STAMFORD -- It wasn't the eagerly awaited reunion of Simon and Garfunkel or The Who, but 25 years after opening for Peter Frampton and playing backup for David Bowie, the Simms Brothers Band got back together last night for a jam session.
About 25 people gathered at the Carriage House Recording Studio on Westhill Road to watch and hear history in the making as one of the most successful local bands began work on a new album.
"There's never been a band this big out of Stamford, so it's pretty neat," said Martin Nirschel, a friend of the group's.
People drank beer and soda and munched on tiny sandwiches, chips and cookies as they listened to the band's jazzy rock music. One audience member commented on the great acoustics in the wood-paneled studio.
During a break, singer Frank Simms said that he, his brother George Simms and David Spinner founded the band in the early 1970s. They soon added members Mickey Leonard and Budd Tunick.
Though George Simms was not in attendance last night, all the others and three additional bandmates were there.
In the early days, the Simms Brothers played several functions and clubs around Stamford in the 1970s. They later signed a contract with a major label and recorded two albums, in 1979 and 1981.
Members felt the label wasn't promoting their music enough and they soon broke up. But they remained in the business, playing backup for numerous popular artists, including David Bowie, Billy Joel, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, INXS and Simple Minds.
Simms said that was not uncommon back then.
"That would happen in the 1980s, now none," Simms said.
As the years went by, the band members continued to work separately in music and television.
Many of them did voice-overs for television and radio commercials.
Using a different voice for each, Simms rattled off a long list of products that he does voice-overs for, including Gillette razors, Bounty paper towels, Kool-Aid, Charmin toilet paper and Ricola cough drops. He also does voice work for the show "Saturday Night Live."
Leonard said he does the current radio ad for Lake Compounce amusement park in Bristol.
One of the newer members, Dennis Collins, said he has played backup for Bob Dylan, Roberta Flack and Diana Ross and has a project in the works with Bette Midler.
"Frank and I are working with Carly Simon next Monday," he said.
The band first reunited in the summer to play at Jimmy's Seaside in the Cove and at an Alive @ Five summer concert event.
They said they enjoyed playing together so much, they decided to record an album.
The album will contain some old and new songs and be released on the Internet.
The band's Web site is simmsbrothersband.com.
Most of the band members, now in their 50s, live in the area and have families.
After traveling in different directions and pursuing different types of work, the members seemed happy to be back together last night.
"We had time to do things on our own and now we're back," Spinner said. "It's almost as if we never left."
10/30: Frank and Dennis performed with Carly Simon (along with Vaneese Thomas and Lou Bellofatto) at the 17th annual Glamour Women of the Year awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall. Among the award-recipents were Sandra Bullock, Iman, and Queen Latifah.
