Jason Savio

Gail and Dan Hunt know how to keep a good thing going.

The two have been married for 25 years and are also the bass player and guitarist–and founders–of the ever-evolving We and the Dawg, now in its fifth year. Performing a mix of funk and R & B covers, We and the Dawg currently finds itself as one of Worcester’s most reliable and entertaining bands.

There are eight members in the group, which features a horn section and the new addition of Johnny Blue Horn (who plays, you guessed it, a blue colored horn). Another recent addition is veteran Worcester singer Bruce Reed, who is the “Dawg” in the band’s name. But before there was a “Dawg,” there was a “Mrs. Jones.”

The group’s first incarnation featured Madeline Jones, a singer from Beaumont, Texas, who moved to the Worcester area during her husband’s residency to become an orthopedic surgeon, said the Hunts. “Maddy in her own right is a superstar,” said Dan. “She could sing the phone book and it would be great.”

Playing as We and Mrs. Jones, the group enjoyed success, but it was brief. Madeline and her husband would move back to Beaumont, Texas after about two and a half years, in 2016. There was a brief moment of panic that followed Jones’ announcement that she was going to leave. Dan described “Googling ‘female singers Central Massachusetts’” and not finding what he was looking for.

The question of who would replace Jones didn’t last long. Jim Heffernan, keyboardist in We and Mrs. Jones, knew the perfect man for the job, someone whom he had played with before: Bruce Reed. “(Heffernan) mentioned one day that (Jones) was leaving the band and if I would consider coming down just to listen to them and see if I’d be interested,” said Reed. “That they had Jimmy was enough for me. He’s one of the best keyboard players I’ve ever played with and I figured if he’s in the band then it had to be good,” he added.

Both Hunts agree the shift between Jones and Reed was seamless and there was no need for a break. Reed and Jones even shared the stage for Jones’ last batch of gigs with the band. “Bruce came right in and it was perfect,” said Gail. “It almost turned more into a band feeling (when Reed joined). Maddy is an unbelievably professional singer, but it was more like her showcase and now it’s just a funk band.”

“Plus coming from a female vocalist to a male vocalist, it’s kind of two different sounds,” added Dan. “I remember seeing Bruce back in the day and going ‘this guy is awesome.’ To have him in a band with you is really fortunate.”

Reed has his own storied history with the Worcester music scene, having performed as a singer and bass player in the popular Tornado Alley in the eighties and as the singer in Big Dawg during the nineties. Reed said that he retired from music starting in 1997 and had given it up. But after picking up a few gigs around town here and there, including at Greendale’s Pub’s Blues Jam, he “got the fire back.”

“This is my therapy,” Reed said. “When the world treats you like a dog treats a fire hydrant, the music just takes all that away.”

Despite having some nerves about getting onstage and heading another group–as well as finding his voice again–Reed said that he is having fun with his new band and is grateful for the easy transition.“It was great,” he said about his first experience performing with We and the Dawg alongside Jones. “I didn’t have all the focus on me which was good because I got to get used to it again. Doing it after all that time was very terrifying, but I knew that I could do it if I could get my voice back. I didn’t quite get it (back) but with age comes wisdom, so I can sing around things that I used to just power through.”

With Reed now leading on vocals, the “Dawg” is back in town and ready to take another bite out of the Worcester music scene. We and the Dawg have been at it for just over two years, and, with no end in sight, plan on a solid 2019.

“It’s too good to stop,” said Gail.

Gail and the rest of the band have gigs planned at Bull Mansion and the White Eagle, to name a few. They also have an upcoming show in June at the Worcester Marine Corps League.

The Hunts credit the professionalism and closeness between members of We and the Dawg for the group’s sustained success. Dan and Heffernan even went to high school together before playing in separate bands and again finding each other for We and the Dawg. Reed and We and the Dawg’s trumpet player, Roger Grover, played together in Tornado Alley.

“Life is funny like that, and not even to mention I play with my wife,” Dan said.

The Hunts are clearly the bedrock of We and the Dawg, and their relationship is one that was built on music from the start. Both attended Worcester State and had a class together, but both eventually dropped out. Gail would later see Dan performing with a band at Tammany Hall.

“He remembered and came over,” said Gail, recalling the concert where she saw Dan playing.

“I had a wireless guitar so I went over and I did a solo for her,” said Dan.

It must have been a good solo.

“No bad note,” he joked.

For more information, visit: facebook.com/weandthedawg/