{"id":44342,"date":"2019-11-22T09:21:41","date_gmt":"2019-11-22T14:21:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=44342"},"modified":"2019-11-22T09:21:45","modified_gmt":"2019-11-22T14:21:45","slug":"on-stage-the-pineapple-thief-is-livin-the-dream-making-u-s-tour-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=44342","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: The Pineapple Thief is livin’ the dream, making U.S. tour debut"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, <\/span>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Pineapple Thief<\/p><\/div>\n

Picture a high school boy dreaming for years about having a date with one of the most attractive girls in the school and never having the dream come true \u2013 until one day years later, the girl invites him to go on a date.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pineapple Thief, a rock band from the south of England, went through a similar experience this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

The British quartet — Bruce Soord, vocals, guitars; Jon Sykes, bass, vocals; Steve Kitch, keyboards; Gavin Harrison, drums — has a long history of making music in the U.K.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pineapple Thief has released 12 studio albums, seven live albums and five EPs since 1999.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band is now touring North America in support of its most recent album, \u201cDissolution\u201d \u2013 a tour that will visit the area tonight for a show at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100,www.utphilly.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

This tour is special. It is the band\u2019s version of that high school boy\u2019s long-awaited date.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our first time to do a U.S. tour,\u201d said Soord, during a phone interview Wednesday from a tour stop in Charlotte, North Carolina.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been waiting for this for a long time. There was always something causing problems every time we looked at touring the states before. It\u2019s difficult managing to get out and to get visas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut we\u2019ve finally done it. Playing shows in America is great. The vibe in the United States is such a unique vibe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The first album from The Pineapple Thief was \u201cAbducting the Unicorn,\u201d which was released in 1999 and remastered and re-issued in 2017 with a bonus track.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been 20 years for The Pineapple Thief but for the first five or six years, they were just my own studio albums,\u201d said Soord, a native of Yeovil.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s only been the last four years that the band has really made an upward surge.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Gavin Harrison became our drummer \u2013 that was a turning point,\u201d said Soord. \u201cThings took off.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Harrison toured as a member of Renaissance. He worked as a freelance session drummer on records and tours artists such as Incognito, Lisa Stansfield, Artful Dodger, Paul Young, Iggy Pop, Level 42, Porcupine Tree, OSI, King Crimson, Dizrhythmia, The Kings Of Oblivion, Tom Robinson, Go West, Gail Ann Dorsey, Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin, Kevin Ayers, and Claudio Baglioni.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2002, he joined Porcupine Tree<\/a>. Six years later Harrison joined King Crimson<\/a> as part of a dual-drummer line-up with Pat Mastelotto<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter we finished our 10th album, we needed a drummer for the next one,\u201d said Soord. \u201cWe knew Gavin, so we asked him to do the sessions of our next album, \u2018Your Wilderness.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe played on that album. Eventually, he came on tour with us. We toured the album and got along very well. After that, he joined the band.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time The Pineapple Thief made \u201cDissolution,\u201d Harrison was a fully integrated member of the band.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new material establishes The Pineapple Thief\u2019s intent to elevate the band to new heights with a desire to develop the quartet\u2019s songwriting and technical capabilities, and with artwork created by iconic design agency Stylorouge, whose previous work includes Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Blur and British film Trainspotting.<\/span><\/p>\n

