TRACE

TRACE
October 1972 - September 1977
TRACE

L to R: Rick Grammatico, Drums & Vocals * Sandy Lamont, Guitar & Vocals
John Hesterman, Bass, Keyboards & Vocals
After my experience with Larry Lemelson's bands, I was ready to get off the road, settle down in my house (I hadn't really lived there since I purchased it nearly two years earlier) and build a life in Phoenix. I called Sandy Lamont (guitar & vocals, Just Us & Atlantis) and asked him if he was available. I also called Rick Grammatico (drums & vocals), who I had known as a member of The Cresendos during my Grapes of Wrath years, and he was also between bands. We jammed a bit and discovered we had an excellent Lettermen-like vocal blend and a great personal chemistry. We became Tres, the spanish word for three, but everyone called us TRACE. We didn't argue with them. TRACE was a wonderful band that was very successful through most of the nineteen-seventies. We played the upscale club's, restaurants and hotels in Phoenix and Scottsdale, building an outstanding reputation. We also made television appearances with Pat McMahon, Kent Dana and Roger Downey. During this period, Sandy founded Desert Sound Recording Studios, and TRACE by association, became its resident studio band. We appeared on everything from pop and country albums to bar-b-que sauce and milk commercials.

@ Encanto Park

During 1973, Steve Whitehurst (Grapes of Wrath), the Bacak brothers and I revived our production and writing partnership, and TRACE (with assistance from both Steve and Mike Whitehurst) became the studio band that recorded the new material at Audio Recorders with Tim Ramsey and Palmer Pattison from the Osmond Studio Complex in Utah engineering. In addition to backing such artists as Karen Dumont, Dave Valad, Shelly Glassman, Fred Mayo, Dave Trottier and Cese White, TRACE recorded the basic tracks for "Laying Here Alone / Give Me Something More" at Audio Recorders in Phoenix, adding the string arrangement in California at Hollywood Sound. This single was never officially released, but remains an excellent example of TRACE, the Whitehurst and Bacak brothers at their creative best.

TRACE also appeared in concert with regional country star Cese White and Capitol Records recording artist Lee Dresser, worked on a show with Kin Vassey produced by Randy Sparks of the Back Porch Majority and New Christy Minstrels, and co-starred with Johnny Tillotson in concert at Luke Air Force Base.

Publicity Picture

TRACE has reunited three times, once in 1991 for the birthday party of Sandy's wife Lisa, in 2000 and 2001 for recording projects at Sandy's new studio, Lamont Audio, the 2001 sessions resulting in a live appearance in a Scottsdale night club. The magic is still there.

John @ El Tango, Closing Night