George Marinelli - Guitar/Vocals
http://www.georgemarinelli.com
http://www.wingdingrecords.com
Born: Staten Island, NY. Lived in Los Angeles 1963-1991. Moved to Nashville in 1991.
Currently- Session work in Nashville, writing, producing, performing with Bonnie Raitt.
Recordings- Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby and the Range, Billy and the Beaters, Vince Gill, Joe Ely, Wynona, Marcus Hummon, Radney Foster, Pam Tillis, Robert Earle Keene Jr., Mac Macanally, Beth Neilsen-Chapman, Kate Wallace, Walt Wilkins, Buddy Mondlock, Jim Photoglo,Cindy Bullens, Kate Campbell, Dolly Parton, Tony Arata, Randy Scruggs, Kathy Mattea, Tom Kimmel, Joe Ely,The Dixie Chicks, Michael Lille, Donna Summer, Dana Cooper, Willy Nelson, Art Garfunkel, Kim Carnes, Peter Cetera, Earl Scruggs, Ray Charles, and numerous others that elude my memory.
Production Credits- "For Kate's Sake", Jen Foster (Dame), Jason White, Kelly Owens, Cowboy Angels, Dignus, Tom Wopat, Amanda Hunt-Taylor, Joe Croker, Elisabeth Cutler, Doug Hoekstra, Charlie Degenhart.
James 'Hutch' Hutchinson - Bass/Vocals
I grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I used to hang around Harvard
Square in the 60's during the folk and blues revival that took place there. As a child I sang and played some mandolin and guitar in some bluegrass bands, but zeroed in on bass at the age of 12 after seeing Wilson Pickett and his great band. Throughout High School I played Electric and Acoustic Bass in A variety of bands. Moving to San Francisco after high school, I played in some Latin Bands in the Mission District and ended up meeting Mickey Hart and John Cipolina who sort of adopted me in a musical sense. I worked on sessions of all types at Mickey's Ranch while living in Mill Valley, CA and ended up playing with John in Copperhead, doing one album for Columbia Records.
One night I got a call from a friend who was working sessions in Central America and who wanted me to come down for some recording dates! I stayed for 18 months absorbing the music and the culture! The violinist Sid Page came down at my prompting and we put together a fusion group, which we named The Point, with some of the great musicians available there and eventually brought the band to Austin, Texas where we won top Jazz group in what I believe were the very first Austin Music Awards! The year was 1977 I believe! In Austin I had been introduced to The Meters by a mutual friend and one day I got a call from Charles Neville. He and Art came to my home in Austin and the next thing you know I was moving to New Orleans to play in the Neville Bros. Band, whom I worked with on and off for the next five years or so as well as working with many other well known New Orleans musicians.
In 1981 the Neville Brothers opened for the Rolling Stones and I met their keyboardist Ian McLagen, who introduced me to Bonnie in 1982! Later that same year I moved to Los Angeles at the urging of Al Kooper and Mac Rebennack. Not long after I arrived, I joined Bonnie in a whirlwind, when her bass player left only three days before a tour. I have been recording and touring with her ever since.
I have also enjoyed a very interesting career as a studio musician working with the Neville Brothers, Elton John, Brian Wilson, Al Green, B.B. King, Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young , Boz Scaggs, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Ziggy Marley, Hank Williams Jr., Ringo Starr, Merle Haggard, Toots Hibbert, Delbert Mclinton, Kathy Mattea, Garth Brooks, Lyle Lovett, Tanya Tucker, Etta James, Willie Nelson, Pattie La Belle, Vince Gill, Bryan Adams, Ryan Adams, Randy Newman,The B-52's, Anne Murray, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and many others as well as numerous film and Television Projects!
Main Influences:
Duck Dunn, The Hodges Brothers, Richard Davis, James Jamerson, Jack Cassidy, Ron Carter, Ray Brown, Carl Radle, George Porter Jr., Willie Dixon, Paul Chambers, Eddie Gomez and Chuck Rainey.
Jon Cleary - Keyboards
http://www.joncleary.com
British born Jon Cleary is a triple threat-with a salty-sweet voice,
masterful piano skills, and a knack for coupling infectious grooves with melodic hooks and sharp lyrics. Born in Kent, England in 1964, Cleary steeped in the sounds of American roots music as a child via New Orleans funk and R&B 45s. Venturing to the Crescent City at 17, he quickly gained resounding respect among the local music community gigging as a sideman and bandleader throughout the '80s with a rotating cast of New Orleans best including members of funk forefathers the Meters and delta-bluesman John
Mooney.
All of his talents are manifest on Pin Your Spin, his latest album on Basin Street Records produced by John Porter. JC is backed by his backing band The Absolute Monster Gentlemen deliver a bevy of original songs with their signature cool conviction including tight-and-right funk ("Got to Be More Careful," "Funky Munky Biznis"), sophisticated balladry ("Smile in a While," "Is It Any Wonder"), street-corner doo-wop ("Best Ain't Good Enough"), and Big Easy-via-Cuba piano ("Oh No No No," "King Zulu Strut"). Cleary has also released the much acclaimed Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (Basin Street 2002), the self-made Moonburn (Virigin 1999), and his ode to Big Easy R&B Alligator Lips and Dirty Rice (Ace 1994).
Winning the praises of music aficionados from Mojo Magazine to Rolling Stone, Cleary has worked with the likes of Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, BB King, Ryan Adams, CC Adcock, and Lucky Peterson. Jon Cleary and The Absolute Monster Gentlemen tour worldwide and frequently open for Bonnie Raitt.
Ricky Fataar - Drums
Born in Durban, South Africa 05/09/52
I started playing drums at age nine with my older brothers. We formed a band called "The Flames," made several recordings, toured all over Southern Africa and became quite popular. In 1968, we moved to London; then L.A. in 1970, after signing to the Beach Boys' "Brother" label for whom we made 2 albums. After we disbanded, I joined the Beach Boys, touring extensively and recording Holland and a 2-disc live album. I worked in London and L.A. with many artists. During that time Eric Idle asked me to appearing the TV show The Rutles, All You Need is Cash. I played Stig O'Hara (the quiet one). I met Bonnie in 1979, after working with Ian McLagan and co-
producing Australian singer Renee Geyer. It was then she asked me to play on her Green Light album as part of The Bump Band. I then emigrated to Australia where I played on and co-produced albums for Tim Finn, Crowded House, Jenny Morris, Wendy Matthews, Renee and others. I produced music for the films The Coca-Cola Kid, High Tide and Barry Humpries' Les Patterson Saves the World. I also composed the score for an Australian film Spotswood.