Paul "P.H." Naffah

Paul "P.H." Naffah is best known as the former drummer for the Refreshments. He is currently the drummer for Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, the band he created with fellow Refreshment Roger Clyne.

Biography

Early years

Called the "calmest, low maintenance guy I know," by frontman Roger Clyne, Naffah prefers to slip behind his drum set for concerts, pound out sweat-pouring, mind-blowing rhythms and then disappear into the shadows once the night is done. His set-up is unorthodox as well with a cymbal layout that pushes outward towards the audience and a stiff-armed match grip that is as intense as it appears.

A native of Chicago, Naffah not only remembers his first drum set that he received when he was 10, he still has it today. What started as a boyhood hobby became a drumming passion as he methodically taught himself the craft using a jukebox of 45s in his family’s basement as his "instructors." Naffah mimicked the songs’ percussion parts until he mastered more and more complex combinations and beats. Patterning himself after the usual heroes of any boy growing up in the 1970s and 1980s (Keith Moon, John Bonham, and Stewart Copeland), he also found inspiration in lesser-know drummers including Mark Kingsmill of Hoodoo Gurus and Benny "Papasita" Benjamin who was part of the Motown rhythm section. By age 15, Naffah was in a band and because he was underage, needed to be smuggled in to play a variety of Chicago clubs. The band played original music and Naffah quickly became attuned to the nuances of working with songwriters.

Early music career

As a doctor’s son, Naffah dutifully headed to college to seek a degree in science, at sunny Arizona State University. A degree in Biology/Pre-Med seemed destined to send him down a predictable path but several encounters helped shake things up. During school, he drummed for a local band called Sunburst Love Zap and met a string of musicians that performed in the vibrant local scene. At a party thrown by his fraternity Kappa Sigma, he had a fleeting and impromptu jam with the Mortals and their lead vocalist, Roger Clyne.

The Refreshments

After graduation in 1993, he left the band scene, took his MCATs and passed the time building cabinets for a Phoenix contractor. He rarely followed the local bands but was aware of buzz surrounding the Refreshments, a group comprised of Clyne and Naffah’s friend, guitarist Brian Blush. In 1995, Blush called Naffah, inviting him to audition for the band’s then-open drummer slot. A perfect fit, Naffah decided that a career in medicine could wait and he joined the band at the tip of its memorable run. Signed by Mercury just months later, the Refreshments quickly grew from irreverent garage band to an early contender in the post-grunge landscape. Their first label album from 1996-1997 was the well-received "Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy", which spawned two radio hits, "Banditos" and "Down Together". The band appeared poised for surefire stardom. However, new and less artist-oriented management was installed at the Mercury label and despite another noteworthy album, "The Bottle and Fresh Horses", the Refreshments were cut loose and eventually disbanded.

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers

Naffah and Clyne remained compadres and soon after began playing Phoenix-area happy hours as a twosome. Jamming with a series of guitarists and bassists, they eventually formed Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers in late 1998 with bassist Danny White, guitarist Steve Larson, and guitarist Scotty Johnson, who left the band in 2002.

Naffah’s role with Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers expanded and he co-produced the first three albums, "Honky Tonk Union", "Real to Reel", and "Sonoran Hope and Madness". He and Clyne now share a bond when it comes to creating music and Naffah is usually the first to hear the vocalist’s original compositions and lyrics. Such is the trust and intuition of the two that Clyne wasn’t even present when Naffah and White recorded the bass parts for "¡Americano!".

Personal life

Now living in Goodyear, Arizona with his wife, young daughter and son, Naffah is steadfast in his commitment to the band and the music, which is about the only predictable aspect of his journey thus far. [http://www.nipp.com/artists/detail/ph-naffah-of-the-peacemakers-acoustic-duo]

References

1. http://www.nipp.com/artists/detail/ph-naffah-of-the-peacemakers-acoustic-duo