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Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers | |
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Origin | Joshua Tree, California, U.S. |
Genres | Alternative country, Americana |
Years active | 1995–2006 |
Labels | Koch, Atlantic, HighTone, Dualtone, Glitterhouse |
Past members | Mark Olson Victoria Williams Mike "Razz" Russell Don Heffington John Convertino Joshua Grange David Wolfenberger Greg Leisz Danny Frankel Jon Birdsong Gary Louris Ray Woods |
The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers were an Americana group formed by songwriter Mark Olson and his wife, Victoria Williams, after Olson left his previous band, the Jayhawks. The group has also been called The Rolling Creekdippers as well as just The Creekdippers. [1]
For their first three albums, the band consisted mostly of Olson, Williams and multi-instrumentalist Mike "Razz" Russell, with drummers Don Heffington and John Convertino. These were all recorded at the couple's home in Joshua Tree, California, and were distributed by mail order, with little touring to support them.
In 2000, the group picked up touring multi-instrumentalists Joshua Grange and David Wolfenberger as well as long-time Creekdipper "Razz" Russell, dropped "Original Harmony Ridge" from the name and began a two-continent touring schedule in support of three full band recordings: My Own Jo Ellen , December's Child and Mystic Theatre , which featured the touring quintet along with Greg Leisz, Danny Frankel, Don Heffington, and Jon Birdsong. December's Child included a duet by Olson and former Jayhawks bandmate Gary Louris.
Olson and the Creekdippers have toured in several different combinations without Williams, Grange and Wolfenberger but with drummer Ray Woods and Russell. In 2004 Olson and Louris reunited for a tour with Woods and Russell.
The Creekdippers issued their final recording in 2004. Olson and Williams divorced in 2006 which also led to the dissolution of their musical partnership. [2]
Victoria Williams is an American singer, songwriter and musician, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, although she has resided in Southern California throughout her musical career. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the early 1990s, Williams was the catalyst for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.
The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene in the mid-1980s. Led by vocalists/guitarists/songwriters Gary Louris and Mark Olson, their country rock sound was influential on many bands who played the Twin Cities circuit during the 1980s and 1990s, such as Uncle Tupelo, the Gear Daddies and the Honeydogs. They have released eleven studio albums, with and without Olson, including five on the American Recordings label. After going on hiatus from 2005 to 2009, the 1995 lineup of the band reunited and released the album Mockingbird Time in September 2011; Olson left the band for the second time after the tour to promote the album. After another hiatus in 2013, the 1997 lineup led by Louris reunited to play shows in 2014 to support the reissue of three albums originally released between 1997 and 2003. Since then, the band has continued to tour and record, releasing the albums Live at The Belly Up in 2015; Paging Mr. Proust, co-produced by Peter Buck, in 2016; Back Roads and Abandoned Motels in 2018; and XOXO in 2020.
Gary Michael Louris is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter of alternative country and pop music. He was a founding member of the Minneapolis-based band the Jayhawks and their principal songwriter and vocalist after the departure of Mark Olson. Louris is often credited with the band's subsequent move from folk-country toward a more progressive, pop sound.
Golden Smog is an alternative country-rock supergroup of loosely connected musicians mostly from the Minneapolis area. At various times members of Soul Asylum, The Replacements, Wilco, The Jayhawks, Run Westy Run, The Honeydogs, and Big Star have worked with Golden Smog. Given the fluid collaborative nature of Golden Smog the lineup has often changed, but relative constant members who appear on all the recordings are guitarists Kraig Johnson, Dan Murphy, and Gary Louris along with bassist Marc Perlman.
December's Child is the fifth album from The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers released in 2002.
David Wolfenberger is a singer-songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio. Former frontman for The Marshwiggles and Thom Scarecrow, Wolfenberger has three solo CDs to date; Tales From Thom Scarecrow, and World of the Satisfy'n Place on Blue Jordan Records and more recently in 2006 on Fundamental Records, Portrait of Narcissus. Wolfenberger also toured and recorded as a member of Mark Olson and Victoria Williams' Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. Wolfenberger occasionally records under the pseudonym Sunrise for Someone.
Tomorrow the Green Grass is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Jayhawks, released on February 14, 1995. It peaked at number 92 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Hollywood Town Hall is the third studio album by American rock band The Jayhawks. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and number 192 on the Billboard 200. The cover art for the album was shot in Hollywood Township, Carver County, Minnesota by British photographer Andrew Catlin.
Michael or Mike Russell may refer to:
My Own Jo Ellen is the fourth album by Mark Olson and The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers, released in October 17, 2000.
Rainy Day Music is the seventh studio album by American rock band The Jayhawks, released on April 8, 2003. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 51, selling 19,000 copies that week.
Mark John Olson is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of alternative country bands The Jayhawks and the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers.
Zola and the Tulip Tree is the third album by the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers, released in 1999. It was originally released by Atlantic Records and later reissued by Rhino Entertainment.
The Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers is the first album by the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers, released in 1997.
Pacific Coast Rambler is the second album by the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers, released in 1998. As with their first release, it is a home-made recording with the focus on Mark Olson.
Mystic Theatre is the sixth album by Mark Olson, Victoria Williams and the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers, released in 2004.
Political Manifest is the seventh album by the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers, released in 2004. The album reflects singer/songwriter Mark Olson's disgust at the state of the US. It was released on Mercy Recordings in the US.
Mike "Razz" Russell is an American multi-instrumentalist and member of the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. He has played fiddle on records for The Jayhawks and Joe Henry.
Mockingbird Time is the eighth studio album by the alt country band The Jayhawks, released on September 20, 2011. The album marked the returns of the original front man Mark Olson, who had left the group in 1995 after the release of Tomorrow the Green Grass, and long-time keyboard player Karen Grotberg. Mockingbird Time was the first new studio album by The Jayhawks since 2003's Rainy Day Music. The album entered the Billboard 200 album chart at #38, becoming the highest-charting release of their career to date. It also charted at #2 on Billboard's Folk Albums chart, #6 on the Tastemaker Albums chart, and #11 on the Rock Albums chart.
Don Heffington was an American drummer, percussionist, and songwriter. He was a founding member of the Los Angeles alternative country band Lone Justice, which he performed with from 1982 to 1985. Heffington was also a member of the bluegrass band Watkins Family Hour, recorded three solo albums, and was a session and touring musician for various artists, including Lowell George, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Victoria Williams, the Wallflowers, the Jayhawks, and Joanna Newsom.