Dave Baine(guitar&keys), Joe Bourdet(guitar&slide), David Burden(harmonica),Brian Filosa(bass guitar),Joe Zabielski(drums)
The seed that became The Whispering Pines began with the mutual friendship between Joe Bourdet, Brian Filosa and David Baine. Notably all three played, for a time, with Laurel Canyon songwriter producer Jonathan Wilson, along with the talented Mike B Green on drums. It was while playing with Wilson that Filosa suggested Whispering Pines as the name of their combo. It was an idea taken from the title of the most beautiful song by one of rock and roll’s tragic and beautiful legends, ‘The Band’s Richard Manuel. The name appealed to their deep love for the music of ‘The Band’, the musicians they influenced (too numerous to list), and what might be seen as the musical movement that they created. Their ambition has became to stand amongst these heroes and add to that collective body of music with reverence and vision. Although the idea that would become the Whispering Pines was planted, It wouldn’t take form for some time. Jonathan Wilson’s combo was dissolved by 07’ and the three players went their separate ways for a few years, occasionally playing together, and nurturing a desire to collaborate. The catalyst for the bands ultimate formation came with the addition of drummer/percussionist Joe Zabielski, whom Joe Bourdet had played with in the interim and in whom had found like minded music principles, and singer/blues harpist/multi-instrumentalist/visual artist David Burden, a high-school friend of Dave Baine’s who brought a multitude of talents to the band both artistically and organizationally. This lineup now featured four singers and four songwriters, each singing lead on his own compositions.
'Family Tree' sessions at New Monkey Studios, Jason'Badajam' Soda on the board!
By the summer of 2008, the Whispering Pines were now established as a local rock attraction in the small Los Angeles community of Echo Park. A place with a subtle rock and roll pedigree of its own, Echo Park has been sung about by Warren Zevon, Jackson Browne, and Steve Young, inhabited by future ‘Eagles’, and frequented by Gram Parsons. Whispering Pines found it a suitable environment in which to dig into their music and that they did, coming up with a sizable amount of original material in a short amount of time. After a few months of ‘wood shedding’ in their small studio, David Burden made arrangements with his friend, musician/producer Jason Soda to record the band. They went into the late singer/songwriter Elliot Smith’s resurrected Van Nuys, CA recording studio and cut a full length album. Prior to these sessions which would ultimately produce their debut album “Family Tree”, a decision was made by the Whispering Pines that the recording should be done in the style and with the equipment of the music from which they took inspiration. Jason Soda’s production and Elliot Smith’s studio were perfectly suited to give them just that.
