Artists Descriptions & Links - MediAmericana Roots Ramble- 2007

Charlie Gracie - Honoring the Legend @ Brodeur's on State Street (9:30 pm) Opening for Mr. Gracie will be the Jack Marshall Trio

- Charlie Gracie is one of a diminishing number of rock-n-roll innovators, who continues to actively perform. A native of South Philadelphia, he became the first successful recording star of the "Rock Era" to emerge from that neighborhood. In 1957, Charlie's 'Butterfly' topped the American and British music charts, selling over 3 million copies. His other late fifties big sellers include: 'Fabulous', 'Ninety-Nine Ways', 'Wanderin Eyes' and 'I Love You So Much It Hurts'. These hits bankrolled Philly's famous Cameo-Parkway record label, making it a dominant force in the music industry for nearly a decade! At the height of his fame, Charlie frequently appeared on 'Dick Clark's American Bandstand', 'The Ed Sullivan Show', and 'Alan Freed's TV Specials'. He headlined shows at the Brooklyn Paramount, the Casino Royale in Washington, The 500 Club in Atlantic City, and Old Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. Charlie's star burned even brighter in Great Britain where he became the second American artist to bring rock-n-roll to the English concert stage. Preceded only by Bill Haley, Charlie headlined the London Palladium and Hippodrome receiving outstanding receptions from the press and public. To this day, Charlie Gracie, is a much loved and respected performer the length and breadth of the United Kingdom.

While Charlie has earned a place in rock music history, this is only one dimension to a career that spans forty years. His versatility makes him the consummate music man! Today, Charlie enjoys a strong following at clubs and resorts along the northeast corridor of the U.S. Twice, annually, he performs to large audiences in countries such as: England, Italy, Germany, Austria, Finland, Spain and Holland. His superb guitar playing elicits the highest of praise from music legends like George Harrison. The ex-Beatle referred to Charlie's guitar work as 'brilliant' in a March 1996 interview with Billboard Magazine. Paul McCartney paid tribute to Charlie by Recording an updated version of 'Fabulous' in his new 1999 CD series entitled: "Run Devil Run". McCartney honored Charlie again that fall by inviting him to the album's premiere party in London.

The year 2000 found Charlie on the road with Irish blues rocker, Van Morrison. Van, another Charlie Gracie admirer, commissioned him to open his shows at the Wiltern in Los Angeles and The House of Blues in Las Vegas. A short time later, Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young fame, declared that Charlie inspired him to a musical career. Nash then proceeded to contribute vocally on Charlie's latest CD release-his first of the new Millennium.

It is obvious why Charlie Gracie has lasted the course longer than most. He is an accomplished musician and an exceptional talent - a devoted family man who conducts himself as a gentleman both on stage and off. He is a credit to his industry. *Charlie was voted into Great Britain's Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame (1998) founded by "Now Dig This" magazine.

At the April 14 Roots Ramble, Media Borough and Delaware County Officials will present tribute proclamations to Charlie Gracie at 11:15pm before his trio's second set. The Jack Marshall Trio will be Gracie's opening act with sets at 8:30 and 10:30.

Jack Marshall Trio - Up from the roots, this seasoned trio jives and boogies with the first downbeat. From the swampy sounds of the Delta to the groove of a Texas Swing, these veterans of the S.E. PA music scene for over 30 years are Bennett Sykes on bass, Ian Greaves on drums and Jack Marshall on piano.

Bill Kirchen & Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods @ Sligo (9:15 pm)

- Bill Kirchen has become widely known for the trademark big-rig guitar riffs that powered the Commander Cody hit "Hot Rod Lincoln" into the Top 10 in 1972. Since 1993, he has recorded seven critically acclaimed albums of his own that have made him one of the musical elder statesmen of today's Americana music, which in truth was pioneered by acts like Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen back in the '70s.

For his new album, Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods on Proper Records, Kirchen puts the accent on songwriting, a talent that is sometimes overshadowed by his dazzling instrumental virtuosity. "I felt it was time to write some songs that cut closer to the bone," he says. And on such moving numbers as "Rocks Into Sand" and "One More Day," he succeeds admirably. All told, Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods is the culmination of one very rich American musical life.

On Hammer, the man known as "The King of Dieselbilly" and "A Titan of the Telecaster" visits most every sonic landmark along the proverbial Route 66 of American music that he's traveled for decades now as a player, songwriter and singer, and serves up a blue-plate special of such tasty and nourishing stylistic flavors as rock 'n' roll, honky-tonk, soul, rockabilly, Western swing, country, blues, boogie-woogie and more. The set captures the essence of Kirchen as "a devastating culmination of the elegant and funky," as he's described by his longtime friend and compatriot Nick Lowe, one of the noted musicians who plays on Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods.

