Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser", "Ruby, My Dear", "In Walked Bud", and "Well, You Needn't". Monk is the second-most-recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington.
John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who founded the rock band the Lovin' Spoonful in 1964 with Zal Yanovsky. During his time in the Lovin Spoonful, John would write and sing some of the band's biggest hits such as "Do You Believe in Magic", "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind", and "Daydream". Sebastian would leave the Spoonful in 1968 after the album Everything Playing. After leaving the Spoonful, Sebastian would focus on a solo career, releasing his first solo album in 1970 titled John B. Sebastian. Sebastian would continue on recording solo albums.
Charles Henry Christian was an American swing and jazz guitarist. He was among the first electric guitarists and was a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra from August 1939 to June 1941. His single-string technique, combined with amplification, helped bring the guitar out of the rhythm section and into the forefront as a solo instrument. For this, he is often credited with leading to the development of the lead guitar role in musical ensembles and bands.
The Shaggs were an American rock band formed in Fremont, New Hampshire, in 1965. They comprised the sisters Dorothy "Dot" Wiggin, Betty Wiggin, Helen Wiggin (drums) and, later, Rachel Wiggin. Their music has been described as both among the worst of all time and a work of unintentional brilliance.
NRBQ is an American rock band founded by Terry Adams (piano), Steve Ferguson (guitar) and Joey Spampinato (bass). Originally the "New Rhythm and Blues Quintet", the group was formed circa 1965. Adams disbanded it for a time, and the group re-formed in 1967. The quartet is known for its live performances, containing a high degree of spontaneity and levity, and blending rock, pop, jazz, blues and Tin Pan Alley styles. Its membership comprises the quartet of pianist Adams, bassist Casey McDonough, guitarist Scott Ligon, and drummer John Perrin. Some of the members in the band's long history are singer, writer and bassist Joey Spampinato, guitarists Al Anderson and Johnny Spampinato; drummers Tom Staley and Tom Ardolino; and vocalist Frank Gadler.
Mylon Rae LeFevre was an American Christian rock singer known for his work with his band Mylon and Broken Heart. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and traveled around the United States, ministering, teaching, and singing. He occasionally appeared on television networks such as TBN, Daystar, and Victory Channel.
"Get Rhythm" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter and musician Johnny Cash. It was originally released as the B-side to the single release "I Walk the Line" in 1956 on Sun 241. It was re-released with overdubbed "live" effects in September 1969 as an A-side single and reached number 60 on the Billboard Pop chart.
Joseph Nicholas Spampinato is a multi-instrumentalist and was a founding member and bass player of NRBQ. He was also one of the band's lead singers and chief songwriters. Before NRBQ he played in several bands, including The Seven of Us, which in 1967 while in Miami, Florida, met another band, The Mersey-Beats USA. The bands merged to form NRBQ. On the group's first two albums, NRBQ and Boppin' the Blues Spampinato is credited as "Jody St. Nicholas".
Scraps is an album by the rock band NRBQ, released in 1972 on Kama Sutra Records, which also released their next album, Workshop. It is the group's first album with guitarist/vocalist Al Anderson, who would remain with the band for over twenty years. Anderson replaced previous guitarist Ken Sheehan. Anderson was prohibited from singing lead vocals on the album due to an existing contract as a solo artist with Vanguard Records. Frank Gadler, the group's original vocalist, sings lead on most of the songs, although Joey Spampinato,, sings lead on all the songs he had a hand in writing except "Don't Knock At My Door," on which Gadler takes the lead. A promotional version of the album was released with a different cover, entitled "Changes."
Pete Donnelly is an American bass player, singer, songwriter and founding member of The Figgs. Born in Saratoga Springs, New York, Donnelly is based in Philadelphia. In November 2007 Donnelly began playing with keyboardist Terry Adams, a founder of NRBQ, in the Terry Adams Rock & Roll Quartet. Adams rechristened the band NRBQ in March 2011. Donnelly played in the group until September 2012. Donnelly has also worked with Soul Asylum, Tommy Stinson, Mike Viola and the Candy Butchers and others. In 2015, Grammy Winning artist Shelby Lynne released her album, I Can't Imagine, the title track was co-written by Donnelly.
At Yankee Stadium is a studio album by the American band NRBQ, released in 1978 by Mercury Records. In keeping with the band's sense of humor, the album's title is a joke; the album credits read "Recorded at Bearsville Studios, November 1977 ". The packaging includes photographs of the band members in an otherwise empty Yankee Stadium; these were taken as a birthday treat for bassist and founding member Joey Spampinato, when his bandmates arranged a private visit to the ballpark. Spampinato, a Bronx native, is a lifelong Yankees fan.
The TCB Band is a group of musicians who formed the rhythm section of Elvis Presley's band from August 1969 until his death in 1977. The initials TCB stand for Taking Care of Business, a personal motto Presley adopted in the early 1970s. Although personnel changed over the years, the original members were James Burton, Jerry Scheff (bass), John Wilkinson, Larry Muhoberac (keyboards) and Ron Tutt (drums). They first appeared live at Presley's first Las Vegas performance at what was then known as the International Hotel on July 31, 1969.
Criss-Cross is an album by Thelonious Monk that was released by Columbia, his second for that label. The album consists of previously released Monk compositions that were re-recorded for Columbia by the Thelonious Monk Quartet.
Timothy Joseph Krekel was an American rock singer and country music songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky.
Thomas Robert Ardolino was an American rock drummer best known as a member of NRBQ.
The Spampinato Brothers were a rock band from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They played music combining a variety of styles including rockabilly, jazz rock, power pop, garage rock, alternative country, Americana music, country rock and folk rock.
Brass Tacks is an album by the rock band NRBQ. It was released by Clang! Records on June 17, 2014. It was NRBQ's third album since the band was re-formed by founding member Terry Adams in 2011. Besides Adams on keyboards and vocals, Brass Tacks features Scott Ligon on guitar and vocals, Casey McDonough on bass and vocals, and Conrad Choucroun on drums.
Randall Hodges Jones was a British-born American jazz drummer.
Wild Weekend is an album by the American band NRBQ, released in 1989. It was the band's first studio album in more than five years, due to disputes with their former label, Bearsville Records.
