The Tony Award winning band, Red Clay Ramblers is one of the very few groups belonging to the seventies which have not gone into oblivion but emerged stronger with passing time. The group has also kept its music quality high and fan following intact. Now the band is scheduled to appear in the very city they originated from, Durham, North Carolina. Get
The Red Clay Ramblers tickets and join the celebration of country and folk music with the
old-timey string band.
The current lineup of the band that has been consistent since 1987 includes Jack Herrick as the trumpet and bass player, Bland Simpson for piano, Chris Frank as the guitarist and Clay Buckner for the fiddle. At the start of the band, original members also included Bill Hicks for the fiddle, Tommy Thompson for banjo and Jim Watson to play mandolin as well as bass.
The band was formed in 1972 by Watson, Thompson and Hicks, in North Carolina. Their first gig was at a tiny basement bar in Chapel Hill, called "Endangered Species". In 1973, Mike Craver joined the band, and the Ramblers produced their first record. It was released under Folkways, titled "The Red Clay Ramblers with Fiddlin' Al McCanless". The quartet continued making music and expanding their fan base. On the turn of 1974, the talented ensemble of musicians took their first tour through the mid-west, covering venues from New York City to Iowa, and performing on festivals like
Chicago Folk Festival. In 1975, the band released another record "Stolen Love" which provided them with a successful run in the music arenas.
In 1976, Jack Herrick joined the band as trumpet and bass player. In the meantime, the band also started performing in theatrical productions and concerts. Their most notable performance from that era is "Merchant's Lunch" which described a trucker's terrible trip to a Nashville Diner. The diner actually existed and is still in place, which added an irresistible attraction to their performance, particularly for the natives. Throughout the seventies and eighties, the Red Clay Ramblers continued a steady performance in theatre as well as music. "Diamond Studs" in 1975, "A Lie of the Mind" in 1985 and "Silent Tongue" in 1994 are some of the most noteworthy performances given by the incredible ensemble.
Four decades down the line since the band's creation, the Red Clay Ramblers have such a versatile and diverse repertoire that it caters to every age group of modern music lovers. Their music however still gives off the vibes of old-time mountain music, with country, rock, bluegrass, jazz, gospel and modern American tunes adeptly combined in a harmonious manner. The
Greensbro News & Record calls the band "a walking encyclopedia of Americana".
The Red Clay Rambles are equally renowned for their healthy dose of wit and charm as they are for their incredible music. The band gives their fans a really good time in live concerts. Vibrant and energetic performances by the band members make it irresistible for the audience to repress their urge to sing and dance along with the singers. All these years of consistent performance has not lead to the rusting of their music abilities but instead it has provided them with enough experience to make every performance they give worth watching. To witness the remarkable performance by these amazing music stars, get
The Red Clay Ramblers tickets today.