The Bands

The Rich Fabec Band includes Rich Fabec on guitar and vocals, bassist Danny Vinson and drummer John Shadowens.

The band consists of Fabec on lead guitar and vocals, Danny Vinson on bass and John “big sound” Shadowens on skins. Both Vinson and Shadowens surround Fabec with a rhythm section one can be proud of. One noteworthy accomplishment from Fabec’s last recording to this one is his improved vocals that have seemed to find their niche in the blues/rock idiom that Fabec delivers beautifully being the sole vocalist on Name Your Poison.

Rich Fabec is the future of the blues. Rich's Blues are a unique blend of traditional Chicago and Texas Blues like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert King and Albert Collins; and more contemporary sounds like, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Robben Ford and Jimi Hendrix. Rich is fashioning the new sound of the Blues on his debut CD TALKING TO SHADOWS.

"The Blues is the great tradition of American music. It has been the common ancestor to all forms of Western music for the past 130 years. Rock, Jazz, Country, Bluegrass, Soul, even Rap and Hip-Hop owe their musical beginnings to the Blues. But the Blues, to survive a musical form, needs to keep evolving. That is what Muddy Waters and others did when they came from the Delta and plugged in electric guitars."Rich's music is a melting pot of Jazz, Funk and Rock all served on the plate of the Blues. The Blues are the foundation of his music.

Rich's interest in music began a long time ago in his hometown of Moon Twp., Pennsylvania. At the age of 9 he started taking guitar lessons inspired by his interest in rock groups like Kiss and Aerosmith. Because these groups mentioned Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton (Cream, John Mayall) as an influence, he soon found himself enamored with those players and their influences (the Blues). Learning quickly with a musical hunger that could not be filled, Rich began playing professionally in clubs at the age of 15. Because he was so young yet so proficient, many bands called him to play and he made lots of friends. A friend invited him one night to see a little known Blues guitarist out of Texas at a local club. "I was amazed at how Stevie Ray Vaughn could play the Hendrix material so well and yet still have his own voice." This fuelled his love for guitar and the Blues even more.

By this time Rich was learning Jazz. "I saw how the Blues had influenced Jazz players thinking. They were common ancestors, two sides of the same coin and I wanted to put the two together and see how they fit." After graduating High School, Rich was awarded 2 scholarships to Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA. Though he didn't spend all four years there, the training was invaluable.

Upon graduation from Clarion University of PA, Rich headed straight for Nashville, TN. He quickly got jobs playing on the road and in studios. "I wanted to take advantage of the boom going on in Country music at the time, and my style seemed to fit in well." While playing with a Southern Illinois favorite, Wild Horses, Rich began to feel the call of the Blues again. After leaving that band he formed Soul Purpose, his first Blues band for which was the leader. They played at local festivals such as Herrinfesta and the first year at Hog Rock. After that time Rich started playing Contemporary Christian music and released 3 CD's as a solo artist and 1 as a member of a 3 piece group called Calling 12. He also became a Worship Leader and Youth Minister (Rich is still a Youth Minister and Worship Leader at Anna Heights Baptist Church.) Rich lives in Anna, IL with his wife Sonya, and 2 children Morgan, and Garrett.

With the new CD project TALKING TO SHADOWS, Rich has now returned to playing the music that captured his heart many years ago: The Blues. "This new project is like a new start. The Blues needs to move in a new direction, and the music on this CD is a step in that direction. It is Blues for the 21st century. To me it feels like coming home, comfortable like your favorite jeans or your favorite shoes."

The opening tune, "One Da," leads off in fine form in a slightly rollicking mood giving Fabec the room to show off his picking prowess. In "Walk Me Home" we get treated to Fabec’s slide work in all its fine glory. "We’ll See" smolders nicely as the tempo slows down a bit for some laid back blues. But a few tunes later on "Lew’s Blooz" Fabec speeds things up considerably on this fast paced instrumental. Here, Fabec has something to show for all those years playing and teaching. It looks like it paid off in spades. We take a slight diversion on "Tears in the Rain" with a smoothly rendered instrumental that once again proves Fabec knows how to play in any style and convince us of that fact. Closing out the disc, Fabec chooses to entertain us with just his voice and some enjoyable Delta slide on the tune "Midnight Train."

A formative moment in Rich Fabec's music career is not at all unusual for postmodern blues musicians-- seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Before Vaughan, Fabec was already moving in a bluesy direction. Fabec, who grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, picked up the guitar at age ten, and began playing the city's nightclubs by age fifteen.