The album concept tells of the often-dark consequences of living in a society in which everything is played out on a public stage, a theme paralleled in the cover art, which was created by \u2018glitching\u2019 the original photographs.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Soord, \u201cBroadly speaking the title reflects the disintegration of relationships and the undoing of our social fabric. In a time when we are supposed to be bound closer together than ever, I have never felt so apart from the world. We are living through a revolution and right now I am not sure it\u2019s a good one. Lyrically this is the most vivid I have been.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve once again been joined by Gavin Harrison. It\u2019s been a real collaborative journey between the four of us writing and recording this record, with the songs taking on a life of their own. When everyone pulls in the same direction, amazing things can happen. The Pineapple Thief is a different proposition with Gavin. This time he was with me from the inception of \u2018Dissolution\u2019 and together we took the songs into territory I wouldn\u2019t have found on my own.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe found ourselves pushing each other so much further, both technically and artistically. There were times in the depths of the writing and recording process, which took six months, that I felt so exhilarated but at the same time exhausted and overwhelmed, that I couldn\u2019t imagine us ever finishing the record. Every day we found ourselves finding that extra something we didn\u2019t know we had. None of us would let anyone or anything get in the way of what we felt the album should become. I look back on the process with immense pride.\u201d<\/span>
\nAt the same time that The Pineapple Thief is making its maiden tour of North America, Soord released a solo album \u2013 \u201cAll This Will Be Yours.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe solo album is more introspective and personal,\u201d said Soord. \u201cI was working on it at the same time as the birth of my daughter. The title track came from a day I was walking her in her pram.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe band falls into the prog rock category but we\u2019re not a prog rock band. I tell people that we play rock music with a little bit of a twist.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soord will have no solo tracks in the set list for the band\u2019s current tour. With 12 albums from which to draw and songs fans have been waiting maybe more than a decade to hear performed live, Soord has a challenging task in trying to decide which songs to play onstage.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is difficult,\u201d said Soord. \u201cOur fans are saying \u2013 please play this song, please play this song. We just play the songs we like. We focus on the last two, but we also play five or six from the back catalogue.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for The Pineapple Thief \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/te5bGWJIlOk<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Union Transfer will start at 8 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Otherwise<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cDefy,\u201d the new album by Otherwise, is as fresh as a loaf of crusty-yet-soft Italian bread moments after it is slid out of the bakery\u2019s oven \u2013 and just as tasty.<\/span><\/p>\n

On November 22, Otherwise will be serving up mouthwatering slices of \u201cDefy\u201d when the band co-headlines a show with Blacktop Mojo at the Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684,http:\/\/www.chameleonclub.net<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Like The Pineapple Thief, Otherwise has been around a long time but has just recently picked up speed with an upward trajectory.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Defy\u2019 just came out on November 8,\u201d said Adrian Patrick, during a phone interview Tuesday from a tour stop in New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first single \u2013 \u2018Lifted\u2019 \u2013 jumped up to #31 right from its release.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDefy\u201d is the band\u2019s fifth album and first for Mascot Label Group<\/span><\/p>\n

The Las Vegas quartet\u2014Adrian Patrick [lead vocals], Ryan Patrick [guitar, vocals], Tony Carboney [bass, vocals], and Brian Medeiros [drums]\u2014push the boundaries of the band\u2019s signature style in terms of both songcraft and sonic experimentation alike.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Patrick, \u201cRock and roll was always meant to be dangerous. We grew up in the last era where nineties bands were Soul Rebels. They stood for something. They didn\u2019t conform.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSince the greatest risks yield the greatest return, why play it safe? We decided to swing for the fences this time. In between the last album and now, we changed everything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Since its self-titled independent debut in 2006, the band has recorded a trio of well received albums — \u201cT<\/span>rue Love Never Dies\u201d (<\/span>2012), \u201c<\/span>Peace At All Costs\u201d (2<\/span>014), and \u201c<\/span>Sleeping Lions\u201d\u00a0<\/span>(2017).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the new album with producer Matt Good earlier this year in his Phoenix studio,\u201d said Patrick. \u201cWe had a lot of demos going in. About half the album is based off original demos. The other half we wrote in the studio with Matt. He was very proficient as a singer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe album is hard alternative rock, but we also wanted to infuse modern elements that younger listeners are into. We wanted to have heavy subject matter lyrically but do it in an accessible way instead of being so dark and morose.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Usually, when a band is touring soon after the release of new music, it slowly introduces the new material into the set list. Otherwise opted for a different \u201cM.O.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn our live show, about two-thirds of the set is new material,\u201d said Patrick. \u201cAnd we play staples from all five albums. We have fans in the audience who are singing along with the new songs already. It\u2019s a really strong set \u2013 a good balance of old and new.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The band\u2019s merch table also has a blend of old and new.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album obviously is available digitally as a download,\u201d said Patrick. \u201cBut we also have CDs, LPs \u2013 actual vinyl albums \u2013 and cassettes. I still think cassettes have the warmest bandwidth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Otherwise — https:\/\/youtu.be\/Btnwklj8i8I<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The all-ages show at the Chameleon Club, which also features Blacktop Mojo, Lullwater and Kirra, will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/span><\/p>\n

