| Smooth Money Gesture - Bio
Smooth Money Gesture is infectious groove funk with ear twitching space jams, face melting solos and tight rhythmic changes. Since the new millennium, the band has been honing in on their sound, bringing their music from the East Coast to Alaska; finally landing in Nederland, Colorado where the band permanently resides. The sextet’s sound is rooted in rock and roll with elements of funk, bluegrass, metal, and electronica producing a jam based high energy psychedelic creation all their own. With a variety of musical influences feeding the improvisational groove, and the majority of members contributing vocals and to songwriting, Smooth Money Gesture takes one on an adrenaline rich celebratory journey that never runs out of fuel. The band has just released their debut CD "The Grand Scubian: Evolution” and with their ever expanding tour schedule, are making forays beyond their homebase of Colorado. This next year will see them traverse the Western states and cross the great Mississippi.
At the core of Smooth Money Gesture are the Diminico brothers and lifelong friend and fellow musician Josh Gitlin-Rich. Doug Diminico plays lead guitar and sings alongside his brother Dan Diminico (bass guitar and vocals). Josh Gitlin-Rich adds his own brand of guitar riffs to compliment Smooth Money's ethereal jams. On keys is Pete Goldberg, contributing a whole new dimension to Smooth Money's music with his energetic playing and gritty vocals. Cody Wales on drums and Nathaniel Haas on percussion and vocals, keep the band driving while adding a touch of polyrhythmic flare. Guy Erickson, of Colorado Music Buzz recently remarked “Smooth Money Gesture is the very Wiki of a happy jam band...Helixes of ebullient guitar...cerebral texture from the organ and keys provides that rare, full, Psychedelic-Funk expansion augmenting the complex interplay as two drummers / percussionists mesh in ever-evolving labyrinths of rhythm...Uplifting and a reason to smile!"
Sprinkling in the occasional and unexpected covers or teases from bands such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, or Phish: SMG is constantly twisting and taking the jams to new heights. Integral to the SMG expansive experience, is the job of Bryce on lights and effects. Bryce has been working with SMG, adding a light show that's as over the top as the music, furthering the planetary excursion into vast and grand, Scubian worlds.
Meet Smooth Money Gesture
Doug Diminico’s early start in music began when his parents first pushed his playpen up against a piano. His dad taught Doug some chords, but he soon scrambled down the stairs, and discovered the drum set his musical father kept in the basement. When a local band needed a bass player, Doug put down the sticks in favor of strings, and then moved onto guitar, where he’s been hanging out ever since. Spending his teens in numerous bands and gigging in bars in his hometown of Boston, he fell in love with hard rock, grunge and classic rock like Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Band, Traffic, Zappa and Pink Floyd. Then Doug’s world changed forever when he heard Phish for the first time, and began to delve into the Grateful Dead. Along with his brother Dan and longtime friend Josh Gitlin, Doug is a founding member of SMG. He contributes guitar and vocals, incorporating his musical influences into the bands jam orientated sound.

Dan Diminico adds vocals and plays bass for Smooth Money Gesture. As early as eighth grade he was playing and making music with his brother Doug, and childhood friend and core SMG founding member Josh Gitlin-Rich. Throughout his youth, Dan immersed himself in music, playing in the jazz band, studying music theory and forming the band “Slough” with Josh. Dan moved to Alaska, with Doug and Josh soon following, and together they joined in local bar and campfire jams. A weekly bar gig playing covers soon led to the development of an original repertoire and Smooth Money Gesture began to take root. Dan's love of funk to bluegrass, Motown to Classic Rock, live electronic and Prog- Rock and everything in-between contributes to his holding down the bottom end for the band.
Josh Giltin-Rich, contributes guitar and vocals, and is part of the early roots of SMG, growing up with the Diminico brothers in Arlington, MA. After high school Josh left the East Coast with one half of the Diminico brothers; Dan, for the wilds of Alaska. In Alaska, Smooth Money Gesture began to take shape, as well as a desire to share SMG’s music with the lower 48. After a summer of touring in the great state of Alaska, the Diminico brothers and Josh headed to Colorado. Josh’s musical influences are diverse and are incorporated into his jam and groove laced guitar riffs. His influences include the Grateful Dead, Beatles, Hendrix, and Phish, as well as Motown Classical, and Hip-hop and Gangster Rap.

Cody Wales is the drummer and latest addition to the group. Raised in Nederland, Colorado, the band’s current home town, he learned to play drums at a very early age of 12, taking lessons from Stanton Moore, Christian Teele, and many others. This is no surprise as he comes from a musical background. His father was one of the early drummers for Leftover Salmon. His father and Leftover Salmon were huge influences on him, as well as Jon Bonham, Jack DeJohnette, The Meters, Medeski Martin & Wood, Dumpstaphunk, James Brown, Frank Zappa, Atmosphere, Rahzel, Jimi Hendrix, Ernie Crews and pretty much anything that rocks hard, has a funky groove and some soul. Cody also adds beatbox and rap skills that will soon be implemented into the Smooth Money formula. He has shared the stage with Leftover Salmon, Great American Taxi, Mountain Standard Time, Jeff Austin, Jon “Black Dog” Ridnell , Horndog, Mile High Horns (Big Head Todd), Scott Messersmith (Motet), In Da Puddin’ Panty Droppers, Hot Soup, Jet Edison, Holden Young Trio, Split Jive Broadcast, Dr. Phil Good, Elephant Revival, Aesop Rock, Murs, and others.
Pete Goldberg plays keys and contributes vocals to Smooth Money Gesture. A self taught guitar player since his teens, Pete started learning keys when he couldn’t find a keyboard player for a past project. He switched to keys full time in 2002. He is a former member of Colorado band Gold Hill and writes and sings originals in Smooth Money Gesture. His textured playing is influenced by his love of Phish, Zappa, Beatles, Ben Folds, and Herbie Hancock. He’s shared the stage with local Colorado bands Grant Farm f/ Keith Moseley, Hot Soup, Holden Young Trio, Pete Kartasounes band, Dr. Phil Good, Mountain Standard Time, and Jet Edison.
Nathaniel Haas plays percussion for Smooth Money Gesture. He started with snare in the school band, and made the leap to a kit soon after. Well entrenched in the Colorado music scene for the past 10 years, Nathaniel has played in a variety of bands from diverse genres including most recently, Mountain Standard Time. He has sat in with the likes of Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain Stringband) and Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon, Great American Taxi) and continues to lend his percussive skills to local bluegrass band The Mile Markers. Influenced by his love of the Grateful Dead, Folk, Bluegrass and Jazz, in SMG, Nathaniel enjoys adding vocals and blending percussive elements in with Scott’s steady drumming, creating a solid and dynamic rhythm section. Nathaniel and his wife are expecting a baby, so he is currently on hiatus from Smooth Money, but you might be able to see him at our next local show!
www.SmoothMoneyGesture.com
Booking and Management: Lindberg Chambliss| Eighth Note Booking and Management|
515-509-3395 | lindberg@eighthnotebooking.com | www.eighthnotebooking.com
Publicity and Radio Contact: Sue DuMond | Sue DuMond Music Publicity and Media Services |
(360) 468-2753 | sue@suedumond.com | www.suedumond.com
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