"Those guys [in the audience] did not want to hear Spandau Ballet," recalls Fabec. "They wanted to hear Cream, they wanted to hear John Mayall and 'Hideaway,' they wanted to hear B.B. King and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band."

Then Stevie Ray Vaughan came through and played the club where Fabec spent a lot of time performing. Vaughan's set sent Fabec into a deep exploration of blues history. Yet the path to establishing a blues career was hardly straight.

Fabec, who plays Saturday, October 15 at Mugsy's Entertainment Center, only released his first solo CD, Talking to Shadows, earlier this year. Along the way, he has played with hot-country band Wild Horses and contemporary-Christian band Calling Twelve. The long and winding road, however, has proven as beneficial as has his research into the blues, says Fabec.

"I don't think you can play the blues without that grounding," he says. "A house without a foundation falls down. Blues is the foundation all that music-- bluegrass and jazz and gospel and country-- and tradition makes a great building block."

Tradition may be a foundation, says Fabec, but it's not a millstone. Incorporating contemporary influences and technology-- as ZZ Top and Cream, or for that matter, Muddy Waters, did-- is necessary. "What if Muddy Waters never picked up an electric guitar?" he asks. "Knowing where you come from only helps to propel the music forward."

Thus he sees the need to stretch standard blues forms-- and to abandon traditional blues topics. His original songs, Fabec says, are inspired by "Life in general, the things I see. The things in most traditional blues songs I don't write about, because I've never picked cotton and I don't know what that feels like. But the way people treat each other, the way the government treats people, inspires me to write my own blues songs."

Though he does not play Christian blues, à la Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Blind Willie Johnson, or Roebuck "Pops" Staples, Fabec is not locked into a running battle between the sacred and profane-- like, say, Charley Patton, Son House, and Robert Johnson. Fabec simply sees nothing mutually exclusive about playing blues and still adhering to his Christian faith.

"Music has to be real," he explains. "You have to do it from your soul. It has to be part of your spirit.... There's a spiritual element in blues that comes over. Like when I listen to B.B. King, he almost sounds like a gospel singer preaching it. You need a certain spiritual inspiration for playing [blues]."

Meanwhile, Fabec is already at work on the followup to Talking to Shadows. Most of Shadows featured Fabec overdubbing parts, but the new one, he says, will feature his live band, which includes bassist Danny Vinson and Calling Twelve drummer John Shadowens. When he is not performing, writing, or recording music, Fabec teaches music at Shawnee College and Fred's Fair Street Music. "I've been very fortunate to be able to play the guitar for a living," he notes.

http://www.richfabec.com/

If you are ready to PARTY, Get Ready for One Hot Rockin', Rhythm N' Blues, Party Band with a whole lotta soul .. It's cookin' time with The Cruiser's y'all! All the groceries are brought to the kitchen by six, very well known Paducah area musicians, and since 1987 there've been some mighty fine fixin's gettin' served up 'round here. When the cookbook is opened it's time for everybody to get busy dancin' in the kitchen with The Cruiser's.

First, we're gonna talk Kitchen Prep .. Before any of the three, Spice, Sauce & Relish Chefs get to add their special ingredients, every part of the prep work & base ingredients must be workin' for a great recipe with rhythm.

The Three Prep Chefs ... Ron Steakley, Keith Culp & David "Herb" Estes

.. Ron Steakley begins drumin' & beatin' up a big ol' mess. Ron is solid, gettin' all ingredients together & beat well. Whether the recipe calls for fat back, two tons of taters from a tote sack or a big ol' head of cabbage, the rhythm & timing is perfect, steady & puts everybody in the groove to move.

.. OK! Now it's time to marinate to get that rump just right! With Keith Culp's bass, we begin to stir in a whole lotta bottom . Wow! Now we're gettin' flavor y'all & that's Keith's kitchen specialty that makes you wanna move up 'n down & bounce around .. a perfect platter full of fat & lean.

A Hammond B-3 is a cooking utensil rarely found in kitchens today & David "Herb" Estes won't cook without one. Immitation flavorings just won't stick to your ribs so Herb loves to satisfy your pallet with real fillers & binders providing great taste & some extra special lovin' from the oven.

Alrighty then .. The Three Prep Chefs are workin' it & now it's time to bring on the Spice, Sauce & Relish Chefs to add those wonderful flavor ingredients that bring it all together with zest & zing that tastes so good.