On November 22, two bands from Chicago are playing the area but the venues are pretty far apart \u2013 the Nick Moss Band is playing in Reading and Fredo Disco is performing in Center City Philadelphia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Fredo Fosco<\/p><\/div>\n

While the venues might be far apart, the physical gap pales in comparison to the gap between the two acts musical styles. Fredo Disco plays indie rock music with roots that go back just a few years. Moss plays powerful Chicago blues with roots that go back almost a century.<\/span><\/p>\n

fredo disco is a band that started as a recording project by Fredo Fosco.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cM<\/span>y real name is Fredo Fosco and not Fredo Disco,\u201d said Fosco, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as the band was travelling through Virginia to a gig in Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/p>\n

In his Facebook bio, Fosco said, \u201chi im fredo. i am 18. my real name is fredo fosco but my phone always autocorrects it to disco so here we are. these are some songs that i write and record. in 2018 some of my friends joined fredo disco and their names are max, colin, and aidan. max plays guitar <\/span>🎸<\/span>. colin plays drums <\/span>🥁<\/span>. aidan plays bass <\/span>🎣<\/span>. enjoy our tunes, eat some food, and stay cool <\/span>😎<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fosco and his crew are on tour now and will play a show on November 22 at the <\/span>Theatre of the Living Arts (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1011,http:\/\/www.lnphilly.com<\/a>) as the opening act for Tiny Moving Parts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMe and my buddy Colin started playing music together in high school,\u201d said Fosco. \u201cWe wrote a ton of songs together back in 2017. He was in a band called Clear Confusion and then went away to college \u2013 to St. Louis University.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA little while later, Max from that band came back home after going to school at Belmont University. The summer before I left for college, me, max and Colin recorded our first album \u2013 \u2018Very Cool Music for Very Cool People.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started school at DePaul University. A few weeks into college, we got some tour offers. So, I dropped out of college. I was only in school for about three weeks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fosco has two \u201cDisco\u201d projects going \u2013 fredo disco and disco inc.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cdisco ink is all electric guitar rock,\u201d said Fosco. \u201cIn fredo disco, I play acoustic guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe put out two EPs in 2017 \u2013 \u2018What a Year\u2019 and \u2018School Spirit\u2019 \u2013 and both were fredo disco. Last year, there was the album and we also did an EP called \u2018Boredom Keeps Me Up at Night\u2019 \u2013 and that was a disco inc EP.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A lot of young musicians forego the traditional method of recording tracks in a brick-and-mortar studio and opt to record at home on a computer using programs like Logic and ProTools, Fosco takes the D.I.Y. attitude a step deeper.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I do my recording on my phone,\u201d said Fosco. \u201cAll my recordings \u2013 EPS, singles and album \u2013 have been made on my iPhone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for fredo disco — https:\/\/youtu.be\/eSlCUtNekA8<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at TLA which has Tiny Moving Parts as the headliner, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $22.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Nick Moss Band<\/p><\/div>\n

On Friday night, The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling will headline a bill with Chadds Ford\u2019s Vanessa Collier and Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram at a Reading Blues Fest show at the DoubleTree by Hilton Reading (701 Penn Street, Reading, www.readingbluesfest.com<\/a>). Tickets are $59.<\/span><\/p>\n