From his twanging title tribute to the Fender Telecaster guitar that he plays (and which he notes in song "was born at the junction of form and function") to the soulful closing take of Arthur Alexander's "If It's Really Got To Be This Way", Kirchen covers a home run of musical bases on his new disc. Recorded primarily in London with Lowe on bass, Robert Trehern on drums and Austin deLone and Geraint Watkins on keyboards, the album touches on Kirchen's Michigan Motown R&B roots ("Soul Cruisin'" and a take of "Devil With the Blue Dress" that echoes the Shorty Long original), barroom blues (Blackie Farrell's "Skid Row In My Mind"), doo-wop ("Working Man") and Sun Records rockabilly meets Jerry Lee Lewis boogie-woogie ("Heart of Gold") in addition to the honky-tonk, Western swing and Dieselbilly, of which Kirchen is an acknowledged master.

Kirchen has appeared on record and stage with a who's who of musical talents that includes Lowe, Doug Sahm, Ralph Stanley, Gene Vincent, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Bruce Hornsby, Hoyt Axton and fellow six-string heroes Link Wray and Danny Gatton. At the recent Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco, Bill played guitar with Elvis Costello, who named his band for the event the Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods after Bill's upcoming release, and featured Bill singing the title song. Kirchen was nominated for a 2001 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance for his song "Poultry in Motion" and inducted the next year into the Washington (D.C.) Area Music Association Hall of Fame alongside John Phillip Sousa and Dave Grohl of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. He has lectured at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Smithsonian Institution and the 1998 International Conference on Elvis Presley in Memphis, and is featured in the TNN special Yesterday and Today: Honky-Tonk & Western Swing.

Frank Bey & The Swing City Band @ Iron Hill Brewery (9:30 pm)

- Entertaining has been a way of life for Frank, starting at the tender age of four. Growing up in Millen, Georgia and the son of a gospel singer, Maggie Jordan, Frank learned at an early age that singing was his God-given gift. Frank says, "I can remember singing as early as I can remember talking." Later, in the 1960s during his teenage years, Frank toured with the Otis Redding Review. He later Joined "Archie Jenkins & The Incredible Saxons," touring extensively in the United States and as far away as Canada, Alaska and Spain. In 1977 Frank left the music business. "A voice this wonderful should not have been silent for so long..." Bill Mitchell, Blues Bytes, MARCH 1998

Frank began performing again in 1996 and released his debut CD, "Steppin' Out" in 1998. He is currently enjoying the June 2000 release of of CD single, "I Wanna See You Soon" as well as performing live. While "Steppin' Out" clearly demonstrates Mr. Bey's ability to perform multiple blues styles including swing, standard slow blues, delta, country, folk, "I Wanna See You Soon" establishes his presence in the rhythm & blues genre. At live performances, Frank's rich and exquisite style is presented with such feeling that each member of the audience can relate it to his or her own experience.

The November 1997 edition of the Cape May Jazz Festival was one such performance. Of the Cape May Jazz Festival, Richard Skelly, host of "The Low Budget Blues Program" on WRUS-FM said in the March/April issue of Tri-State Blues, "...the highlight for me was most definitely the soul-blues of Frank Bey..."

Frank Bey performed at the April 1998 Cape May Jazz Festival. This time Frank was featured in the Penthouse Ballroom of The Grand Hotel, and in true style he not only brought the house of 600 people to their feet, he left them chanting for more.

Zydeco-A-Go-Go @ Joclyn's (9:00 pm)

- Founded in 1992, the all-star group boasts colorful personnel with decades of experience:

Bandleader Pete Eshelman, on accordion, piano, and vocals, plays guitar with local legends Philly Gumbo, drums for New Orleans Mardi Gras street parade group The Wild Bunch Brass Band (a perennial favorite at Penn's Landing's Jambalaya Jam festival) and has played piano with such artists as Bo Diddley, Sleepy LaBeef, and New Orleans' own Charles "honeyboy" Otis.

Guitarist Steve Chrismar recorded and toured with George Thorogood for eight years before settling in Los Angeles, where he gigged and worked as a studio musician backing many notable R&B/Soul artists including Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), Taj Mahal and Chaka Khan.

Saxophonist Carl "CC" Crabtree cut his teeth in the 80's touring the South with novelty R&B prankster Darryl Rhodes but is well-known in Philly, having worked with Grover Washinton Jr., the Ben Vaughn Quintet and many of the area's top Blues R&B and Party Rock bands, including rhythm & blues big band The Dukes Of Destiny.