Spice, Sauce & Relish Chefs ... Dr. John Craft, Dr. Jim Long & J. P. Kelly

.. Dr. John Craft knows how to set the the stove top for the proper heat. Whether it be an overnight cooked down delta stew, a hoodoo plate or a smokin' mojo supper, Dr. John loves servin' up 'taste' with his boilin' hot blues guitar & you'll hang on the edge of every bite of his delicious relish.

.. Dr. Jim Long, accomplished saxophonist of all music genre, cooks a sauce of soulful blues horn that make your mouth water. Add Dr. Jim's sweet soundin' blues harp in the recipe & savor the flavors of endless combos of creativity .. blowing his face off on that sax is a dessert specialty you'll love!

.. Newest member, keyboard virtuoso J. P. Kelly, brings his finer keyboard cooking technique & adapts to doin' up that bayou burgoo 'n kettle mixin'. Lawdy mercy y'all! J. P. has got 88 creative recipies. A pinch O this & a tad of that .. best ready yourselves 'cuz J. P. will definitely kick it up a notch.

The Cruiser's are now cookin' y'all .. & .. when The Cruiser's cook they like to have a bunch of singin' goin' on in the kitchen .. so .. everybody sings! The diversity of their vocalists allows them the flexibility of many directions. With The Cruiser's on stage expect the energy level to elevate. These guys can perform. So get on your feet.... Because it's "PARTY TIME!"

Mike Griffin

Big Mike Griffin grew up in southern Oklahoma, where he was introduced to music at an early age. " My Dad played so there was always a guitar or fiddle laying around the house. It seems like I've been playing as long as I've been alive." Later, he began listening to blues artists like T-Bone Walker, Paul Butterfield, and Mike Bloomfield. His blues education was further enhanced by late night highway trips to Texas to catch legends like Freddie King, Albert King, and Albert Collins. When the economy faltered in Oklahoma, Griffin set out for Nashville where he began playing wherever he could while finding players along the way who would make up the nucleus of the Unknown Blues Band. As their popularity grew, the band began to appear in front of larger audiences and to perform at such prestigious festivals as the King Biscuit Blues Festival and the W.C. Handy Festival. They also expanded their regular touring schedule, travelled to the East Coast and then out West.

In 1992 his Back on the Streets Again debut served to further advance the band which was on the road to building a reputation as an original blues ensemble. They have appeared with such great names as Ray Charles, Lonnie Mack, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

In 1993, Gimme What I Got Comin' brought the band further acclaim as a solid force on the blues scene. The album grabbed the attention of blues fans, critics, and DJs and snagged a high-ranking spot on Living Blues Magazine's national radio chart. Fifth of Whiskey, Case of the Blues, a song from the album, was nominated as Song Of The Year for the 1994 W.C. Handy Awards.

Major touring dates on both U.S. coasts and Canada, as well as Europe, served as a catalyst to broaden the fan base for the band. Griffin also played on the month-long "Malaco Europe '93" musical extravaganza, where he shared the stage with legends like Little Milton, Denise LaSalle, and Latimore. He then worked with Artie "Blues Boy" White, laying down tracks for his "Different Shades of Blue" release, as well as providing explosive guitar work on James Peterson's "Don't Let The Devil Ride" album.

In 1996 came his third release, Sittin' Here With Nothing, a refreshingly contemporary approach to the time-honored tradition of the blues. From start to finish, it captures the incredible power of Mike Griffin's brilliant guitar work, smoky vocals and finely tuned songwriting talents. "He plays a Les Paul guitar, but it looks like a ukulele in his hands," says Claypool, who also is on the board of directors of the Beale Street Blues Society. "We've been trying for a long time to find him a T-shirt big enough to put the Blues Society logo on. I know he wears a 5X shirt. "He's a good guitarist, and he's got a good voice," Claypool says. "And of course, he's got that great stage presence."

Sittin' Here With Nothing features five original compositions, a couple of Little Milton Campbell songs and a few others from the Waldoxy publishing arm. Griffin receives great backup from the Unknown Blues Band, which features Clayton Ivey on piano and Hammond organ, David Hood on bass and Memphian Pat O'Connor on drums.

In 1997 Griffin started thinking about the fascinating idea of recording an album just for Harley Davidson fans. He always wanted to do a biker's project, but it was the driving force of his brother and the stimulation of his own gang that finally got the ball rollin'.