The concert in Reading is part of Moss\u2019 \u201c2019 <\/span>Lucky Guy!<\/span> T<\/span>our.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Lucky Guy!\u201d is the band\u2019s new album which was released in August on <\/span>Alligator Records.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the 2018 release of the group\u2019s Alligator Records debut, \u201c<\/span>The High Cost of Low Living<\/span>,\u201d the band — guitarist\/vocalist Moss, harmonicist\/vocalist Gruenling, pianist Taylor Streiff, bassist Rodrigo Mantovani, drummer Patrick Sealshas — have toured relentlessly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album in California at the beginning of January,\u201d said Moss, during a phone interview Thursday afternoon from a tour stop in Milford, New Hampshire.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe cut the album at Greaseland Studio, Kid Anderson\u2019s studio in San Jose. He also produced our first Alligator album at my home studio. This time, we decided to do at his place in California because he\u2019s more comfortable there. It\u2019s a really good studio with a great mix of analog and digital gear. He\u2019s one of those producers who figured out how to meld digital and old school.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLucky Guy!\u201d<\/span> features the classic Chicago blues sound the band is known for. But, as Moss himself notes, there are also \u201ca few other flavors,\u201d including Louisiana swamp pop, West Coast blues, New Orleans funk, and even some proto-rock and roll. All but one of the 14 songs are originals, with 11 by Moss and two by Gruenling.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were in the studio for a week,\u201d said Moss. \u201cI pretty much fly by the seat of my pants. We had a few tracks we knew we wanted to record. Most of the songs were written in the weeks before we went in the studio and some were written in the studio. I tend to write by myself a lot. Because Kid understands the music so well, he has great input into the process.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I bring in a song, it\u2019s more a rough idea. This line-up has been together for about six years, so we know each other well and how we play. I don\u2019t write the notes for the other guys. It\u2019s their interpretation of what I\u2019ve written. And we map out where the solos are going to happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Moss is an American blues musician who has been releasing albums for 20 years. His two Alligator Records releases are shining examples of the classic Chicago blues ensemble sound that world class guitarist\/vocalist Moss and master harmonicist\/vocalist Gruenling have been generating for years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moss paid his dues gigging in Chicago\u2019s rough and tumble West and South side blues clubs under the tutelage of some of the city\u2019s greatest blues luminaries.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChicago is still my home,\u201d said Moss, who has received 22 Blues Music Award nominations, including this year\u2019s coveted Band Of The Year Award. New Jersey\u2019s DennisGruenling, considered among today\u2019s best blues harmonica players,\u00a0has\u00a0been nominated this year for the\u00a0Blues Music Award for Best Instrumentalist – Harmonica.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMusic was always a big deal in our house when I was growing up,\u201d said Moss.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a pretty wide-open palate \u2013 Mario Lanza, Dean Martin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Eagles. My dad was into early rock-and-roll and doo wop and my mom was into everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was around nine or 10 when I got my first guitar. I brushed it off at first because I didn\u2019t have the patience to figure it out. My brother was 13. I\u2019d sneak into his room and play his guitar. He caught me but didn\u2019t get mad.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cInstead, he bought me a Silvertone bass and Silvertone amp. He said that if I learned to play bass well, I could play in his band. He needed a bass player. He taught me how to teach myself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was in high school, we started going downtown and sneaking into these blues jams. We started going all in on it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But a time loomed when Moss would have to choose between music and sports.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was 18, I had scholarship offers from a lot of universities,\u201d said Moss. \u201cI was a state champion wrestler and an all-conference football player.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I had medical problems. I lost 80 per cent of my kidney and that ended my athletic career.\u201d
\nMoss released his debut album \u201cFirst Offense\u201d in 1998. He has released 13 more since.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Moss, \u201cWhen the band and I get on stage, the music takes over. We can\u2019t hold back, and the energy just comes pouring out. We get carried away and the audience gets carried away with us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for the Nick Moss Band \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Y7Xgbly2Ap4<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Vanessa Collier<\/p><\/div>\n

Still in her mid-20s, Vanessa Collier has toured all over the world numerous times and has released three solo albums. With searing saxophone solos, soulful vocals, and witty lyrics, her songwriting features a blend of blues, funk, rock, and soul.<\/span><\/p>\n

