Music Scene Magazine Article
Written By: Ina Evans

WayBlonde—Joanne Weil Heald, Victor Landweber, Jeff Crossley

With an attraction to rhythm, an ear for melody and an urge to sooth the soul through song, Joanne Weil Herald, WayBlonde's singer and rhythm guitarist, is following her musical path. As a recent breast cancer survivor, Joanne knows that nothing is possible if you don't "go for it." She has reorganized her priorities and rededicated herself to her music-the great creative joy in her life. Although Joanne has been singing and playing rhythm guitar in the Bay Area folk-music community for over 15 years and counts many fine musicians among her friends, her current band, WayBlonde, has helped give her a renewed sense of focus and direction. But, Joanne explains, there's more to it than just that: "You have to believe in your own talent; you have to connect with your own style; you have to trust that if you have a musical message folks will want to hear it."

So what is WayBlonde's musical style? As a singer, Joanne latches on to songs that connect not only to her love for rhythm and melody but which also feature lyrics that express her heart and spirit, her experiences and her values. She strives for variety in her repertoire and performance, not limiting the songs she chooses to just one kind of music but selecting freely from among several genres: "If I connect to an Irish song, I learn it. Same goes for a swing standard, a country song or a folk ballad. If it touches me in some way, I'm sure I can perform it so it will appeal to my listeners." Most importantly, for Joanne, she's finally making something happen for herself and her music. "How far this all goes I have no idea, but as long as people enjoy my music I want to put it out there."

If there is a common thread that runs through WayBlonde's music it's the sound of the fiddle. After years of playing backup rhythm guitar for fiddlers, Joanne can't imagine her band without one. "Fiddle is the true soul of my music's sound, weaving in and out and around the lyrics of a song. It's so versatile, so resonant, and the several great fiddlers we play with project so much more than just a wonderful sound or a beautiful melody. The fiddle exudes history, culture and reverence for tradition." She also loves to hear two acoustic guitars blended together, herself playing rhythm and Victor Landweber playing lead to carry the melody and augment her singing with tasteful backup licks. "With two guitars, you have the core of a band. You really don't need much more than that. There's a musical interaction, a fullness of sound, a completion of tone." And to hold the music in place, to pulse the band's sound through time, Jeff Crossley's acoustic bass provides the beat to drive the WayBlonde sound.

Victor Landweber, the band's acoustic lead guitarist, has been playing since he was a kid in high school. Bringing to his music more energy, enthusiasm and musical skill than ever, he's pleased to be part of WayBlonde. He and Joanne have been playing together for three years, and he's having a great time: "Playing such a varied repertoire inspires me to expand my versatility to match Joanne's. I think of my lead as a complement to her rhythm. I enjoy playing bass lines and backup harmonies as much as playing solos."

Jeff Crossley, WayBlonde's acoustic string bass player has played in rock, jazz and folk ensembles since the 1960s. Rock-solid and on-the-beat, he's recorded two albums with Peter Kessler and Gail Fratar and been a regular at the San Francisco Folk Music Club since the 1980s. A collector of jokes and stories, he's always ready to take the microphone for a little comic relief.

WayBlonde's fine fiddlers have included the impeccable musicianship of Richard Chon (who leads his own band, The Saddle Cats, and is Dan Hicks' regular fiddler) and the inimitable Michael Stadler (folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who appears with the Mike Stadler-Mary Gibbons band) and also as a solo performer.

You may wonder at the band calling itself "WayBlonde" when only Joanne is actually blonde. If you take a good look at the photographs or when you come to see the band perform, you will instantly realize that Joanne has chosen the perfect name. This band is terrific! You can catch their performance every couple of months at McGrath's Irish Pub in Alameda, or check out their performance calendar on the Web at: www.wayblonde.com. You'll enjoy their enthusiasm, soulfulness and musical variety.

December 2005, Alameda CA