Drummer Bob Holden, a founding member of The Dukes, has backed national recording artists such as soul-singer Terry Evans and roots-blues legend Otis Rush.

On bass guitar is Randy Lippincott, another seasoned veteran who has worked with dozens of blues greats over the years, including with Pinetop Perkins, Lowell Fulson, and Johnny Littlejohn, just to name a few. Randy fronts his own R&B combo singing and playing guitar, and as bassist and bandleader for eight years with the late Johnny Clyde Copeland, he recorded four cd's and appeared in seventeen countries on four continents spreading world-wide the gospel of soulful rocking rhythm & blues.

Rounding out the group nicely on percussion is newest member Pamela Eshelman, having lots of fun keeping time "chankety-chank" on the rubboard (or "frattoir", a predominant instrument in Louisiana zydeco music)... she brings to the band a swinging sense of rhythm and contagious on-stage enthusiasm.

Tom Gillam & Tractor Pull @ Stephen's on State (9:15 pm)

- As the Americana genre entered 2001 with a full head of steam, Gillam threw his hat into the ring with his national debut, "Dallas" (Feb. 6, 2001) on Gotham Records. "Dallas" was recorded with the help of his touring band Tractor Pull, and was produced and engineered by the band's guitar/mandolin player, Joe Carroll, at his home studio in Philadelphia. Again in 2004 with the release of his CD "Shake My Hand", singer/songwriter/slide guitarist Tom Gillam has added another chapter in a very exciting and critically acclaimed career. Another CD is in the works and due for imminent release.

Gillam's fiery brand of slide guitar is uncommon in today's era, and it stands out in the genre. His original sound stems from the ability to weave his guitar playing into the fabric of his music, leaving no part without a strong emotional pull. Each song offers a new perspective on the world and creates a stirring snapshot of life. His lyrics tell the emotional stories of the many characters he has encountered in his travels. Either solo, or with Tractor Pull, Gillam performs regularly throughout the East and Midwest. He has shared bills with artists such as The Dave Matthews Band, Tom Petty, Son Volt, and Garth Brooks. He has also performed live on Billy Block and the Western Beat, and has gotten spins on commercial and independent radio stations from Kansas to Canada.

Tom has performed the Roots Ramble in the past to great acclaim and was scheduled to perform in last year's Roots Ramble but in the midst of an international tour engagement suffered a heart attack during the month prior to our event. He recovered and went on to finish up the year touring in Germany and is back to grace our stage again this year.

Sin City Band @ "Quotation's" (9:00 pm)

- Sin City has accumulated a catalog of 14 independently released albums - 10 of which have been issued as CDs - and a fan base that spans several generations. It all adds up to a modest but impressive legacy. "I never thought the band or the name would last past the first couple of years, says lead singer Scott Birney, who, at 51, can boast of being Sin City's youngest member.

While Birney acknowledges the band's relatively low profile, he's more than content with what he and his partners have achieved. Breaking nationally would have been great, he says, "but to pursue that you have to drop everything and live in the back of a car indefinitely. We never lined up for the race at the national [level], for better or for worse." "But I have no regrets at all about what we've done and where we are," says Birney, who lives in Chester County, Pa. "It's been a great 30 years. The reward of a gig is not necessarily the pay at the end; it's the satisfaction of a sweaty dance floor, or even a half-hearted call for an encore. The older you get, the simpler the pleasures in life are."

Birney formed Sin City shortly after attending an NRBQ concert in New Hampshire. The first gig in Hillsboro, N.H., coincided with President Nixon's resignation in August 1974 at the height of the Watergate scandal. Birney called his guitar-and-bass duo Little Sammy Saddle and the Sin City Band; he took the name "Sin City" from a song Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman wrote during their tenure with the Flying Burrito Brothers, a groundbreaking West Coast country-rock band.
_{- Excerpt From: The SinCity Band - Artist Close-Up © 2006 Blue Crab Grill}

Transistor Rodeo @ Picasso (9:30 pm)

- Making their home in Philadelphia, members hail from all over the US. They play a rootsy style of rock'n'roll conveniently called "Alt-Country" by the more creative members of the music press. Transistor Rodeo is a five piece outfit consisting of the standard vocal, two guitar, bass, drums format with the tasty addition of the violin. Their style has been compared to everyone from Tom Petty to Son Volt and almost never to Heavy D.