Collier\u2019s impressive vocals and stinging saxophone work saw her light up stages as part of Joe Louis Walker\u2019s band in 2012 and 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2014, her debut album \u201cHeart Soul & Saxophone\u201d won her accolades as a \u201cBest of 2014 Blues Breaker.\u201d In March 2017, she released her sophomore album \u201cMeeting My Shadow.\u201d Collier\u2019s latest album \u201cHoney Up\u201d was released on July 6, 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been touring a lot since \u2018Honey Up\u2019 came out,\u201d said Collier, during a recent phone interview from her home in Delaware County. \u201cIt\u2019s been almost non-stop. I did 115 shows in 2018 and I\u2019ve already done more than 200 in 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI pretty much always take the band \u2013 except when I go to Brazil to play. Fred Sunwalk, who is from the Sao Paulo area, emailed me a few years ago and asked me to come to Brazil. For the last three years, I\u2019ve gone there at least once a year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunwalk, a guitarist, singer and composer, is among the top names in contemporary Brazilian blues. With 22-year career, five CDs and a DVD, he performs at the main blues and jazz festivals in Brazil and makes frequent tours in the United States and Europe accompanying international artists.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I tour in Brazil, I use Fred\u2019s band,\u201d said Collier. \u201cThey know the music well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t been in the studio for a while. Making an album every two years seems to be a good number for me. I\u2019m writing songs now for my next album. There will be vocal tracks and instrumental tracks. I always do a mix.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlaying sax, songwriting, singing \u2013 I think of them as equals,\u201d said Collier. \u201cI really enjoy the songwriting process. I\u2019ve always been a sax player. I keep the balance when I\u2019m writing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Collier is primarily a sax player, singer and songwriter but is also well-versed in playing clavinet, flute, electric organ, and percussion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was little, I really wanted to play piano,\u201d said Collier. \u201cI don\u2019t know why. I started taking piano lessons but didn\u2019t like the teacher, so I quit after six months. I saw someone playing sax on television and fell in love with it. We rented a sax for me when I was in fourth grade. That was in school. Then, I studied with a private instructor for a few years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I took lessons with Chris Vadala, who played sax with Chuck Mangione. I studied with him for seven years \u2013 classical, jazz and funk. He started me doubling on flute and clarinet. I still play those instruments. Mainly, I play sax \u2014 tenor, some soprano and some baritone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Collier\u2019s latest album \u201cHoney Up\u201d was released just over a year ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Collier on her website, \u201cThis album is a snapshot in time of what I enjoy writing\/playing\/singing and brings together my diverse inspirations and ideas and, on this album especially, more of my personality.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, there\u2019s always a purpose to some of my songs as they are based on things I struggle with, like why we can\u2019t listen and respect each other, why we can\u2019t work to find common ground, and why we can\u2019t find our way out of the small boxes we place (or accept) in our lives, but even those songs drive us forward and the music is upbeat and funky.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSimilar to my previous records (which I also produced), the songs on \u2018Honey Up\u2019 pay respect to the traditions and roots of blues music, but branch out with my own blend of rock, funk, gospel, NOLA, and soul grooves and, of course, my love of the saxophone. Each song is different, and I hope you find a favorite (or two or three\u2026)!! Thank you for listening!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018Honey Up\u2019 album was nominated for Blues Music Award (BMA) Contemporary Blues Album of the year,\u201d said Collier. \u00a0\u201cThe album came out last July and did well right from the start. It was a Top 5 Billboard Blues Album and was well-received by radio deejays.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Collier was nominated in 2017 for a Blues Music Award in the \u201cInstrumental \u2014 Horn Player of the Year\u201d category. She also won first place in the \u201cLyrics Only\u201d category of the 2017 USA Songwriting Competition. In 2018, Collier was nominated in two categories at the Blues Music Awards \u2013 \u201cContemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year\u201d and \u201cInstrumental \u2014 Horn Player of the Year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2019, she was again nominated in same two categories at the Blues Music Awards \u2013 \u201cContemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year\u201d and \u201cInstrumental \u2013 Horn.\u201d She claimed first place in the \u201cInstrumental \u2013 Horn\u201d category.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoney Up,\u201d which had a three-month residency on Billboard\u2019s \u201cTop Blues Albums Chart,\u201d provides a good look at Collier\u2019s influences.