West of Next Coming to Armando's This Friday

If David Shapireau’s name doesn’t ring a bell, his music should.  Over the last three decades, the Sacramento-based guitarist has worked as a composer, arranger and side man with some of biggest names in West Coast music – artists including Norton Buffalo, Maria Muldaur, Dave Grisman, Jerry Garcia, Steve Miller, Bela Fleck and Bonnie Raitt.

Recently, though, Shapireau has stepped into the spotlight as the leader of his own band. West of Next, which plays original songs inspired by American roots music, comes to Armando’s on Friday.

Shapireau, who writes all of the band’s material, says the West of Next sound isn’t easy to describe.  It’s a wide-ranging mix inspired by classic American genres: Western swing, Cajun and zydeco, blues, folk, honky tonk, rock, bop and surf.

“I call it ‘altered Americana,’” he explained in a recent interview.  “It’s all different kinds of songs, arranged from a jazz arranger’s point of view.  But it’s not jazz.”

Call it the sum total of Shapireau’s experience in the music business.  The guitarist, who has spent much of his career arranging other people’s music, is finally getting the chance to present his own. 

“Composing and arranging was always my primary interest,” says Shapireau, who has more than 350 original songs to his credit. “Now I can do that in this band. The songs are all based on roots influences, but they’re all original.”

Born in Baltimore, Shapireau came to the West Coast as a guitarist. One of the first gigs he landed was with Buffalo’s band, the Norton Buffalo Stampede. He arranged much of the material for the harmonica star’s albums on Capitol Records, and toured extensively with the Stampede, playing large stadium shows throughout the 1970s. 

“It was interesting, being 25 years old and playing for 20,000 people on a regular basis,” he recalls. “It was exciting, and I loved doing the original material.”

Even as he was working as a guitarist, Shapireau quickly gained a reputation as a first-rate composer and arranger.  In the '80s, he worked with Garcia and Merl Saunders on music for the “Twilight Zone,” and served as house arranger and creative adviser for Sausalito’s Suspex Records.  Yet, in the back of his mind, he always wanted his own band.

“I was always fortunate to have great jobs arranging other people’s music,” he says.  “It was often great music, but I wanted to be able to do my own songs.”

Shapireau returned to the East Coast to complete his musical studies at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. When he returned to California, he formed West of Next with guitarist Steve Randall, bassist Gabe Nelson (of the Sacramento-based band Cake) and drummer Tony Dey. When Nelson left, he was replaced by Paul Knutsen. 

Shapireau, who serves as front man, lead guitar and principal vocalist, says he’s enormously pleased with the results. West of Next has been playing around Northern California, building a following and refining its sound. The band released its first CD, titled “What is Your Destiny,” in 2009. 

“Musically, it’s more satisfying than anything I’ve ever done,” he says. “It’s really gratifying to be able to do my own songs. Everything I hear now is from my head, realized in the real world. Instrumentally, the band is really unique and very strong.”

This will be the band’s third appearance at Armando’s, and Shapireau says he can’t wait.

“It’s one of my very favorite places,” he says. “We love it there. The people have been completely supportive. When someone hires you for one reason only – because they like your music – it feels pretty good.”