Sometimes you just need a six-piece band jamming out “Brick House” by the Commodores and a little James Brown. Sometimes you need that when the boss is playing “Ride of the Valkyries” through his overtime demands and you’ve just sank into the comfiest seat at the club. Derek “Doc” Horton and the Jay Street Band are here to give you what you need.
And you need to listen to the Doc and get a shot of Motown and an IV of pop/funk and just let the groove anesthetize and hypnotize.
Derek “Doc” Horton and the Jay Street Band are here to give you what you need. And you need to listen to the Doc and get a shot of Motown and an IV of pop/funk and just let the groove anesthetize and hypnotize.
I sit with Doc Horton and we talk about feeling good.
RRX: You aren’t calling yourself “Doc” Horton like bluegrass performer “Doc” Watson calls himself Doc. You actually have your doctorate, and you teach at SUNY. It’s gotta be a little bit of fun when you’re teaching younger people who have music posters in their rooms and may have no idea you play. Can you connect with your students this way?
DH: Actually, I try to keep my worlds separate. Universities in general tend to be overly static and conservative. I have found it best to confine my music to the community. The community is more appreciative of creatives.
RRX: You got your start with this band at Ambition Café on Jay Street in Schenectady, which you’ve said was kind of an iconic place, and I believe it. There are a lot of places in the area that are almost incubators for bands, and I would mention a few, but for space and not to exclude anybody. So tell us what it is about Ambition that did it for you?
DH: Ambition Cafe has an owner, environment, and clientele that are open to creatives. They are willing to showcase new talent. I absolutely love that place!!
RRX: You have gone through a lot of members in the past number of years. I watched one interview where you said thirty or forty over the years. It’s got to be a strong groove that can keep the band alive when you go through so many musicians. Do you feel that you’ve learned from the past musicians? Do you think their “ghosts” are still with you?
DH: LOL!! Yes, there have been scores of musicians who have come through my band. However, I’d like to think that “Doc Horton and the Jay Street Band” has boosted many of their careers. I foster a professional, respectful, and nurturing environment. For many young musicians I have provided their first professional experience in music.
RRX: Some bands that play covers, you can take a listen and maybe figure why they don’t do originals. But I don’t see that with your band. You’ve probably had the talk at some point about doing originals, and there are pros and cons. It can be rewarding to do originals, but much, much harder to make money. Are there other considerations?
DH: I am a singer/songwriter/producer/entertainer and I have written songs since childhood. In 2023, I will be dropping some original music. Stay tuned!!
RRX: You were nominated for a 2022 Listen Up award, the first of its name, put out by Radioradiox.com. This was very fan-generated, so someone loves ya’. What can you say about your fans, and what have they meant to you over the years? And would you wish to nominate a band for the next award that comes around?
DH: I can’t express enough love for my fans. It is for the fans that I perform. And, I believe that when fans come to one of my performances that they deserve a show!! That’s why whether it’s 1 or 1000 I give it everything I got! My fans deserve it!!
And, I’d like to nominate the Donna Tritico Band. Donna and Mark Tritico are friends of mine and they have a fantastic band!! I’d love for our two bands to tour together in the future.
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