About
Band Bios
Butch Giusto - keys, vocals - Butch hails from Augusta, GA where he began his professional career at the tender age of 14, playing in a popular regional act called Frank Britt and The Reserve. Already a seasoned pro at 18, he earned a degree in Music Composition at the University of Colorado (Boulder) and wrote a number of scores for everything from small ensemble to full orchestra with performances in Denver, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. His roots pulled him back to Augusta where he became the in-house composer for Arts in the Heart (a renovated Catholic church converted to an arts center) where he created and performed music for theater interpretations of classic literature. Butch has worked extensively with Augusta-based groups including James Brown (studio), The Dixie Dregs, Livingston Taylor, Modoc, The Edge, Snafu, Word of Mouth Band, All That Jazz, CrossCut, The Truly Dangerous Swamp Band, and many others. He has shared the stage with a wide variety of performers that include: The Classics Four, The Atlanta Rhythm Section, Grover Washington, Little Feat, Speed Bird, John Cage, Eric Quincy Tate, Gregg Allman, Chuck Level and Sea Level, among others. In addition to extensive US touring, he has performed in Japan, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Spain,and Aruba.
Rion Odom - guitar - Emerging from the depths of South Carolina's backwoods, Rion's guitar speaks a language of mystic soul born from the gospel echoes of his upbringing and quiet allure of his surroundings. Influenced by living artists like Rhett Shull, Dave Evans of U2, and the legendary blues man - Mac Arnold, his melodies weave an ethereal tapestry that resonates with raw emotion. As a guitar instructor, he shares his enigmatic craft, while his performances with Different Light, Pinnacle Music, and the Tommy Payne band, carry an undercurrent of brooding intensity. Beyond music, Rion's presence in comedy and commercials, and music videos adds an uncanny edge to his persona. An only child, his solitary upbringing near a nuclear power station casts a shadow over his past, infusing his music with an unsettling depth. Rion beckons listeners into a world where shadows dance with light, and every chord is a journey into the unknown.
Kurt Angel - drums - Kurt studied music and drums with David Perper from Dixie Grit and later Rod Morgenstein of the Dregs and Augusta College. He played with Butch Guisto in bands back to 1979. He moved to Memphis, TN to escape the country music lounge scene in Augusta, GA and formed Turning Point with Steve Taylor of DeGarmo & Key and with Jeff Adams of Starship. He earned his electrical engineering degree at Memphis State in 1990 with post graduate work at GA Tech. He worked for AT&T, Texas Instruments, General Dynamics, and the US Patent Office. He founded the first open source recording project, The Jam Lab in 1999 with local trios in Orlando FL, Sugarland TX, and Deep Creek NC. The Jam Lab record live jams and then others add new parts over the web. Butch joined The Jam Lab in 2012 after being reunited by a friend via Facebook. Butch invited Kurt to audition for Different Light in 2022. He is married with two grown sons. He loves astronomy, ancient history, riding his dual sport motorcycle, and photography.
Mark Duncan - guitar, vocals - Owing much to his maternal familial music roots, Mark enjoyed music from a young age. Pentacostal church music gave him an appreciation for an excited energy of collaboration when players groove together. His teen years found him amazed by Randy Rhodes, Jimi Hendrix, Judas Priest, Dio and many more. A move to the mountains of Tuckaseegee, NC in his early 20's allowed him to cross paths with The Bluesman, Jim Moffett. Jim opened so many musical possibilities by showing him the power in the blues and it's about what you don't play as much as what you do play. Phrasing, that led him to jazz; Coltrane, Miles, Sonny, Ella, so many amazing, soul inspiring artists. Mark's journey started in an amazing burst of musical styles and genres, which has left his ears open to new experiences ever since.