five piece group was thrilled to open for Spyro Gyra
at the Crooked River Jazz and Blues Festival in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
The fall of '98 marked the departure of Warren
Henry
from the group.
No, there wasn't any big fight; Osmosis and Warren remained on good
terms, and the band still played his music. Although the group sadly
said goodbye to Warren's guitar at First Night Akron on New Year's Eve,
Osmosis wasted no time, adding the guitar of Eric Franchi.
The summer of '99 was an exciting time for
Osmosis,
beginning with
interesting and diverse performances including the Juneteenth
celebration at the Maple Valley Branch of the Akron Public Library, the
Heritage Festival in Kent on July 3rd, and a number of nights at the
Cornerstone Grille in Kent. Two events, though, highlighted the summer
for Osmosis: opening for Chuck Mangione at the Crooked River Jazz and
Blues Festival in Cuyahoga Falls on July 31st, and recording the rough
tracks for the second Osmosis CD at Audio Recording in Solon. The fall
brought some changes to the band - the first of which was the addition
of percussionist Terry Lewis. A very tasteful musician, Lewis is an
excellent compliment to Joe Culley. The fall also marked the departure
of Eric Franchi, but Osmosis was very fortunate to have had Warren
Henry available to help us finish our recording project.
In April of 2000, a new guitarist began
rehearsing with
the band, and
Jim Gluyas performed regularly with Osmosis. The band gave its final
performance at Akron's First Night on New Year's Eve in 2002. Osmosis
officially disbanded in 2003. |
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