Welcome to the website! My name is MIKE TURNER, AKA Scatman, and I want to tell you a little bit about the RUDIMENTS, and our new CD, SOMEWHERE DOWN THE RIVER.
The musicians that formed the Rudiments, back around the turn of the millenium, had already spent the previous 25 years or so entertaining listeners in southeast PA in various bands.
I moved back to the Berks County area in 1977, after a year or two spent playing bass and soaking up bluegrass lore with Lou and Monte Whitehill, in the hills of Centre County. I teamed up with my good friend Jeff Woolley and Ed Schaeffer to form the band RIPE AND RAGGED. I also started writing songs in earnest. The band went through a number of personnel changes, as bands are wont to do. Ed relocated to the Washington DC area, and the banjo chair was ably filled by a local balladeer Mike Simon. Mike lent his talents to the new CD, on banjo and accordian.
Over the next two decades, Jeff and I played in THE WOOLTONES, a sort of rock/roots band (one of our friends dubbed it "sheepherding music," a term we quickly adopted), and an Americana band, MIDNIGHT ROADHOUSE (originally RODEO SEX). Meanwhile, we continued to pursue our separate musical interests. One of mine was to find a format that would allow me to concentrate more on some of my original tunes.
Late in the 90's, I teamed up with old friend JIM PENTA and bassist John Gemmell, to form SCATMAN AND FRIENDS. Jim had been a founding member of local band RAGTIME WILLI, back in the 70's, and we had stayed in touch through the years, playing at parties and jam sessions. Jim recently reunited with members of Ragtime Willi, and they are very busy with gigs in the area. Another former member of that band, Dave Hinkel, appears on the new CD, playing mandolin and dobro.
When John left Scatman and Friends, my old friend Jeff Woolley made time to sit in on the bass with us. At a Christmas party at Jim Penta's house, we met MARK BONNES, drummer with MR. Z AND THE NIGHTSHIFT, and Mark agreed to check out what we were up to. In fact, Mark inspired the new name of our band. At one of our sessions, he mentioned that he had been "working on (his) rudiments." Sounds like a good name for a band!
Meanwhile, Jeff and I got back in touch with the Wooltones' guitarist, DENNIS SCHWARTZ, AKA Two Shoes. Dennis has a long history of playing in local bands, going all the way back to local legends STONE GROUND. Currently, in addition to helping us out with the CD project, he appears with the band UNTOUCHABLES, hosts open mics, and has a popular solo act.
The last piece of the puzzle was bassist JIM INGRAHAM, who had played with Mark in Mr. Z's band. Like the rest of the guys, Jim had been playing in various local venues since the 70's, and fit the new band like a glove. Jim is also an accomplished visual artist, and his paintings adorn our recordings. Jim handled the recording and engineering duties on the new CD. He currently plays with THE ROCKMAN BLUES BAND.
In 2001, we recorded a live, limited release CD in Dennis' garage, titled CHANCE OF RAIN. It is posted on this site, for your listening pleasure. The CD contains seven original songs, that have been reimagined on the new CD, along with ten other originals. Old friends and new have come to our aid on this new recording, including Jean Pedersen and Wendy Ziegler on vocals, Rich Booth on piano, Tom Montgomery on keyboards, and Mike Yesconis on fiddles. We like to think that we have managed to create a rich gumbo of local talent, and look forward to sharing SOMEWHERE DOWN THE RIVER with you all.