The selection above is being played, SOLO, By Ben Prestage. Not only a STAR soloist, a top notch Delta BLUES Man...he wrote the song, is playing it on a cigarbox guitar w/two necks. One bass, one regular.The bass part is connected to the base amp...top neck to a regular guitar amp. Uses a 'sharpie' for a caypo...plays bass drum w/his right foot, snare w/his left toes, and hi-hat w/his left heel, AND sings it too! Is also an intricate member of the Rev. Billy & the Backsliders.
Music
It's all the BLUES! I've been playing drums since before 1960.
Played in R'n R bands 'till the BLUES bit me, in 1964-5 and the scar never healed. Left Bosstown in 1971, toured the USA in a VW van, ended up in Cocoa Beach..yrs. went by, kids grown, divorced after 25 yrs., and I am playing again! w/a few different groups. My latest:Playing full tilt traps w/The Reverend Billy C. Wirtz and the TallyWackers. The BACKSLIDERS also a back-up band for the Reverend Billy, w/Ben Prestage and Brucifer Johnson and ME! We just did 3 shows at the Green Parrot in Key West, have more booked there. Just gettin' started....hopefully will tour soon!!and have a LIVE DVD available also. Our newest trio is the Rev. Billy, Bruce Johnson on BLUES harp and dr. joel on full tilt drum kit. Look out! Here we come!!! In March I played w/the Ernie Southern Band, w/Steve Thorpe on dobro, at the Sebastian Beach Inn. We were the opening band for the "Mark Hummel Harmonica Blowout" which included Kim Wilson and Charlie Musslewhite. Been playing every Tue. nite w/the Danny Morris Band at the Surfers Pub.I guess you're never too old to get back into ANYTHING!! As long as it's the BLUES!! I'm 'Director of Special Projects' for the Paul Butterfield Fund and Society (PBFS) based in Key West. I also bring in national touring BLUES players and bands and produce BLUES shows here in Cocoa Beach and beyond. So if you're headin' this way, and don't have a gig...get in touch...a few to my credit: Kim Wilson,Doug Deming and the Jeweltones, Johnny Hammond,The Bruce Katz Band, The Nighthawks, Michael Pickett, Seigel-Schwall Band (w/the legendary Sam Lay on drums), Chicago Blues Reunion, Corky Siegel solo, The Reverend Billy C. Wirtz, Danny Morris Band, Josh Miller Trio, Kenny Cohen and Gabe Butterfield! Recently been talking to the Legendary Sam Lay about doing a project w/The Rev. Billy C. Wirtz ++...keep tuned in for this one!! Also, a recording and taping of the duo "Pianist Envy" the Rev. Billy and the 'piana from Savannah' Victor Wainwright, another amazing boogie-woogie keyboard player now from Memphis. The duo has play MANY gigs in Memphis on Beale St. and in Daytona Beach and beyond. The CD is close to coming out, and the DVD will follow. This is an amazing duo, ain't nuttin' like it...ANYWHERE!
Movies
See me in "Things Behind the Sun": by Allison Anders
Filmed here in Cocoa Beach. Very small part, but made it to the credits! Also I'm being interviewed in the brand new DVD "cream...authorized history"
AND...Home movies of the kids...as kids!
Television
Specials: Like..."The History of the Boxdrummer". Follows his 40+ yr. carrer playing and recording w/the Greatful Dead..The Rolling Stones...Santana...Mickey Heart...Canadas Michael Pickett...Leg Tapping w/Sam Lay...the old days w/Teddy and the Pandas...John Lewis and the Magnificent Seven...Paul Gallant Blues Band...The Freddie Ambrezinni Band, house band for Angie's Iridescent Room, and more!... thru today playing w/Ben Prestage, The Reverend Billy C. Wirtz and the Backsliders,Ernie Southern, Buttermilk Meeks,Danny Morris, Josh Miller AND the Gabe Butterfield Blues Series. Great biography. CD/DVD avalable soon.
Books
I like to read biographies of good, inventive, contributing people.
