Here was a band comprised of some of the most accomplished musicians in L.A. (including the drummer of a Grammy award winning, multi-platinum record selling band) who were down right excited about playing cover tunes in a tiny jazz club in the Valley. This at a time when dyed-in-the-wool rockers were paying Hollywood club owners to play their originals in hope of inking a record deal and being catapulted to fame. Unlike the neon-splashed venues on Sunset Boulevard, there would be no A&R bigwigs at the La Vee Lee on that warm night in the Fall of 2003, when the four members of Volto! embarked upon a musically adventurous 20 minute adaptation of the Allman Brothers “Whipping Post.”

Though several of the covers on that evening – namely those by Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, and Jimi Hendrix were played in a fairly straightforward manner, most served as launching pads for lengthy, practically boundless jams that spotlighted the technical abilities of those on stage. At times I couldn’t even remember what song they were playing, only to be reminded as they seamlessly reintegrated back into it. And then there were the fusion jazz numbers – staggeringly complex arrangements by Weather Report, Jeff Beck, and Tony Williams that, more so than the hard rock favorites, gave carte blanche for spirited improvisation (which the band rewarded themselves with by calls for rounds of iced kamikazes). Adding to the incongruity of the set list, between songs there was an almost vaudeville feel; the band members taking turns poking fun at one another, and asking for requests from those seated at candlelit table linen. Though by the second set things got a bit hazy (partaking of a drop of the creature, myself), I was sure that Volto!’s debut went over big, so much so, that, even with busy schedules involving other musical commitments, they would soon be returning to the crowded little box with their virtuosity and shenanigans… and repeated appeals for kami double shots.

Despite the odds against it, there was more than one world famous jazz club in Studio City, California. Several red streetlights down winding Ventura Boulevard lay The Baked Potato – another intimate setting for Volto! to cram all their gear onto a ridiculously small stage and fill to capacity (often, beyond). As with previous shows, during extended renditions of 70s rock classics, each member would put on a clinic, while at the same time playing as a cohesive unit. When it came time for the Billy Cobham stuff with all the odd time signatures that they’d only rehearsed once (if at all) – if there were any train wrecks – I sure couldn’t tell.

Watching and listening to all this intently were high-caliber local musicians (including some legendary names in fusion jazz circles) squeezed at the bar and pressed against the walls. Rather than checking out the bands in the glitz just over the hill, if there was a chance of hearing a King Crimson cover played to near perfection in the standing room only ‘tator,’ it was a chance well worth taking.

And if you have a drummer of the notoriety of Tool’s Danny Carey, fans with purple Sharpies in their pockets (hoping to get an autograph) might just get a drum solo or two… or three (if that night’s Lakers game hadn’t gone into overtime), all delivered with calm intensity and lightning fast accuracy by the Kali-armed native Kansan wearing a Jayhawks’ basketball jersey.

Not only were there drum solos and verbal antics that enabled one to place their drink order without shouting over the wattage, Volto! also features one hell of a bass guitarist and the pride of Corpus Christi named Lance Morrison (session and tour bassist for Don Henley). During each show, the quiet, steady fixture wearing a golf cap would get a chance to ‘show off’ his technical expertise with a solo or two dedicated (sarcastically) to all the ladies in the club. (None of which were wearing python boots or pink Stetsons.)

Applauding these solos as much as anyone in the packed room, guitarist John “Volto” Ziegler (another Texas transplant) would once again take the reins, cueing his band mates to intros, outros, imminent changes or, yep, more solo opportunities. Proficient with all the nuances that make a great guitarist (skills honed by playing many a Texas roadhouse), when his fingers were off the frets, Ziegler would tweak the mix, interact with the crowd, introduce his band mates (usually referring to himself by his alter-ego Pepe Spackle) and remind the cheering patrons to be sure take care of the club’s hard working waitresses. Watching JZ play – whether it was chunky chords, blistering leads, dexterous arpeggios, or delicate effects-laden phrasing, the thing that always ran through my mind was: could it really be true that he first picked up the guitar while in college?! Did he at least take viola lessens in his youth?

