SPILL BOOK REVIEW: JEFF GOMEZ – SAMMY

JEFF GOMEZ – SAMMY

J-CARD PRESS

BOOK REVIEW BY AARON BADGLEY

One of the wonderful things about music is that it almost automatically attaches to a person, place, or time. It can be a band, song or album. Each song can have a deep connection for the listener. It is almost like magic. Certain songs can take me to a specific time with a specific person. And certain bands will always hold a special place in your heart and soul. For writer Jeff Gomez, that band was and is Sammy. Sammy was a 1990s alternative band that disappeared after two albums and an EP, and like most fans, one always wonders what became of them. I appreciate Gomez’s analogy of a band simply disappearing to being ghosted by a person, because music can be that personal

Sammy is an extremely well written book about three musicians, singer/guitarist Jesse Hartman, lead guitarist Luke Wood, who together formed Sammy, as well as Gomez. Gomez was a well-known and well-established writer in his own right. He accomplished something many of us record collectors and fans dream of doing – searching out a band who meant something to them, finding them, and writing their story. It does not matter how many records Sammy sold, it is their story that is what is riveting and their music. It is also helpful to have the full co-operation of both members.

Full confession, I had never heard Sammy before reading this book. During the 1990s, what with getting married, having kids, a little disillusionment with the alternative scene, I missed a lot. Listening to Sammy in 2026 for the first time, as a much older man, was an interesting experience. One can hear the influences they cite in the book and piece together their development.

Their story is fascinating and Gomez turns it into the story it needs to be. Gomez’s style is brilliant and his ideas and facts overlap to tell a story of triumph and eventual disappointment. Record companies by the 1990s have become ruthless and more focused on money than any artistic slant. Of course, there were, and still are, a lot of independent labels, but they were finding it harder to fight for airspace on a crowded radio dial. But Gomez lets them tell their stories.

But the story is not a sad one. Although the band did not gain the exposure and popularity they deserved, both members have had extremely successful careers since the band folded. Gomez allows Wood (who became a well-known and very successful record executive and later joined Beats Electronics) and Hartman (a successful solo musician, filmmaker, writer, and actor) explore how Sammy was a vital step in their respective careers. Also, it is riveting to read how an artist like Elliot Smith was assisted by Wood.

Sammy is a brilliant book. I didn’t know what to expect as I started the book, but it certainly captured my attention quickly and made me want to not only learn about this band but read all the stories, including Gomez’s. It is a story about the 1990s, the indie scene and big, major labels and a band who just wanted to do the best possible music. But in doing so, they touch a lot of lives. I am glad to have read this book and discovered a new band in the process. Sammy is essential reading for fans of the band and people who live and breathe music.

ISBN-13:‎ 979-8991739450

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