Heroes
Swami Sachadananda,Swami Muktananda,Ram Dass,Paramahansa Yogananda,'Sufi Sam'Lewis, the Dali Lama. Paul Butterfield,Michael Bloomfield,Sam Lay,Corky Seigel,Harvey Mandel,Neil Young,Johnny Hammond,Marty Bellou,Roy Orbison, Gene Krupa,Buddy Rich,Joe Morello,Steven Hodges,Gary Malabar,Bruce Katz,Al Kooper,Barry Goldberg,Ottis Span,The Reverend Billy C. Wirtz. Ben Franklin,Albert Einstein,JFK,Kurt Vonneget. Michael Moore,Lenny Bruce,Groucho Marx,George Carlin,Bill Mahr,Lewis Black and last, but not least...my dad
joel's Details
Status:
Divorced
Here for:
Networking
Orientation:
Straight
Hometown:
Cocoa Beach
Body type:
Average
Ethnicity:
White / Caucasian
Zodiac Sign:
Aries
Children:
Proud parent
Education:
Grad / professional school
Occupation:
Drummer
joel's Schools
Benjamin Franklin Institute Of Technology
Boston, MA
Graduated: 1965
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Professional
Major: Photography
Minor: Engineeeering
Clubs: YWCA,AZA,Table Match Football,Lunch 2&3
1962 to 1965
joel say's: A drumstick for Thanksgiving?? Think I'll stay w/ my brushes!! Have a happy day..all...Love, Peace & Good Vibes Posted at 6:03 PM Nov 25 view more
About me: THIS IS A POST ON "CONCERT CRAZIES" from December 05, 2005
Monday, December 05, 2005
Boxdrummer is Back and Bad at the Beach Shack
WHEW!...so..12/4/05
Ben Prestage (unannounced) was playing the Beach Shack w/his old time harp player Dave Hawkins. He gets a call...."come to the Beach Shack Boxdrummer!" So., this time he took his box, brushes AND a low boom mic stand, a new mic, and his new Marshall amp...and amplified his playing. Aside from a full time invitation to play anytime w/Ben (he loved it! I've played w/Ben several times, but never amplified...that was his idea)....a crowd pleaser....a few solo's, several rounds of applause...a fanning off, and a sweat wipe while playing/from the Rev. Billy (who came in to watch), HE even seemed impressed...he's already figuring out how to create a full set of drums using boxes so he can play w/him!! (dr. joel a/k/a/ Boxdrummer NOW plays w/The Reverend Billy C. Wirtz w/a full drum kit...he made him do it!) Bruce Johnson showed up and played harp with Dave, very different styles and they play great together. So a foursome it was. Ben kept turning around and yelling to Boxdrummer "I love that! Turn it up" so up it went and he just played his heart out...loving every second, every beat, every song..."it was the most fun I've had playing since playing drums in the OLD days in Bosstown!!! Exhausted...a few blisters...but I'm flying high!" Ben announced every set that you'll NEVER see a group like this ANYWHERE in the WORLD! TWO harp players...(and Ben was playing his cigarbox guitar) and TWO boxes being played /simultainiously, as ONE group!!! He was great, as usual....and the four of them had a BLAST playing...they played way past the Sun. nite cerfew...no one seemed to mind! Look out Brevard...here comes the BOXDRUMMER!..."anyone got a band-aid for my finger? It's 'bout down to the bone!!" Boxdrummer has gone back to playing pro...and now playing a full drum kit w/Rev. Billy...on occasion getting out the boxes to jam w/Ben Prestage, Josh Miller, Danny Morris, Kenny Cohen, Michael Pickett and Ernie Southern (we opened for Mark Hummell w/Charlie Musslewhite & Kim Wilson) and sat in w/Doug Demming and the JewelTones w/ Dennis Gruenling and Mookie Brill)...on boxes...recently got an invite to sit in w/Biscuit Miller and the Mix...just can't seem retire them boxes!!~~~
~UP TO DATE HAPPENINGS.................
