Steve Zavesky as John Densmore

I remember distinctly the first time I heard the song LA Woman. My brother was years older than me when I started to become aware of what is now termed classic rock. At that time it wasn’t called classic rock yet but they used the term AOR – Album Oriented Rock. This was radio taking chances and playing extended songs from deep in the albums instead of just the shorter singles intended for mass consumption. By then we knew that the best cuts weren’t the singles that were beat to death on pop radio but the longer extended versions on the long-play album. And extended it was, at almost 8 minutes it’s an epic. Similarly, the single version of Light my Fire was on contemporary radio but it was awe-inspiring the first time I heard the song with the full solos. And better yet, if you then heard the live version you were completely mesmerized under the Doors spell, like I was.

I wore out these and other rock albums as I fell in love with playing drums in my teens. The drum lessons from these years got my hands and chops together and turned me on jazz. Little did I know that the other beats I was learning such as the Bossa Nova and the Calypso would be so useful in correctly playing the Doors. As time went on and I began playing gigs I discovered a passion for the blues and have since played 1000’s of gigs expanding my musical chops and sensitivities to this music. Little did I know that all of this was the perfect background I needed to portray Doors drummer John Densmore.

All of the Doors had a love of the blues which showed up time and again much of their music. Densmore brought to the group the additional love for jazz and the chops to incorporate these ideas into the music. More than this though, he was a musician for the common good of band. He knew both live and in the studio when to mark time to propel the music along and took pride in knowing when to punctuate moments of Jim’s vocals and accentuate the solos for the biggest dramatic effect. More than the skill of playing drums, it was his musical knowledge and sensibility of the drama of their collective music direction that made their music timeless.

When I was approached to play in a Doors tribute in 1993 the idea of a tribute band was still a rarity. Back then, we were the forerunners of all tribute bands that have popped up as an industry over the last few years. I knew then that people want to see what is familiar to them, especially in a tribute. Even if they don’t realize it on a conscious level, subconsciously they know the music and their enjoyment stems from how well it is portrayed in every aspect of that experience. I knew that even though I had some of the skills and similar passions as Densmore, the real key to making it work was to better understand his musical sensibility. My formal education gave me the tools to chart out all the studio albums very close to note for note. By doing this I not only got a great understanding of the intricacies of each song that the people may subconsciously remember, but I also developed an overall awareness of his inherent style, concept and feel.

This should have been enough right there to satisfy any tribute band fan. But in Mojo Risin we realize we are a live band and want to recreate the entire vibe of the Doors act live. We have all gone farther and studied the live shows of how the Doors interpret, interact and improvise the songs together on stage. This is where the foundation having a similar background, knowing the songs and understanding that persons sensibilities is taken to the next level of group live improvisation that tries to come close to an actual Doors show. This is how all of us are continuing to learn and grow as musicians while keeping the actual spirit of the Doors music and live shows growing and continually fresh and alive for everyone to remember, experience and enjoy time and again.

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Contact • steve@doorstribute.com