The Man in Black & Lili Añel & Jerry Burruss @ Plumstead Inn (8:15 pm)

- The Man in Black 'Walks the Line' with the talented Lili Añel and with Jerry Burruss:

David Stone is a Philadelphia born singer/songwriter who has been singing the songs of Johnny Cash nearly all of his life. Inspired by the Man In Black's ABC television show as a young boy, Stone soon learned to play guitar and sing in Cash's unique style. He started the show MAN IN BLACK over three years ago, to an enthusiastic response from fans all over the Philadelphia area. Stone is not a look-alike or an impersonator. Eying the opportunistic and degrading Elvis impersonator industry with apprehension, Stone long ago decided that his rendition of Johnny Cash would observe strict authenticity and dignity in conveying the rich, thought provoking music that made Johnny Cash an icon of American Country music.

Lili Añel - Whether performing solo or with a rhythm section, Lili Añel's songs captivate her audience. A transplanted New Yorker, Lili considers herself a Philadelphian and with good reason; venues like World Café Live! have embraced her; WXPN has featured her. Defying categorization and calling her music a hybrid of "urban/acoustic/jazz/pop" combined with a powerfully unique vocal style bringing her to the forefront, CNotes Internet Radio choose her as "one of the top 25 independent artists of 2005".

In January 2007, Lili released her third CD entitled "Dream Again" (Wall-I Records/Quarry Hill Studios). "Dream Again" marks Ms. Añel's first recording as co-producer. She is joined by her bassist, Cooke Harvey as the other half of this creative effort. Mr. Harvey's impeccable bass stylings and arrangements make this joint effort the perfect collaboration. The CD showcases various sides of her songwriting and arranging, with sonic textures in different configurations, strings, to solo bass, guitar and voice as well as enlisting the expert playing of Dave Bozenhard on guitars and John DiGiovanni on drums and percussion as rhythm section (appropriately named "The Dream Again Band"), stretching jazz, pop, r&b and alternative boundaries.

"Dream Again" along with her previous two recordings prove that Lili's got the goods to be a mainstay in the music industry. While compared to various artists at times, she's truly one of a kind. [sic] "… and every indication says she'll win big…"
_{- Paul Iorio, freelance writer, NY Post, Village Voice, Cashbox}

"A performer to watch [for]….a velvet voiced, vocal powerhouse whose earthy, jazz-laced tunes stretch the boundaries of traditional 'singer-songwriter' turf."
_{- Nicole Pensiero, Philadelphia Inquirer}

Jerry Burruss is a 71 year old blind black blues and country guitarist and vocalist from Chester County Pennsylvania. Burruss, raised in alcoholism and squalor in the dank dung scented shadows of Kennett Square area mushroom houses, began before age 10 by noodling on a family member's Piano. Jerry was given his first string instrument, a standup bass consisting of a string, a broomstick, and a washtub near age 10. He picked up a guitar at age 13 and taught himself to play overhand.

For 55 years Burruss mimicked blues and country performers on the radio while cataloging lyrics, songs, artists, and music history in his head. During that time he developed a series of open tunings and companion finger work that often leave practiced musicians scratching their heads. The difficulties inherent in growing up blind in alcoholism, poverty, and racial prejudice, each add a layer to the grit in Burruss' singular voice.

Ben Singleton & Friends @ John's Grille (8:00 pm)

- Ben Singleton is king of the area's Jazz & Blues open mic sessions hosting many with his Blues Revue.

Drummer / vocalist Ben Singleton grew up in Charleston, South Carolina and moved to the Philadelphia area after high school. Over the years he has played with hundreds of bands and acts, including Chubby Checker, Jimmy Smith, Ben E. King and Patti LaBelle. Ben Singleton and friends sport an enormous song repertoire and tonight will explore the seminal currents of Rhythm & Blues and The Blues in the American Roots Music.

Craig Bickhardt @ Seven Stones Café* (7:30 pm)

- His songwriting credits read like a Who's Who of the music industry. Ray Charles, B. B. King, Johnny Cash, The Judds, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Allison Krauss, Anne Murray, Art Garfunkel, Poco, and Vince Gill are just a few of the many luminaries who have dipped into Craig Bickhardt's well of songs. A discography like that would be the envy of most songwriters, but the covers are only part of the story.

"I never set out to write hits for other artists," Bickhardt says. "But I always got a kick out of hearing what happened to the songs in 'translation'."

His first break as an artist came when he was asked to write and sing the closing theme for Robert Duvall's Academy Award winning movie TENDER MERCIES. The success of that film led to a move to Nashville, where Craig hooked up with fellow songwriters Thom Schuyler, Fred Knobloch and Don Schlitz to establish THE WRITERS IN THE ROUND. Their laid back "living room" style of performing at The Bluebird Café became the hottest ticket in town. These days it's hard to find a city where songwriters haven't adopted the genial in-the-round presentation pioneered by the foursome in the late 1980s.