When it came time for last call and the band played their final cover tune, the party would continue either at Tool’s rehearsal loft or at Danny’s Hollywood manse. Over Shiner Bocks, vodka and tequila, eventually the conversation would turn to Volto! writing and performing original music. Hell, maybe even doing a record. With birdsong in the first light of dawn, someone would fire up the large gas grill, tossing on rib eyes and brats slathered in K.C. Gates sauce (On special occasions this included Holmes pecan smoked sausage brought straight from Houston by someone’s girlfriend). And when everyone had their fill, and flies speckled the charred leftovers, the conversation resumed about the band someday focusing their energy on putting out a record. Yes, someday…

Along with the staple Baked Potato, Volto! occasionally played a few larger venues, such as the Hollywood Knitting Factory (turned out that their bartenders could also make a decent kamikaze). Without any fanfare, they also introduced their first original composition, a kind of prog-rock, fusion jazz arrangement that was written by Ziegler. Like many of the covers, this emphasized the band members’ individual technical skills though, unlike many of the covers, wasn’t intended as a jam platform. The song received such a good reaction from the crowd, that they played it again later the same night.

Also around this time – due to conflicting schedules – the band started playing musical chairs with their keyboardists. Among them, Billy Steinway, Scott Kinsey, Jeff Babko, and Matt Rodhe. Each of these well-respected musicians not only rose to the occasion, but also greatly enhanced the music by contributing subtle layers of tonal color with their own unique playing styles. However, most impressive to me, was their ability to absorb the entire set list after a single rehearsal or, in some cases, by giving a certain unfamiliar song a quick listen to on the stereo of a car in the parking lot moments prior to performing it live on stage – flawlessly. (Keep in mind; these were often lengthy, complex, musically demanding instrumentals,) My brain even had a harder time processing Danny’s answer to a question that I had asked him about newcomer, Matt Rodhe. When I inquired about his keyboard playing, Danny told me that he had never heard him play. In fact, the next night’s Volto! show would be the first time that he met the guy. Okay…

As the years went by, the ever-evolving Volto! started phasing out the covers, choosing instead to do mostly originals. Save for Jeff Beck’s “Definitely Maybe” (with its gorgeously melodic guitar lead pumped out of John’s Bogner), or Tony William’s “Snake Oil”, unless those seated at tables requested a particular song enough times, they would be treated to instrumentals that didn’t yet have names. As for the song titles, John was up for any suggestions from the audience. And then there was the time that the esteemed Scott Kinsey (Tribal Tech) was playing the keyboards. Between songs he asked the others if they’d like to do a tune that he’d recently written? Ziegler replied that he was game, but wanted to know if the piece had a key, or if Scott would at least tell him one note.

Needless to say, no one in Volto! was getting rich playing these small clubs once a month (although I do recall one night at Tool’s loft when Danny found wads of bills stuffed inside his stick-bag. Puzzled at the first, he eventually realized that the money – totaling a few thousand dollars – was his share of the Volto! gigs, which he’d been placing in the bag with his drumsticks for a period of time that he wasn’t exactly sure of). However, with enough original material under their belt, the band was finally ready to start recording.

Rather than book time in one of the countless studios in L.A., it was decided that they would track the songs ‘live’ – onto tape! – utilizing the recording equipment at the loft’s modest studio. When he had a small window of time between projects, veteran recording engineer “Evil” Joe Barresi was summoned to sit at Danny’s API 2448 console. To get the performance and overdubs onto tape, they dusted off an old Studer A827 gold 24-track machine.

It might have taken nearly a decade to get to this point, but once the ball was rolling (and custom Neve faders set), things proceeded at a rather quick pace. Much to everyone’s delight, songs with names like “Gillz”, “BHP”, and “Grip It” were even given a boost in intensity by keyboard wizard, Jeff Babko.

Once the recording and mixing process was completed, “Incitare” (being the name of the album) was delivered to Gateway Mastering and left to the very capable ears of Bob Ludwig. All that was left now was to talk about the art design. For this, Danny had the idea to use a piece in his collection by the famous underground psychedelic artist Rick Griffin. Originally, this was to be used as cover art for a Steppenwolf record, but for whatever reasons didn’t happen. With the other members equally enthusiastic by the piece, together with art contributions by Tool guitarist Adam Jones, the packaging was no longer an issue. With management in place and a record deal struck, a tentative release date was set for sometime in July of 2013.

In the meantime, you can get the Volto! experience when they next perform live. And while you shouldn’t expect to hear a 20-minute rendition of “Whipping Post”, and I can’t say with absolute certainty what keyboardist will be sitting in to augment the music, the sheer precision in which the ultra-jazz fusion arrangements are performed, at times, will leave you stunned. And just in case you’re wondering – yes! – the guys still enjoy the occasional round of kamikazes.