Episode 008 : Tarbox Ramblers
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Michael Tarbox has held a variety of jobs over the years, including a cab driver, freelance editor, landscaper, factory worker, and record store clerk. Now in his 48th year, the singer/songwriter is using all these real-life experiences for full effect while writing riveting original blues, gospel, and Americana music with his band, Tarbox Ramblers.
The Tarbox Ramblers' eponymous debut was released in 2000 by Rounder Records and featured eight covers of songs from Bukka White, The Memphis Jug Band, and an assortment of traditionals. Their second release, "A Fix Back East," released by Rounder in January, features mostly originals, varying from smoky blues to lively rock and roll, from jug band music to country-tinged, front porch sing-a-longs.
The band recorded "A Fix Back East" in Memphis with Jim Dickinson (famed for performing with The Rollling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Ry Cooder as well as producing Big Star, The Replacements, The Radiators, and many others) and later in Boston with Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade (equally famous for their joint production work with Uncle Tupelo, Radiohead, Warren Zevon, The Mighty, Mighty Bosstones plus dozens of other projects).
Tarbox has released a CD that is sonically crisp and vibrant, mixing the rawness of the Ramblers' music with the spontaneity that was inherent in its sessions.
In March, I spoke with Tarbox in Cambridge, Massachusetts to discuss:
* why Tarbox's live band routinely changes and what it means to him to perform with different musical talent
* how his music is the intersection of influences as diverse as Charley Patton, Big Star, jazz, and Gang of Four
* why "A Fix Back East" delves into spiritual and religious topics--and what role religion plays in his life today
Plus, in the middle of the interview, we'll break away for a quick round of Well-Rounded Picks, featuring Morph, The Gypsy Moths, and Grayson Wray.
Catch Tarbox Ramblers on tour throughout 2004.
Photo: Tracy Aiguier
Samples from Tarbox Ramblers' songs featured in the Well-Rounded Radio Interview include:
1) Ashes to Ashes (A Fix Back East) (in preview)
2) No Night There (A Fix Back East)
3) Country Blues (A Fix Back East)
4) Columbus Stockyard (Tarbox Ramblers)
5) Honey Babe (A Fix Back East)
6) The Shining Sun (A Fix Back East)
7) From the Algiers Station (A Fix Back East)
8) Were You There? (A Fix Back East)
Well-Rounded Picks segment: Morph, The Gypsy Moths, and Grayson Wray
9) Already Gone (A Fix Back East)
10) Cloth of Gold (A Fix Back East)
11) Down South Blues (Tarbox Ramblers)
12) Third Jinx Blues (Tarbox Ramblers)
13) A Fix Back East (A Fix Back East)
14) Jack of Diamonds (Tarbox Ramblers)
If you like Tarbox Ramblers, give a listen to Well-Rounded Radio Interviews with Dan Zanes and Willard Grant Conspiracy.
Tarbox Ramblers on Rounder Records available direct from Tarbox Ramblers, Insound.com, Yahoo Shopping comparison chart, or digitally at iTunes or Rhapsody Music Service.
Well-Rounded Picks: Morph, The Gypsy Moths, and Grayson Wray.
