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If it comes down to a choice between flipping burgers or hoping people passing by will toss a dollar or two their way, the members of Duffy, Grathwohl and Coe opt for the latter. Of course, they'll happily take a paying gig, too.
"This just happens to be our most enjoyable way of making some cash," said Will Grathwohl. As they packed up their instruments for the day, he scooped the random singles and change out of the soft case for James Duffy's bass. The wallet-bulging mass made up the entirety of their pay for performing at Westport's Farmers' Market Thursday.
Normally, Duffy's brother Kevin joins them on saxophone. While he couldn't attend Thursday, the group did briefly have an impromptu fourth musician join in. "This older guy with a harmonica just came over and started playing some blues. It was bizarre," said Zac Coe.
The quartet plays primarily jazz with a little funk thrown in. Coe's side projects include a rock band.
Thursday's performance served as a tryout for the group, who have been together only a few weeks. Their parents work in Westport and suggested the musicians consider playing the Farmers' Market. The trio felt it went well. "You can usually gauge it by how annoyed people are getting," said Coe.
All the band members hail from Fairfield, where Coe and Grathwohl just graduated. Duffy is entering his senior year. The band came together as a means to get through the summer before MIT and Amherst claim Grathwohl and Coe respectively. Those two also have regular jobs, in a Yale laboratory and the Fairfield Library, but they love a chance to earn while playing.
Anyone interested in hiring the quartet for a private event can contact Grathwohl at wgrathwohl@gmail.com or (203)256-8299.
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