Sol
SoL was a band that I was a part of for about one and a half years, from June of 2002 to the fall of 2003. I miss it greatly, even though I was the one who “dis-banded” us when I quit. I never met a finer group of guys.
This is a page dedicated to that band.
Also, visit the SoL Gallery.
SoL Biography
Besides myself, the other three guys are natives of Hanford, in the San Joaquin Valley of central California. I am not from that part of the country: I grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan, and I have another page which says more about my travels.
Michael Aguilar created SoL when he approached Johnny Rodriguez, suggesting that they turn their long musical friendship into something more.
Mike is musically diverse: he has mastered the harmonica, congas, and many other forms of percussion, and sings, and writes songs on his guitar. He said “good riddance” to his gardening business during the band’s formation.
Post-SoL, Mike is pursuing a degree in Art and Psychology at Fresno State University, while simultaneously continuing his love of painting by churning out all kinds of great works and selling them through his art gallery (see here, and here.) Did I mention that he plays congas with the house band at a hot Fresno night club every Wednesday night?
Johnny is the lead guitar man, although he handles the bass very well, and recently set up a recording studio in his garage and is working on solo music (what I’ve heard so far is great). Johnny is a blues man. He can make you cry, dance, chill, or rock your world with his lead guitar, dobro, acoustic guitar, or soulful lyrics. He wrote more than half of the lyrics to SoL’s songs.
Post-SoL, Johnny continues being the father and husband of his beautiful family, and, as noted above, keeps his hand in music.
Mike and Johnny tried out several drummers, but when they met the best drummer in Hanford, a family man and corrections officer named Brett Hobbs, they wisely ended their search.
Since I am the bass player, the drummer is very important to me. My philosophy on the bass guitar, especially the electric bass which I play, is that the bass guitar is only one half of the instrument, the other half being the drums.
Without the drums, the bass is pretty naked. How many concerts have you been to in which the only instrument played was a bass guitar? Of all the solos ever recorded, the bass guitar has occupied the smallest percentage of that, for a good reason: it’s only half of the instrument.
I don’t know what to call that instrument (drumsbass? bass & drums? the rhythm section?), but only when the drums and the bass make a happy musical marriage together can the rest of the band really shine.
Brett shared that philosophy with me. And it was my privilege to make the rhythm section with him. His sense of style was so diverse that in our basement studio jam sessions, you never knew what kind of amazing stuff would come out of his corner next. And he was humble to a fault. He never understood his potential, or appreciated how grateful we were to be playing with him.
Post-SoL, I’ve heard from Brett the least (ironically, given our musically close relationship). What I am sure of is that he continues to be a great husband and daddy to his five boys. Last I heard he was taking over ownership of a local music store.
My wife taught piano for 13 years, until 2005. Michael Aguilar heard about her from a local Hanford music store, when he was inquiring about taking piano lessons. She didn’t normally take adult males as students, afraid of what people, (especially her husband!), might think. But after asking me about it, we decided she should try it with Mike. During one early lesson, I happened to be at home. Mike spoke to her about needing a bass player for a band he was forming. She said that I had been a bass player in a band, and that he should go back and talk to me.
He and I hit it off from the beginning. At the first practice I sat in on, Johnny wasn’t able to attend, but by then Brett had joined, so the three of us jammed. At the second one, he was there, and we had a great time. Now, we were SoL.