The BOXDRUMS have been retired!(x-cept when playing w/Ben Prestage and Josh Miller acoustic) dr. joel is now playing full tilt drum kit (The Reverend Billy C. Wirtz made me do it!) With a vintage KENT bass drum and a vintage KENT snare w/snare turned off and used as a tom-tom. Using a piccolo snare hand made and hand painted, extra small, all heavy wood, from CHINA! What a bright sound! Thanx Beau for the loan!! (sometimes I use a chrome piccolo from the U.S.A., bigger and a bit heavier tone) Playing in a trio w/the Reverend Billy C. Wirtz, international recording star, radio personality, columnist,comedic satire, keyboard player extraordinare and fashion plate of the BLUES world! and Bruce Johnson on harmonica, as the 'TallyWackers'. Blues/boogie-woogie/real country/rockabilly is our style and comedic satirist Rev. Billy keeps you on your toes, laffin'and dancin' all nite. Rev. Billy does many of his own original tunes, you ain't heard nuttin' 'till you've heard the Rev.'s masterpieces! 25+ years on the road, 8 CD's a DVD, 3 current radio shows, 3 newspaper columns, Blues in the Schools teacher in Canada, gospel to blues historian and college lecturer, have made the Reverend one of the best boogie-woogie pianists playing today. Well known from Norway to Santa Cruz to Memphis to Philly to Baltimore to Nashville, Asheville and throughout the South...and of course Florida, our home base.
I'd also like you to know about my 2 sons. Beau is a recording engineer and programmer (both degrees recvd. at the U of Miami, School of Music, graduated as "Best Graduate of the School of Music 2007" ) for the 'state of the art' digital recording/broadcasting deck makers "EUPHONIX" in Palo Alto, Calif. and a hell of an extraordinary drummer! Jay, my oldest is getting his PhD at M.I.T in Cambridge Mass. Rcvd his BS at Ga. Tech, (graduating ALSO as "The Best Elect. Engineer of the Year"), Masters at Cambridge University in the UK (he won the Bill Gates Cambridge Univ. Scholorship). They are both the loves of my life and we are all very close, great kids, great guys, great men!
Who I'd like to meet: I would really have liked to met and known Paul Butterfield.
Joe Walsh seems like a fun guy! I've met and become good bud's w/sooo many top notch BLUES players in the last few years, it doesn't leave many musicians to meet! Can't think of any other people I'd realllly like to meet, except I would have liked to met Ben Franklin.
Thanks for joining our fan page! We have a new album out and a release party on August 1st in Daytona Beach. Message us if you are interested in attending! We appreciate you!
Hey Joel, Thank you so mush for coming to the show the other night at Lou's. Seeing u there with your cool freind (please send me his name) mean more to me than u every know. It's my pleasure to call u My Best Friend. See u next time.
Peace
Dr Love.
ETHNIC GROOVES, FUNKY STUFF, WATHEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT. A HUGE CALF SKIN BASS DRUM THAT CAN'T LIE, VIRTUOSO GUITARS, ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES COMING OUT OF THAT HAMMOND B3 MONSTER. REAL MUSICIANS RAISED ON A STEADY DIET OF CHICAGO BLUES, MEMPHIS ROCKABILLY, STAX SOUL & KINGSTON DUB PLAYING THE KINDA MUSIC WHERE EVERY NOTE COUNTS. FANTASTIC DRUM SOLOS, ABSTRACT MOODS, NASHVILLE GUITAR LICKS, A TOUCH OF BE-BOP. NEW ORLEANS GUMBO, DEEP BASS, BOOM-BOOM-BOOM LOVERS, A SWAMPY BLUESY BACKGROUND, ORGANIC SOUNDS>THE ELECTROROOTS PROJECT by Fabian Jolivet - Featuring Rick Holmstrom, Skip Edwards, Freddy Koella, Deacon Jones, T. Nakamura, Pete Mazich, Jah Faith, Tony Martin, Oliver Steinberg, Geoffrey 'Mouth' Grange, Carmelo Luggeri, Botafogo, Ciro Fogliata, Michael Tempo, etc...
"A landscape of beautiful sandy beaches mixed with a steady diet of be-bop, folk, afro-latin, soul, blues & gospel music gave MAYA the ingredients to create her own sound which resonates through a variety of genres." Featuring Deacon Jones (John Lee Hooker); Larry Campbell (Levon Helm); Skip Edwards (Lucinda Williams); Jerry Jumonville (Dr. John); Tony Gilkyson (Bob Dylan); Danny 'Kootch' Kortchmar (Carole King); Jimmy Cobb (Miles Davis), Marcy Levy (Eric Clapton); The Reverend Lois Dejean's Gospel Choir, etc... Produced by Fabian Jolivet
Hey Joel, was looking forward to coming to CoCo beach today but heard that was a miss up in date there with another band there. Hopeful we get to hook up soon. Got the number give u a call later. Love U Dude.
