Started in 1995, and named after founder Graham Guest's fifth generation grandfather, Moses Guest, is a Texas-based, Southern Rock band that has just enough Pop, Jazz, Funk, and Country in its veins to appeal to audiences of all ages and origins. The current lineup formed in 1998, was voted "Best Rock/Pop Band" in the 2001 Houston Press Music Awards, and have won numerous Battle of the Bands contests.
The band has been selling out shows in Houston since 1999, and concentrating hard on winning over their region, with frequent tours through the South and West. On the recording end, the band has self-produced four CDs, and one EP, on its own record label, Aufheben Records. Their last effort, a double, self-titled, studio disc set, "Moses Guest" was released in 2002, and is currently still being played by everyone who bought one.
Moses Guest has shared the stage with many great acts in the past few years (and ain't that the truth), including moe. (twice), Steve Miller Band, JGB Band, Willie Nelson, Los Lobos, Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise, David Nelson Band, Rebirth Brass Band, The Jayhawks, Lisa Loeb (acoustic), and Colonel Bruce Hampton and the Fiji Mariners (on H.O.R.D.E. 1998 sidestage in Antioch, TN).
INDIVIDUAL BIOS
Graham Guest
(Guitars, Banjo, Lead Vocals)
Graham, a lover of philosophy since high school, has earned both his B.A. (Wesleyan University) and M.A. (Boston College) in philosophy. He attended the PhD program in philosophy at Tulane University, but gave it up to pursue music (though philosophical themes ring throughout his lyrics). When he returned to Houston in 1995, he realized it was easier to start a band while still a student so he attended law school at the University of Houston.
Rick Thompson
(Piano, Organ, Mandolin, & Back Vocals)
After an eight-year run with the ever-popular funk band, Beat Temple, Rick joined forces with Graham in 1997, and the results have been dramatic ever since. His sense of style and harmony is reminiscent of a funkier time when Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder graced the charts. Rick is also a graduate of the HSPVA in Houston (www.HSPVA.org).
James Edwards
(Drums, Percussion & Back Vocals)
A jazz drummer from the age of nine, James' sense of time and rhythm reflects his years of formal training and band experience. After leaving the North Texas State University, James explored his varied musical interests in a few avante-garde jazz and pop bands in his hometown of Houston. In 1997, he was invited to keep time for this improvised-driven, groove outfit; utilizing his background with an arsenal of tempos and time signatures. His style and influences mirror those of the great Art Blakely and Tony Williams, as he gives life to the pulse of Moses Guest. James is also a graduate of HSPVA in Houston.
Jeremy Horton
(Bass Guitar)
Jeremy is a second generation rock bassist, and has been playing bass guitar and percussive instruments since he was fifteen. With two prior stints in local Houston funk and metal rock bands, Jeremy anchors the rhythm section.