Eventually Craig, Thom, and Fred took their smooth blend of harmonies into the studio to record their commercially successful CD, NO EASY HORSES. The disk spawned three top twenty singles including Craig and Thom's song THIS OLD HOUSE, which has since become a standard in the traditional bluegrass genre. The trio, dubbed SKB, disbanded after making an unreleased second album, but not before they helped transform the country music scene, opening the door for a wave of singer-songwriter acts that exploded onto the country charts in the 1990s.

Craig cemented his reputation on Music Row when he racked up a succession of chart topping hits, including the number one songs "Turn It Loose", "I Know Where I'm Going", "In Between Dances", and "It Must Be Love". His self-penned CD, EASY FIRES, is a collection of some of the strongest material garnered from this period.

Bickhardt's performing style has often been called "soulful folk". Craig credits his Philadelphia roots for the influence. "I was lucky to grow up in a town that was a melting pot for musicians. I got to hear lots of R&B as well as the great folk performers of the late 60s, early 70s. It taught me that nothing moves people like a great song sung with some passion," he says.

Craig's years in the studio as an A-team picker helped to polish his signature finger picking guitar style, which can be heard on the CDs of The Judds, Kathy Mattea, Jonathan Edwards, Suzy Bogguss, and others who invited him to sit in. Bickhardt is well suited to the intimate solo performances he now gives regularly around the country. Among the thousands of troubadours on the scene today, few can outshine him in a concert setting.

Rob Dickenson Band @ Coffee Beanery* (7:30 pm)

- The Rob Dickenson Band is a group of full time musicians who have left a string of debt across our nation. Armed with guitars, mandolin, dobro, bass, papoose, drums and vocals, they continue their lives of sing song storytelling without the embarrassment of a day job. The band has played at every gin joint in the Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey area. They have played folk clubs from Club Passim to The Main Point. They have left audiences in stunned disbelief at store closings, bowling allies and picnics in villages from the Mississippi to the murky Atlantic Ocean.

Long in the tooth and short in the pocket, their peculiar brand of music is played out of love for melody and words. The band is in the process of capturing 12 new songs on CD to be finished before being called to the great beyond. The CD will be titled Remembrance. Rob Dickenson, songwriter, and Jim Littmann, master of all instruments he surveys, have been working together since 1968. Jim is a musician with little time for anything else, but frying up an occasional self-caught trout. Mike Rast is the bass player and style dart of the band. He never gets mad at the drunks, even when they ask for Jimmy Buffet. Doug Wolfe is the drummer and knows his multiplication tables from beginning to end.

Kim Trusty (solo) @ Margaret Kuo's Media* (dinner seating required) (7:30 pm)

- What started over thirty years ago in an all-black Baptist church in rural Pennsylvania has evolved into one of the hottest acts on stage today. A silky smooth combination of Blues and jazz, Kim Trusty offers up a style rarely seen in the music industry. As vocalist, songwriter, guitarist and actress, Kim Trusty is a multifaceted talent. Kim's performance style is completely unique and unforgettable to the senses. With a captivating stage presence, soulful lyrics and a showstopping voice, Kim Trusty's act keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Born and raised in Media, PA, after attending Berklee College of Music, Kim moved to Providence, RI, where she currently lives. Kim Trusty has made an indelible imprint on the music scene, having opened for Paula Cole, Taj Mahal, Koko Taylor, Rick Danko and Richie Havens. Kim's music is a highly textured blend of jazz, pop, R&B, and improvisation.

Nora Whittaker @ Towne House Stag Bar (8:00 pm)

- Funky and fresh, the Philadelphia-based Nora Whittaker Band fuses soul, blues, pop, and r&b to create their own blend of "blue-eyed soul". Led by Nora's brassy vocals and solid keyboards, complimented by Ben Cleal's resonant bass and Dan Quill's innovative drums, The band's material ranges from thoughtful, wailing ballads to cosmic, driving tunes.

Since 2002, Nora and the band have performed throughout the country – including NYC, Boston, Chicago, Austin and LA. Venues include edgy hotspots like The Bitter End (NYC), The Grape Street (PA), The Tin Angel (PA), and EP Koberl at Blue (CA).

Nora has shared the stage with such talents as: Amos Lee (Blue Note Records), Mutlu, and McGowan (on-tour with Ben Lee 2003-2004). Her vocals are featured on the 2005 Burndown Allstars album and will be featured on Kuf KnotZ's (www.myspace.com/kufie) upcoming solo album. Nora recently sang backup on the Coke Zero commercial featuring G-Love of G-Love and Special Sauce.