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith jazz, the first person I was turned on to was Cannonball Adderley,\u201d said Collier. \u201cOther major influences were John Coltrane, Junior Walker, and Maceo Parker. Vocally, I started with Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan and that morphed into Norah Jones and Bonnie Raitt.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Collier also is a music teacher and has been involved in various \u201cBlues in Schools\u201d programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Clarksville, Maryland and then graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston,\u201d said Collier, who earned a dual degree in performance and music production, and engineering. \u201cRight now, I\u2019m basically just playing and teaching.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m playing live, it\u2019s mostly sax and vocals. I do play guitar on two songs. I use three saxes \u2013 soprano, tenor and alto \u2013 with the majority on soprano. In my current show, I\u2019ve been trying to work songs from \u2018Honey Up.\u201d Generally, I play a blend from all three records.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Vanessa Collier \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Ji0x9vkQVcQ<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many blues guitarists have been playing for decades. \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram\u2019s guitar playing gives listeners the impression that he too has been at it for decades. In reality, he is barely two decades old. He was born in Mississippi in January 1999 and has been exposed to the blues since he was a toddler.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI come from Clarksdale, Mississippi \u2013 the Mecca of blues,\u201d said Ingram, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Atlanta, Georgia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI remember seeing the PBS documentary on Muddy Waters when I was pretty young. And, I lived next door to a blues band. I was exposed to the blues a lot as a young child.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI actually started as a bass player. My first paid gig playing bass was with the All Night Long Blues Band. I was 11 at the time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Ingram to switch from bass to lead guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was playing bass, but I always wanted to play guitar,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cBut, when I was young, my fingers were too big for guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was 14-15, I played guitar for a local band. I just wanted to do something different. I wanted to put my own thing together. I wanted to play guitar. Playing guitar was original.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started with a cheap Sears & Roebuck guitar. An Epiphone 335 was my first real guitar.\u00a0 I got it for Christmas when I was in middle school.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ingram explained the origin of his nickname.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy mentor from the Delta Museum gave kids nicknames,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cHe called me Kingfish. He said Kingfish who was a character on the \u2018Amos \u2018n\u2019Andy Show.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy biggest influences were Albert King, Little Milton, B.B. King, Son House, Freddie King and Skip James. I was also influenced by Ernie Isley, Jimi Hendrix, Prince and George Benson.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I was influenced by Jimi and Prince, I never had an actual intent to merge rock and blues. I just want to experiment and see what I come up with. I just like to create stuff.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ingram is known for making his guitar sing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaking the guitar sing \u2013 that\u2019s when playing with substance comes into play,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cI love playing originals. I\u2019m still writing when I\u2019m on the road.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn tour, it\u2019s a three-piece \u2013 bass, drums and me. Both of the other guys in the band are from Mississippi. Paul is from Tupelo and Chris is from Shelby. I have two electric guitars I use and one acoustic. I play two or three acoustic songs a set.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram \u2014 https:\/\/youtu.be\/VQha23zpf5k<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Nick Moss Band\/Vanessa Collier\/Kristone Ingram show at the Reading Blues Fest show on November 22 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $59.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Picture a high school boy dreaming for years about having a date with one of the most attractive girls in the school and never having the dream come true \u2013 until one day years later, the girl invites him to go on a date. The Pineapple Thief, a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[7426,12616,12617,11074,12615,12614,11482],"class_list":["post-44342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-fredo-fosco","tag-kingfish-ingram","tag-nick-moss-band","tag-otherwise","tag-the-pineapple-thief","tag-vanessa-collier"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44342"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44343,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44342\/revisions\/44343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}