"Every Friday night for years, the four members of the New London rock band The Reducers adjourned to their rehearsal room on State Street to obverve their rituals. An extremely close-knit group, there were no members before these four, and there will be no members after.

"Such is the power and enduring popularity of the group. After their single "Let's Go" made a big chart impact in 1986, the word began to spread. National press and labels came calling, and they shared stages with acts like the Ramones and the Replacements.

"Then an amazing, glorious thing happened. The Reducers made the unanimous and conscious decision to stay home in New London and eschew the major label deals rather than take the chance that the demands and perks of stardom could erode or shatter the special qualities that define the band.

"As The Reducers' rhythm section, Kaika and Trombley provided an underpinning that's as tight as a snapping bear trap. At the same time, Kaika's creative fills had the sort of flair that recall the "lead bass" runs of The Who's John Entwistle, The Stranglers' J.J. Burnel, or even jazz wizard Jaco Pastorius.

"He's not only a stellar player, but he also at various times serves as taskmaster, arranger and group conscience," Birdsall said. "Steve has such a great ear for the dynamics of a song and makes us all work harder until we've found something he finds pleasing. The phrase 'Hey, Stevie likes it!' has often been a mantra that signals a song's completion." (Read the full article written by Rick Koster, Day Arts Writer.)