The Village – recently renovated and reopened – was the place to be during the  1980s, the 'Decade of Decadence.’ This nightclub was where the party crowd went to meet people, to dance, and to enjoy the live music of both regional and national bands.
One band that went from The Village’s stage to world fame was Philly’s own, The Hooters. Prior to their first major label release, “Nervous Night” in 1985, the band was riding high on the East Coast on the strength of their 1983 independent record, “Amore.” During this time, The Hooters often graced the stage at The Village, playing to a packed house every time they came to town.  This is how Drummer David Uosikkinen first met Quentin Jones, a Lancaster-based musician – when Jones’s band opened for The Hooters.
While Uosikkinen does not recall many details from this first meeting, Jones has a vivid memory of asking Hooters Co-Founder Eric Bazillian for advice on the music business. Bazilian’s response was simple: “Well, the first thing I’d do is buy a guitar that stays in tune.” Jones certainly took that advice to heart – and, in fact, is now endorsed by the legendary Gretsch Guitar company. He spent many years honing his craft, while Uosikkinen and the Hooters went on to release several more albums and achieve world-wide acclaim.
Fast forward many years, and Jones was producing records for legacy artists. Needing a talented and solid percussionist for several projects by artists such as Charlie Gracie and Robert Gorden, he reached out to Uosikkinen. The drummer made time in his schedule to work on these records – and an enduring friendship was born. 
Since then, the musicians have worked together on several projects, including in the band QDK with Bassist Kenny Aaronson. This project has grown and, late this year, will be releasing an as-yet-unnamed record. The songs cross many genres, but all that I have heard are incredibly catchy and eminently ‘hummable.’ 
I asked Jones how this project differed from his previous work, and he told me that having the musical journeymen of Uosikkinen and Aaronson to bounce ideas off of has been a true luxury, enabling him to put all of his attention into his performances.
When complete, the record will have a plethora of music greats contributing. Hooters Co-founder Rob Hyman added keyboards; John Faye of The Caulfields, Charlie Ingui of Soul Survivors, Cliff Hillis, and Richard Bush of The A’s have all contributed backing vocals.
The record is scheduled for release towards the end of 2025, with the first single due later this summer – so make sure to get your turntables ready to enjoy this blending of Philly and Lancaster’s top talents.