Jazz, surf, and Funicello with Norwood: Fishbone to play Saint Rocke
Fishbone. photo by Steady Jenny by Ed Solt In the mid 2000s, the South Bay music scene was drenched in the chirps of reggae, most often lead by a singer soulfully crooning in the style of Sublime’s Bradley Nowell. One of the bands that heavily influenced Sublime, as well as other Southern California bands, such as the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, was Fishbone. Fishbone combined ska, punk, funk, hard rock, soul, and Southern California culture to create an urgent groove that has now been part of the local soundscape for nearly three decades. And Fishbone, who play Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach Friday night, has endured. John Norwood Fisher, bassist, is a founding member of Fishbone. He recalls the first time the band played Hermosa Beach — at the Lighthouse in the early 80s, as Fishbone was coming up. Decades prior, Howard Rumsey and his Lighthouse All Stars lit up the scene, making the Lighthouse the West Coast hub for serious jazz. “I grew up listening to KGOLD [a now defunct LA County Jazz station] and always loved jazz. It was a major inspiration and a big part of our musical development,” Norwood said. “It was an honor to set foot on a stage with that much legacy.” Fishbone cut its…
Read this story on easyreadernews.com