If you could compile all the thoughts, ideas and dreams from the collective heads of all nine members of Clyde’s Ride, blend them all together and distill it into a single vision, the result would sound something like this: “Make good music and the rest will follow.”

This San Diego band’s own brand of good music is an organic mix of funk, jazz and soul. Drawing on such influences as Sly and the Family Stone, Roy Ayers, and Ella Fitzgerald, Clyde’s Ride creates songs that are unique, but that could fit comfortably in any of the last three decades. The music is both cerebral and accessible; there is as much to chew on lyrically as there is to groove to musically. The uniquely funky sound is provided by singers Lani Ludwig and Derek Sapico, guitarist Jon Monahan, bassist Denis Sluka, drummer Dave Bricca, percussionist Ty Kiernan, and Brian Yaspan, Francisco Silva and Pat Maggi on saxophone, trumpet and trombone, respectively. Although the band members come from different walks of life on the east and west coasts, they all agree: “Make good music and the rest will follow.” The band’s accomplishments over last two years are proof enough.

The band formed in January 1997, and after playing at a handful of private parties secured an opening spot at Winston’s West in Ocean Beach. The club received its largest crowd ever on Thursday night, marking the beginning of many attendance records set by Clyde’s Ride and establishing their reputation as a compelling live act.

Several months later, the University of California at San Diego chose the band to perform at the 1997 Sun God Festival. In what was widely regarded as “the best Sun God in years,” Clyde’s Ride opened for national acts De La Soul and Save Ferris. The crowd of 9500, most of them unfamiliar with Clyde’s Ride, was driven into a frenzy before either headliner stepped on stage.

Over the summer of 1997, Clyde’s Ride carved out a niche in the local jazz/funk scene and built a large and loyal fan base by word of mouth. September saw the band opening for the Doobie Brothers and Big Mountain before thousands of music lovers at the San Diego Street Scene Music Festival. In December, the prestigious Belly Up Tavern named Clyde’s Ride the “Best New Band of 1997” and included the song Silver Dollar on the Belly Up Neighborhood Watch compilation album.

About this time, Clyde’s Ride completed a self-titled CD consisting of nine original songs. The album was released and distributed through the independent label Choice Music. The album sold more than 2000 copies in 1998, and the songs received airplay on San Diego radio stations 91X and 92.5 The Flash, as well as on various college and public stations throughout California.

On stage, the band continued to shed light, sharing club stages with respected artists such as N’dea Davenport and Prince Paul, and playing to thousands of fans at music festivals. An amazing set at the 1998 North by Northwest Music Conference made a huge impression on Portland’s local music scene and led to talk of record deals. The year ended with the San Diego Lifestyle & Music Magazine (SLAMM) awarding Clyde’s Ride with “Best Funk/Urban/Hip-Hop Band of 1998.” It is now 1999, and the band has never been more focused. Guitarist Jon Monahan sums up the band’s current outlook:

“I think about what we’ve done so far and I’m definitely proud of our accomplishments… We put a lot of work, a lot of love into the CD, and I think it shows who we are musically, but I also know what we’re capable of now… I get so fired up thinking of what’s next -- all the new material, making music with people we love and respect, and the chance to get in front of people and share with them this passion, this beautiful gift we’re so grateful to have received.”