Klyph Black brings veteran talent to Guild Hall on Saturday

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Fans of the Grateful Dead, the Zen Tricksters and rocking blues music are in luck: This Saturday, guitarist Klyph Black takes the stage in East Hampton and brings his band, Rumor Has It, with him.

The concert of original music is part of the Crossroads Music Showcase at Guild Hall. The series blows the lid off underground local talent and puts them on the renovated stage of the John Drew Theater at Guild Hall.

In Mr. Black’s case, his credits go beyond local gigs to make up a storied career as a musician. He’s appeared on international stages with heavy metal bands, helped introduce MTV with two videos, then re-crafted his career with the Zen Tricksters, a band that moved from Grateful Dead covers to gaining fame for originals.

The Zen Tricksters will perform a 30th anniversary show at B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill in Manhattan on October 25. With a revolving roster of players, the group released three studio recordings, plus one live album with Donna Jean Godchaux, a former backup vocalist with The Grateful Dead who was married to the band’s late keyboardist Keith Godchaux.

Mr. Black’s first musical credits include the 1970s bands Vendetta and the 1980s band Urgent, which released the singles “Running Back” and “I Can’t Take It No More” as MTV videos.

Through it all, Mr. Black held on to his own band, Rumor Has It. Attention to Rumor Has It ebbed and flowed as the Zen Tricksters, Black & Sparrow (a collaboration with Johnny Sparrow), and other groups and gigs demanded his talents. When not performing, Mr. Black runs the sound at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett. Several months ago, the Zen Tricksters took a hiatus from performing, leaving more time for Rumor Has It.

Mr. Black wasted no time solidifying a star lineup to catapult Rumor Has It into the music scene. He tapped fellow Tricksters Tom Circosta and Dave Diamond for bandmates. He recruited Al Buonanno for bass, Johnny Sparrow on guitar, and saxophonist Arno Hecht 
(of the Uptown Horns, J. Giles Band, Coldplay, James Brown, etc.) for the lineup.

Rumor Has It will play Guild Hall on Saturday. The band then heads to the Wormtown Musical Festival in Massachusetts on September 20 and the Halloween event “Gory at the Quarry” at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Ohio on October 30. In July, they appeared at the Gathering of the Vibes music festival in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Through the years, Rumor Has It has played with or opened for Hot Tuna, Johnny Winter, Elvin Bishop, The Subdudes, Pat Benatar, J.J. Cale and others. Information on the band and a few songs can be found at myspace.com/klyphblackanrumorhasit.

Rumor Has It was one of the first bands invited to be part of the Crossroads Music Showcase at Guild Hall, said Michael D. Clark, who founded the concert series in collaboration with Guild Hall. Mr. Clark owns Crossroads Music in East Hampton and founded the Crossroads Coffeehouse series at the Springs Church Community Center.

Since May, the Crossroads Music Showcase has presented monthly concerts that feature area talent. Most bands have appeared at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett or at other East End venues. The series concludes on October 24 with a performance by Gene Casey and the Lonesharks.

Mr. Clark believes Rumor Has It will be a stand-out show because all of the members are virtuoso musicians. “The music is unbelievable,” Mr. Clark said. “This is one show that shouldn’t be missed.”

In one way, performing in East Hampton is like coming home. He grew up in Westbury, Long Island, but found his first regular gig at Smuggler’s Cove in Amagansett in the 1970s, taking over for musician/writer/psychic Monte Farber when he left the acoustic gig. Now a pizzeria, back then the building was half its current size and couldn’t hold an entire band.

Mr. Black’s musical career is an unusual one—ever since high school, Mr. Black has always been on stage. His success could be chalked up to his ability to connect with musicians and keep things going. A more likely reason might be his love of performing and connecting with audiences.

“I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do,” Mr. Black said. “Music is it for me.”

Klyph Black and Rumor Has It will appear the John Drew Theater at Guild Hall, 158 Main Street, East Hampton, on Saturday at 8 p.m. Also appearing is the Complete Unknowns. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 324-4050.