Our group includes Jim Harris, a classically trained cellist and old school bass player, who has performed with Chubby Checker and the Delfonics. On Dobro and banjo is Ray Duffy, the house guitarist at Philly’s legendary Mermaid Inn. He also performs with Tom Gala, Wheatstone Bridge and the Acoustic Justice League. Eileen Tipping is a veteran of the musical theater who has graced the stage of folk venues such as the Bethlehem Music Fest, the Concerts under the Stars, and more than a few dingy blues clubs.
Out in front is Jake Michael, the guy who sounds like James Taylor. His collection of ukuleles, cuatros, cavaquinhos and other exotic instruments give this CD a distinctive tropical texture. Jake also co-producted the CD. Jazz ace Chuck Anderson joins us on My Favorite Things. A former staff guitarist at the Latin Casino and the Shubert Theater, he now creates curriculum for Barcelona’s Aula de Musica conservatory, while writing books such as The Modular Phonetic Rhythm System.
Daoud Shaw has worked as a drummer for Etta James, Jerry Garcia, the Saturday Night Live Band and Van Morrison. He also co-produced this CD and recorded it at his studio, Radioactive Productions. Daoud has also co-produced CDs by Van Morrison, Artese 'n Toad, Lee Van Winkle and Kenny Butterill. The CD was mastered by Allan Tucker at Foothill Digital of NYC. A veteran of Bell Sound Studios on West 54th Street, Tucker’s credits include Gil Evans, John Lee Hooker, Joe Henderson, and even KISS.
Jake, Jim, and Eileen are also three quarters of the Red Hot Peacenicks, a quartet that raised over $1,000 for the American Friends Service Committee. With the help of musician Stu Frederick and the PR magic of David Broida, the RHP held six concerts in the months following the start of the war in Iraq. We played at the Folk Factory in Philadelphia, the Point in Bryn Mawr, and the Station Café in Ardmore, and got coverage from KWY radio, WPVI Channel 6, the Chestnut Hill Local and the Main Line Times.
Jim presents his writings at, "www.jimbobsjournal.com". Here is a sample of what you will find there: "If you ever sing 99 Bottles of Beer, be sure to start at 99 and count DOWN. If you count up, you'll be singing forever (that's how Jesus tricked Satan in the desert)."
Boring Redundant Stuff
Jake Michael has been playing Philadelphia area venues since 1996, including the Tin Angel, the Mermaid Inn, Steel City, Smithbridge Winery, the Folk Factory People's Choice Concert, and more bookstores and coffee shops than he can remember. Although his voice in reminiscent of James Taylor and Michael Stipe, his topical songs and ballads fit the mold of Randy Newman and Lyle Lovette. He is steeped in the folk tradition, but draws on an eclectic range of pop and world music. The web page for his band King Platypus is www.kingplatypus.net.Two of his CDs have been played on WXPN 88.5 in Philadelphia (Sleepy Hollow and The Folk Show) as well as WDIY in the Lehigh Valley and other non-commercail ststions nation wide. In May of 2006 he released CD "Life's a Mess, Let's Dance," which featured a Tex-Mex take on “America the Beautiful,” sung in Spanish. Lynn Shurr of ABC News 20/20 (and author of the book America the Beautiful)said, "It's a great. I gave a speech recently to the New York Historical Society about "A the B"... and I said at the end that it sounded great in Spanish. You're the proof."
Jake’s songs were chosen to be included on the 2002 and 2006 Oasis CD sampler. His C.M. Bohnstedt was one of 20 finalists in the national Just Plain Folks 2003 song contest for Traditional Music. Jake was also selected by Tom Gala to record a CD of original songs at the Mermaid Inn. The CD was released 1998. Jake, a native of Whitley County Indiana, lives in West Chester, PA. He is an environmental planner and helps coordinates volunteer work in Philadelphia's Wissahickon Park.
