By Shannon Hicks

Joe Proc’s theory with his new band, Off The Hook, is that he and the other musicians in the group have been performing for so long they don’t need to spend too much time rehearsing.

While every musician in the world may have an argument for that kind of thinking, the Newtown musician’s theory is proving to be correct for the time being. A recent performance at Sogno in Newtown was so well received by the audience it was pretty tough to believe the trio — which includes Mr Proc on guitar and vocals, bassist Steve Clarke, and percussionist James Moss — has been together for a lot less than a year.

“Three months ago, this band wasn’t even a thought,” Mr Proc said this week. He wanted to talk about his new project, which has already produced a demo tape for Off The Hook and has a few shows booked. Mr Proc’s previous project was working with the band Foxfire, which disbanded last year after two decades of work. An automobile accident took away the voice of the band’s lead singer, Gisela Marisons, which eventually spelled the end of a band that had performed on TNN’s The Charlie Daniels Show, played supporting sets for Dave Mason and Richie Havens, and had just seen its CD, One Night Stand, released by J-Bird Records.

“I really needed to take some time after all that happened,” Mr Proc said. “It was a mourning period.”

Earlier this year Mr Proc started kicking around the idea of putting a new group together. The result, after a few phone calls to musicians he has worked with in the past, was Off The Hook. The beauty of the band, he says, is that its music is as eclectic as its lineup. The three primary members will welcome guest musicians in the future, Mr Proc will be performing a solo show from time to time, and even when bassist Steve Clarke leaves for a short European tour next week with the trumpet player Laco, Off The Hook will be able to perform as a duo. In fact, an April 28 date at the Fireside Inn in Newtown has already been scheduled, with Mr Proc and Mr Moss planning to perform.

Off The Hook primarily performs original material. While it also performs covers, the band digs deeper into artists’ catalogs than the songs traditionally used to fill radio playlists. The band’s set list on any given night can include work by Taj Mahal (“Fishin’ Blues”), Gil Scott Heron (“The Bottle”), or Bruce Coburn (“Dust n’ Diesel”).

All three members contribute to the songwriting duties. Most of his songs, Mr Proc admits, are about “relationships gone bad,” like the one called “Don’t Even Go There.” All of his songs, he said, are based on real-life situations. After picking up on all of the bad news he was constantly seeing on television and hearing on the radio about ten years ago, for instance, Mr Proc penned the song “Six Feet Deep.”

“If something happens in my life, it gets turned into a song,” he said, explaining his songwriting practice as something he does as soon as inspiration strikes rather than something done following a schedule. “It’s not like I sit down and say ‘Okay, it’s Thursday, it’s time to write a song.’”

In addition to performing, Mr Proc teaches guitar at his Newtown home studio. He calls his bandmates “very seasoned professionals, able to pick up things on a moment’s notice.”

Percussionist James Moss performs with a number of local club bands, including Rapture. He is also involved with The African Arawak Connection, a traditional cultural performance group that offers workshops, concerts, and special presentations, bringing together the musical styles and traditions of West Africa, the African Diaspora, and the Arawak (native Latin, Caribbean, and Central American) cultures. A musician and an instructor for over 25 years, Mr Moss even makes some of his own musical instruments, including kalimbas, or thumb pianos.

Steve Clarke, the band’s bassist, is also involved with a number of groups, including the jazz band TNT. He owns his own recording studio, Q-Up Music, which is in Bridgeport, and produces work for other artists. Last year Mr Clarke released a solo album called Kickin’ It: The Hop-N-Bop Project. One of the album’s songs, “Bassemody,” has been picked up by Off The Hook regularly.

As a result of the members’ different backgrounds and the material created by each musician, the sound produced by Off The Hook can only be described as eclectic. The band fuses sounds of reggae, funk, folk, jazz, rock, and blues, although, says Mr Proc, “You may not really hear any one of those styles, they blend so much into each other.”

It isn’t like the trio purposely tries to mix the sounds up so much, either. It’s just what happens when the three men come together, unrehearsed, on a stage.

Off The Hook has a return show scheduled for Friday, April 21, at Sogno Restaurant in Newtown. On Friday, April 28, the band will be at the Fireside Inn, also in Newtown.