Quill

Quill was a progressive rock band from Boston in the late 1960s. The band was founded by Jon and Dan Cole, singing and songwriting brothers from the Boston area. The lineup included Roger North on drums, Norm Rogers on guitar and Phil Thayer on keyboard and sax, with Jon on bass and Dan doing most of the lead vocals. The band would often switch instruments and everyone participated in vocals. Dan was the primary front man and the Coles were responsible for almost all of the band's material.
Quill gained a very loyal following and opened for several national acts which included The Who, The Kinks, Deep Purple, Blue Cheer, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and others. They were featured on several local TV shows in Boston and the Midwest, and were praised by the music press for their talent. During their shows they would pass out rhythm instruments so that the audience could participate in the music. They got the chance to play at Woodstock and were the opening act on the second day of the festival. However their performance was cut from the Woodstock movie because of a glitch in the system that was caused from the rain of the previous day. After Woodstock they recorded and produced their debut album, in a home studio, for Cotillian records but it did not do well on the market. Jon soon left the band and the remaining members collaborated on a second album but the label never released it. They finally disbanded in 1971.
Jon Cole eventually gave up the music business and moved to Hawaii, where he is a solar-energy expert. Dan Cole works as a business consultant and lives in Portland, Oregon. Roger North joined the Holy Modal Rounders and was with them until the 80's. He went on to design North Drums, still favored by some drummers lucky enough to have purchased a kit. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon and plays in the Freak Mountain Ramblers. Norman Rogers settled in Brattleboro, VT and played with several local bands through the years. He passed away unexpectedly at home, July 9, 2011.