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For over twenty five years, Major Lingo has been lifting dancers into ecstatic frenzy as Arizona's premier Highway Band. Lingo was formed in 1982 by current members Tony Bruno, slide guitarist extrordinaire, and John Ziegler, singer guitarist and songwriter, along with Teddy Rocha and Dave Rentz. They started out in the funky little ghost town and art haven of Jerome, built on the side of Cleopatra Hill and now travel throughout Arizona and beyond. Through several lineup changes over the years, Major Lingo has evolved its signature sound, which incorporates elements of psychedelic rock, ska, reggae, Celtic, Middle Eastern, Latin, and folk into a wonderful, energetic, and highly danceable whole.
In addition to Ziegler and Bruno, the band currently includes songwriter Sally Stricker on bass and vocals, and Steve Botterweg on drums and vocals. Major Lingo has eight independently released CDs (the first four originally being tape releases); the most recent being 2007's 'Arizona Highway Band'.
Major Lingo has a mailing list of over 1000 devoted fans who travel faithfully far and wide to see their shows. In addition to the many pubs and music festivals, Major Lingo frequently schedules several All Ages and Alcohol Free shows, most noteably at the Clarkdale Gazebo shows and the Annual 'Dia De Los Muertos' [Day of the Dead] Masquerade Ball at the Cottonwood Civic Center. Regardless of where Major Lingo creates their magic, they continue to move crowds with a tribal energy that has spanned generations.
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