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Swinging in Jasper
"We're more well known in Europe than we are in our own hometown," Lewis said, but all that is about to change. The band has been selected to play at the Western Fairs Association (WFA) January 2007 "Spirit of the West" convention and trade show in Reno, Nev. Conventioneers are there to select and book everything for their state, county and local fairs for the next year or so. "Lots of big name musicians like Johnny Cash, The Coasters and The Drifters have played the WFA. This is how you get gigs," according to drummer Derek Billingsley. "It isn't easy to get in," Lewis said. "You go through a selection process. A committee judges originality, talent, presentation and professionalism." The band has an impressive resume with five Academy of Western Artists nominations, including Western Swing group of the year, album of the year, song of the year, male vocalist and instrumentalist of the year. Recently, their recording of "Miles and Miles of Texas" hit number six in the charts, and in 2005 they had a number one hit with "Route 66." They also released their first album, "Texas Swings Again," in 2005. Billingsley said, "We were in the top 10 for several weeks in the Roots Music Report, and that's alongside national acts." The Tailor Made Band officially formed in 1997. Lewis said, "I tried to choose a name that wouldn't nail us down to any particular kind of music, because we like to do lots of styles-Western Swing, big band, blues, gospel, country and jazz." "Three of us are the core and have been together 12 years now, while others have come and gone," said Lewis. The quiet one in the group is Cody Wood, who plays upright bass. He has won an "outstanding musician" award from the International Association of Jazz Educators and been influenced by the likes of Bob Wills, Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington. Lewis began playing guitar at 13 with help from his brother, Tom Lewis, and cousin Huey "Hoot" Lewis. He went on to study under Jerome Stubbs, who is now in the Western Swing Hall of fame. In college he studied classical guitar and jazz, and graduated with a degree in accounting from Stephen F. Austin State university. Billingsley started on drums at age 9, under the guidance of his father Ronny Billingsley. He's also an SFA graduate, known for his imitations of Louis Armstrong. The band has played the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Galveston city fair. "It's hard to get started here," Lewis said. "It's all so political." He says the group is better known in Europe because the deejays worry less about chart toppers and tend to mix everything they like together. The boys said not a week goes by that they don't get emails from places like Germany and Belgium wanting to buy their CDs. So far, it's been a great part-time gig, but not enough to pay the bills. Lewis, with his accounting degree, is the Rayburn Country Association controller. Wood is in charge of golf course maintenance at Rayburn Country, and Billingsley is a selfdescribed entrepreneur. In his spare time, Lewis is building his own home in the Peachtree community the old fashioned way, one hand-cut board at a time. His father, Edgar Lewis, is the millwright. They are slowly cutting their way through a ready supply of trees downed by Hurricane Rita. The boys joked that when they make it big, Lewis will be hiring a carpenter instead of being one, and that the country house will be a guest house for the mansion he'll have built out back. All the boys agreed they would be happy if they can give up the day jobs, make music a full-time career and have Jasper known all over the world for the best of Texas Swing. |
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