performance
Instruments and Genres
A versatile sideman, Topher plays a variety of string instruments and hand percussion. He is also a competent vocalist and has an excellent ear for harmony. He is adept with many genres of music, including folk, rock, blues, bluegrass, swing, MoTown, reggae, Celtic, and Middle-Eastern.
Topher plays the following instruments:
- Mandolin family: mandolin, mandola, 5-string Mandonator™, Irish tenor banjo
- Guitar family: acoustic, classical, resonator, and electric guitar. He flatpicks and fingerpicks.
- Bass family: upright, electric and Ashbory bass
- Percussion: doumbek, cajon, cowbell, and various other percussive doo-dads
- Ukulele
Current Bands
The Rosin Doctors
Wanna dance? This band makes it difficult to resist! In addition to its driving, foot-moving rhythm, the band is full of fun surprises. You never know what instruments or tunes you might hear!
The individual members are all seasoned musicians with many years of experience playing contra dances and other genres of music. Dan Engle raises temperatures with fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and octave mandolin. Erik Hoffman, well-known as a contra caller, stimulates reflexes on guitar, fiddle, mandolin, percussion, jews harp, bag pipes, saxaphone, and banjo. Topher Gayle quickens the pulse on percussion, 5-string Mandonator™, mandolin, guitar, ukulele, and tenor banjo.
The Rosin Doctors play for dances throughout the San Francisco Bay area.
(Photo by Jennifer Sordyl)
Janet Lenore Band
The Janet Lenore Band serves up funny and serious songs, originals, folk and Americana, with a wide variety of musical influences. The band features Janet Lenore on vocals and guitar, Topher Gayle on vocals, resonator guitar, and Mandonator™, and Jeff Davis on electric bass. When the stars are properly aligned, this core group is joined by John Bidwell on dobro. Usually acoustic except for bass, the band occassionally dusts off electric guitars, and adds Rich Dorffi on drums for some serious rock and roll.
Appearances have included Big Lil's Cabaret, Berkeley Free Folk Festival, Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, and Mission Pizza.
Twisted Trio
This fun band offers a collage of swing, bluegrass, novelty, "cowgirl," original, and instrumental tunes, and is ripe with wonderful harmony singing. Chris Finn sets the groove on bass and doubles on mandolin. Louisa Knabe warms the sound on fiddle and doubles on bass. Topher Gayle brandishes hot rhythm and solos on guitar, Mandonator™, and tenor banjo.
Twisted Trio plays in the San Francisco Bay area. Venue appearances have included the Campbell Wine Walk, Mission Pizza, Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, and Vintners Festival at Vine Hill Winery.
(Photo by Lore James, Vine Hill Winery)
Uke Be A Lady
Uke Be A Lady plays and sings tunes from the Swing era, Tin Pan Alley and the Jazz Age. Uke Be A Lady is singer/ukulele player Miss Mona Lott (aka Jayme Kelly Curtis) and violinist Miss Wanda McGlove (aka Autumn Hancock). Randy Baton (aka Topher Gayle) joins them on bass and protection.
The band plays in the San Francisco Bay area. Venue appearances have included Planet Cruz Comedy Show, Sunnyvale Cable Access TV, and Mission City Roasting Co.
Sideman
Topher is in demand as an accompanist. He’s well-known for his tasteful backup, instrumental and stylistic versatility, and congenial personality. As the occasion required, he has provided acoustic, resonator, and electric guitar, mandolin, mandola, tenor banjo, bass, ipu, cajon, doumbek, and vocals. Some of the artists he has accompanied include:
- Sherry Austin -- Americana covers and originals
- Nancy Cassidy -- folk/blues original tunes and children's music
- Mary Ann Coty -- Country and original songs
- Jayme Kelly Curtis -- singer-songwriter originals and covers
- Rainy Escobar -- honky-tonk and blues singer-songwriter
- Benita Kenn -- singer-songwriter originals and covers
- Michelle Kiba and The Tiki Tones -- island groove
- Brad Leftwich - Old-Time
- Steve Scott -- Original Celtic instrumentals
Previous Bands
Over 6 years, the Opportunitists built a reputation as a dynamic contra dance band; the relocation in 2011 of one of the band members dissolved the group. They frequently played for dances throughout the San Francisco Bay area. They also made a number of tours to the US East coast, Pacific Northwest, and Southern California, and had been featured at the Almost Heaven and Balance the Bay dance weekends.
The Opportunists were comprised of 3 multi-instrumentallists: Alan Synder on fiddle and guitar; Erik Hoffman on guitar, fiddle, mandolin, percussion, and jews harp; Topher Gayle on bass, percussion, 5-string Mandonator™, mandolin, guitar, and tenor banjo.
Coyote Blue
Coyote Blue pleased music lovers with their unique blend of jazz, bluegrass, classical, swing, ballad, rock, and original tunes. They provided a marvelous mix of vibrant vocals, delightful harmonies, and blazing instrumental solos.
Coyote Blue was Frank Buffum, guitar and vocals; Pete Chen, fiddle; Chris Finn, bass and vocals; Topher Gayle, Mandonator™, mandolin, mandola, resonator guitar, and vocals.
Jugtown USA
A jug band tribute to the Motown greats, this 8-member band assembled for a single major performance in honor of Motown's 50th anniversary. They played to a very full house at Don Quixote's International Music Hall, with even standing room in short supply. Topher was delighted to change instruments frequently, playing 5-string Mandonator™, guitar, tenor banjo, ukulele banjo, and bugle kazoo.
Briarwood
Briarwood delivered bluegrass-inflected Americana music with wonderful acoustic instrumentation and tight vocal harmonies -- up to five parts! There was always a healthy dose of humor thrown in for fun. Briarwood's debut CD was released in 2005.
Briarwood was Joe Buczek: resonator guitar, banjo, vocals; Chris Finn: mandolin, bass, vocals; Topher Gayle: bass, mandolin, guitar, vocals; Gail Reese: fiddle, vocals; Craig Sutherland: guitar, vocals.
Ballistic Cats
Topher played electric bass and sang a little bit in this rocking surf/blues/rockabilly group.
Hub Cap Blues
Topher sang and played guitar, mandolin, mandola, and bass in this blues-based acoustic trio.
Dead Stop
Topher played electric bass with this San Jose cover rock band.
Far Frummet
Topher wrote tunes, sang and played electric guitar and bass with this band.
Famous Last Words (of Boston)
This band evolved from Far Frummet, and released the 45 rpm single "Boston Driver" in the early 1980's. Toph wrote tunes, sang, and played electric guitar, bass, and percussion.
The House Band (of Merrimack Valley)
Toph sang and played mandolin and guitar in this bluegrass/jazz band.