Knoxville trio Whiskey Tenor ready to go full bore

Though billing themselves as a southern rock band, Knoxville trio Whiskey Tenor knows how to stretch their capabilities, running the gamut from straight-ahead Appalachian blues tinged with Duane Allman-inspired fretwork on tunes like “Darkest Night,” to the counter-rhythmic guitar and funky lead-bass line of “Hesitation”.

Now, hot on the heels of their first-place finish at the Big Mama’s Karaoke Café’s 2008 Battle of the Bands in the Garage Band category, the three-piece outfit is prepping for their biggest challenge yet, as they sharpen their axes for a three-day track session at Big Mama Recording Studios, a major part of their prize package.

During the contest, the band revealed that they practice nearly every day. But their aim is never to create a note-perfect replication of previous performances, but rather to develop a psychic bond so strong that each musician knows his fellow’s intent and execution, to the point where almost half of each performance is improvised.

“We always know exactly what each other is going to do,” said guitarist and vocalist Donald Childress. “Sometimes we’ll find ourselves changing chords or going into something completely off the wall, and everyone just falls right into step.”

Bassist Chase Wright agreed. “I find it cool that if I’m rocking the main root note, and Donald does something cool, I can go right behind him and mimic it. Tiny little things like that just end up coming together in the end,” Wright said, perhaps reflecting the band’s easy confidence in doing what many bands find terrifying.

Made more so by the stripped down combo of a three-piece, mistakes are not easily covered during a live performance. No rhythm guitarist stands ready to drown out a sour note with a loud chord. But Whiskey Tenor is so tight that rare missteps are somehow made right.

“We are only relying on the three of us,” Wright said. “If someone slips up a little bit, someone else is right there to drop in. We’re really good at that.”

“It’s a combination of our love of music, and our frequency of practice,” said Childress, who credits the tightness of the band to their strong affinity for each other’s skills. His own love of music and performing goes back to his early childhood, listening to Hank Williams, Jr., Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. “It was my way of life,” he said. Now going through a dawning appreciation for jazz players, Childress is enjoying a wider repertoire and an expanding world of influence as his sound evolves.

With their recording date looming, Childress said that they’ve got so much material prepared, the band will have to take a hard look at what they want to bring into the studio to make the best use of their time. Stoked at the opportunity, they are already chomping at the bit.

“We just hope you guys are ready!” said Wright with a huge grin.

Whiskey Tenor MySpace Page myspace.com/wtsoutherrock

Whiskey Tenor brings the funk at Big Mama’s Karaoke Café’s 2008 Battle of the Bands.