by ANDY LYONS, Digitalburg
(WARRENSBURG, Mo.)–Local country music group the Nace Brothers have welcomed John Greenlease as their new bass player following the retirement of Tim Williams.  Nace Brothers co-founder Jimmy Nace is very welcoming to the new member.
“We just got lucky getting him.  He just came off a tour with Samantha Fish.   They were planning to go to U.K. for four months and Paul didn’t want to be away from his family that long of a time.  Paul was hosting an open mic night and David (Nace) called him to see if he knew anyone worthy of an audition and he said he was interested,” Nace said.  “Crazy how things just work out, I swear it was meant to happen.”
Greenlease, a graduate of the Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles, has a bit of a different style than Williams did according to Nace Brothers fan and supporter Doug Whitney.
“I think Tim is an excellent bass player and was a very steady driving force for the band,” Whitney said. “Paul has a different style than Tim had and adds more energy to the band.  There is always a bit of apprehension when long standing band members change but I believe Paul adds a different dimension to the band.”
With a new bass player and a new style, Jimmy Nace is invigorated as well.
“His style is more aggressive and energetic, but more than that is the note selection which is much different than Tim’s,” he said. “It’s been a refreshing, uplifting, beautiful thing and our music can keep evolving and proceed forward.  We can’t wait to tear into the new songs.”
Despite joining a band that had been around for about 30 years, Greenlease was excited for the opportunity to play with the Nace Brothers.  He studied the way Williams played and inserted his own style into existing Nace Brothers songs.
“Tim was a really good musician so I paid a lot of attention to what he did,” Greenlease said. “He has more of an old school, laid back style while I tend to have a lot of aggressive notes and high energy.  Studying Tim gave me a new appreciation for the music and allowed me to put my own spin on it.”
Since joining the band, Greenlease has played with the Nace Brothers in Key West, the band’s 23^rd year.  They will also play at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, Mo. on Aug. 9, 10, 11 and 12 in the Budweiser Tent.
The Nace Brothers have multiple albums with their debut “Smooth Rockin” dating to 1982.  They plan to start work on the next album, with Greenlease, in 2013.
Greenlease said he is very excited to work with the band on their next album.
“They definitely show an appreciation of detail and arrangement as far as songs go,” he said. “David is the main vocalist but Jimmy is the primary songwriter so he does a lot of the lyrics and music.  We’ve been rehearsing some of the newer stuff.   Like any band, we dissect what works and what doesn’t and then play it live to see what needs to be changed.”
The Nace Brothers’ albums are available on CD at the Hastings, Ent. in Warrensburg,  and more information, including tour dates, is available on the band’s website, www.nacebros.com.