The Guitar Player's Resource
Universal-Bridge, out of Wheeling, West Virginia, fuses funk, blues, jazz and country to form an irresistible groove. Their 5 song, instrumental CD-R features jam-oriented material, with a lot going on in the music, especially considering it's just a three piece band (Mark Gorby on guitar, Brian Gorby on drums and Jerry Courtney on bass). Gorby is a really funky, soulful player, who uses the wah-wah to great effect on a few cuts. He never overplays, and is equally adept at rhythm work, which really 'sets the table' for his cutting lead work. They mentioned their live shows include quite a bit of improvisation, which must make for some excellent shows, since their recorded tracks are up-tempo and energetic. Look for more from these guys.
Guitarist Mark Gorby started playing guitar at age ten, using his father's Strat and a stack of vinyl recordings. After learning a few chords, he realized he could pick up songs by the Ventures, Cream, Dick Dale and Jimi Hendrix. As a senior in high school, Mark played lead guitar in a country/variety band, then later joined a traveling pop/rock band. In 1994 he started an original band called Different Engine, then joined the Brett Cain Band in 1998 to do some recording and live shows. In 2000 he began writing new music for a guitar-based instrumental album, and then ultimately hooked up with his current band members to form Universal-Bridge.
Future plans for the band include finding an enthusiastic booking/management agency, working with a visionary producer and ultimately securing a record deal with distribution.
Mark Gorby
United States
Web site: www.universal-bridge.com