Entitled "Harley in the Rain", Griffin recorded a well-balanced mixture of originals and all-time classics like Lowell George's "Willin'" and Alain Toussaint's "Get Out Of My Life Woman". With a no-nonsense production and a strict four piece line-up he offers the 10 numbers in a direct muscular guitar sound that is equally suited to blues, soul, rock and funk. "Harley in the Rain" marks the stunning crossover release of the artist Big Mike Griffin that truly confirms him as a major talent on the current scene.

These were followed by Twin Brothers of Different Mothers and with BIG Mike Griffin's latest CD LIVIN' LARGE, featuring his custom chopper on the cover. Big Mike appeared at a previous JennJam with this bike and plans to bring it along this year.

http://www.bigmikegriffin.com/

When the Crisler Brothers (Jamey and Justin), a.k.a. The Alabama Brothers, claim they're the only Blues impersonators in the state and, to their knowledge, the only impersonators in the world who are actual brothers, its hard to dispute it -- especially when it's said with a stern expression topped with night-black Ray-Bans.

Unlike the characters musicians/actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd made famous by the 1980 movie that sets the record for most cars wrecked in one film, the Crislers never spent time behind bars. Justin Crisler, 29, now performs the Blues full time. He is in charge of marketing and is co-founder of the act. Justin is married and has two children. Jamey Crisler, 36, is a Licensed Nurse when not touring the world as Jake Blues. He is married and has 4 children. Once in their Blues outfits, all that changes.

Jamey had an idea to show-off their look. He bought a 1976 Dodge Coronet from a junkyard, slapped on black-and-white paint to make it look like the movie's worn police car, and convinced Justin to join him on a visit to the Hard Rock Café in Nashville in 1998. "We were just going to walk in and see what kind of reaction we'd get, just for fun," Jamey said. "The manager ran to the back, threw on 'Soul Man,' and announced that the Brothers were there. Next thing we know, we're standing on top of the tables dancing to it. The place went wild." Then, in their small town, they entered the town's Christmas parade. This had no holiday ring to it, but after all, who could turn down two big guys in dark suits and sunglasses? They practiced some moves by watching the movie and old episodes of "Saturday Night Live" in which the musicians appeared, put together a sound system with backup tracks of Blues tunes, and printed some business cards in black-and-white. "One venue would lead to two or three others," Jamey said.

Now The Alabama Brothers have performed to over 2000 audiences and have been reviewed as two of the most realistic Blues Impersonators in The World.

Where did all this showmanship spring from? Justin was involved in theater in high school and Jamey sang in Church choir. That's it. "The odd thing was we were both raised real conservative and had never done anything edgy, just straight down the road kind of guys," Jamey said. "This was a new kind of thing." "We had one goal in mind from the start, this would be fun for all ages and then we would not send our clients through agents, we deal directly with our clients to assure they are happy". Dressed in their suits, the brothers do the same thing as their movie heroes, riding the streets, barking out about their show in shameless self-promotion. And wherever their shows take them, they drive the newly restored Dodge Monaco, and exact replica from the movie.

For most shows currently, the brothers book their seven-piece band to accompany them. "Our musicians are from all over the country and we have put together the best showman with the best musicians to take this to another level of entertainment." Justin said. Riding in the back seat of the "Bluesmobile," surrounded by speakers and other sound equipment, staring at the silhouettes of the Crislers is like watching one long extended scene from the movie. On the road, one sometimes feels he's experiencing things that might have ended up on the movie's cutting-room floor.

Jamey has the lead vocals and Justin blows a mean Hohner special 20 harmonica. Their show staples include "Soul Man," "Hey, Bartender," "Stand By Your Man", "Give Me Some Lovin", "Rawhide" and many other great R & B and Blues Brothers tunes.

The Alabama Brothers have performed around the World. As of 2007 the Brothers have performed in 22 states and 2 foreign countries. From the Mississippi Delta, to the top of Rockefeller Center New York City, to the continent of Japan, these Brothers have spread the Blues around.

They've also performed for fund-raisers including campaigns for the national World War II memorial, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross and the Children's Miracle Network to name a few. “When we perform, it's a clean act that all ages can enjoy." "We're on a Mission of Fun!" Saying that, while wearing the suits and dark sunglasses, you have to believe them.

"WE'RE ON A MISSION OF FUN"

http://thealabamabluesbrothers.com/

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