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Jeff Burrell "inactivated" (1 / 2002)

Equinox announces Jeff's departure from the band. "He will be considered an inactive member at this point, much like Jamison and Lonnie before him" comments Eric Althaus. Ray Mantor adds "Jeff brought his own special flavor, and new dimension into the band when he came along three years ago. We will miss that".

Jeff Burrell makes the following statement...
"Equinox was a great fit musically and personally. It was an unspoken requirement for us to challenge everything we did. That discipline to the music fleshed out some great things. Time commitments, however, were proving to be difficult for me and we all believed an amicable split would be the best thing for the us and the band itself."

"As with any previous member of the Equinox family, it's always possible that we will all collaborate at some point in the future. Jeff certainly is an incredible guitar player, and a very nice person as well. This was a business decision that fits the current scheme of the band, and shouldn't be regarded as anything negative toward Jeff's abilities, personality, or professionalism" states Eric Althaus. 

Jeff can be contacted at jeff@jeffburrell.com

"One of my friends knew how to play just about every Metallica song known to man.  Being only 14 at the time, it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen in my life."

Jeff Burrell, co-guitarist for Equinox, cites this story as the spark that lit the fuse.  Jeff already had a strong musical background, and says that playing in a concert band was an excellent foundation.  For a 10 year old, however, sitting in band whomping on one note forever with a trombone wasn't all that glamorous, but Jeff felt it gave him the rhythmic fundamentals he feels a lot of lead guitarists lack.  "A lot of players fly around their solos with very shifty time . . . it ends up sounding very sloppy.  Many ignore the groove of a solo.  Sitting in band got boring sometimes, but it taught me early on to lock in with the bass drum.  I was hard wired to it, so to speak.  I've heard so many bands sacrifice tightness for chops and think that will be enough.  In a hard rock band, it's the band that keeps fans coming back, not so much the flashy playing." 

With that mentality in mind, Jeff started playing seriously at 15.  Quickly learning the basics, he swallowed up anything he could get his hands on.  Jamming with friends helped him put the big picture together more quickly.  "When you're playing along with friends much better than you, it becomes a lesson in itself.  You see them flying around and then wonder how they do it."  Listing Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert as early influences, Jeff soon started the growing pains of developing his technique.  At 16, he started entering local talent contests, placing 1st in each one he entered.  At 18, while majoring in music at the University of Minnesota, Jeff auditioned for a new band fronted by one of the Twin Cities most respected vocalists, Lance King.  70 guitar players alone, 130 musicians in all, answered the ad.  Jeff was one of only six guitarists that made the cut to a live audition. 

Not getting the spot, due to inexperience, Jeff auditioned for another band.  King, however, commented on Jeff's abilities and remembered him.  Four years later, in need of another guitarist, Lance called Jeff personally to offer him the open spot.  The King's Machine toured tirelessly for more than a year around Minnesota before Jeff left the band to look for a new project.  "The whole situation was a great learning experience.  Up to that point, I had only been in partially formed original bands.  I gained a lot of writing chops during that period, but playing live was still relatively new to me.  Playing covers in King's Machine really helped me develop my ear, get my vocals in shape, and gave me more live experience than I ever bargained for!!" 

The band that Jeff joined in between his King's Machine auditions, however, unwittingly gave him some national exposure.  "The name of the band was Darke Horse & the singer's friend was a film instructor who wanted to film a biography of him.  Rolf would follow us around, filming everything.  I got a call from him a couple years later saying that copies had gotten around and it was starting to pick up speed."  The film, "Driver 23",  also found its way to members of Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam.  Mike McCready, guitarist for Pearl Jam, reportedly left a message on Rolf Belgum's answering machine saying how much he loved it.  The film was featured at the 1998 Sundance Festival, but was met with mixed reviews in Minneapolis.  "My friends who have seen it, love it.  Many comparisons to "Spinal Tap" have been made, and they're not too far off.  We look like five misfits running around trying to get to a gig!" (laughs)

It was shortly after leaving Darke Horse, that Jeff met Ray and Jim.  "Smelly garage, lousy sound, & LOUD" is how Jeff describes the initial meeting.  Years would pass before Jeff would join Equinox.  "About a month after I left King's Machine, Ray called me up out of the blue and had me come down to check out some of the new material.  I loved it, got a tape and executed the audition. . .literally!" (laughs) "They asked me back for a second time and after that, we kept working together to check out the chemistry.  So far, the only thing that’s been more fun was when I dressed up as Paul Stanley for Halloween when I was four!"

Signs of things to come

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