The roots of Road Work Ahead stretch all the way back to the simpler days of 1980. Bob Magnusson was living and gigging in Los Angeles and had a record deal with Albert Marx's Discovery Records label. Bob had already done one album as a leader and was leaning into his second project. He rounded up pianist Bill Mays, San Diego drummer Jim Plank, and myself and we rehearsed through some of his tunes. The next stop was a Hollywood recording studio where we laid down the tracks and Bob titled the album "Road Work Ahead" featuring the Bob Magnusson Quartet. The music chosen for the recording were four of Bob's originals plus a Bill Mays tune and an early Russell Ferrante composition. The direction of the group had some inherent electricity and because of not only the musical ESP that took place but also the human interactive ESP, we decided to continue on, form a band, and call ourselves Road Work Ahead. The idea was free advertising courtesy of Caltrans and the hopes of taking the band out on the road.

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