PAULINE YORK - Guitars, vocals, rants, raves, van captain, bad suitcase packer, flea market and roadside attraction hound. Likes: caffeine, bulldogs, and anything that twangs. Dislikes: People who want "Blues" but not "real Blues," burnt coffee, and showering before 8am. Little known fact: Fixated by 'I Love Lucy' episodes. Pauline has played in solo, duo, trio, etc, etc, acts. Once kicked out of a Zeppelin cover band.
JIM BILLMEIER - Bass guitar, luggage cart surfer, exit finder, up-seller, general info and answer man. Likes: old cars, wheatless meals, and $15 suits. Dislikes: salty soup, hot new country, and slow traffic in the fast lane. Little known fact: Has an encyclopedic knowledge of virtually every song in existance. Jim plays or has played in a multitude of rock, blues, rockabilly, and surf bands. Makes great food art.
JEFF RUFFIN - Drums and assorted percussion, heavy sleeper, hand shaker, party starter, welcome wagon, and mega rubber. Likes: electric blankets, hot tea, and meeting every person in the room. Dislikes: Not much of anything. Little known fact: Never forgets a man's face or a women's rear. Jeff plays or has played in every kind of band imaginable. There is nothing he won't try...and I ain't kiddin.'
You can also see Pauline gigging around as a proud member of the Big Dog Mercer Band, or as one of Bobby Rivera's Rivieras.
Influences
Stevie Ray Vaughan and all things related such as the Thunderbirds pre-and post JV, Bramhalls Sr. and Jr., as well as various Double Trouble projects. Traditional fellas include Freddie King, Jimmy Reed, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, all REAL soul stuff, Stax/Sun/Motown/Rhino (especially anything from Otis Redding), Sam Cooke, Duke Robillard, DAVE SPECTER IS MY HERO, Tab Benoit, Chess Buddy Guy, cajun stuff, swamp stuff, delta stuff, Hendrix stuff, the religion of Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, current likes include the Killers, White Stripes, guilty pleasure top 40 radio, Wilco, I want to marry Stewart Copeland, guitar with tremolo or reverb, tubes, music still recorded on reels, octave pedals, things covered in tweed, velour, or velvet, my giant dog, boogie woogie piano, pickled foods, great acoustic pickers, slot machines, motorcycles (crotch rockets need not apply), men who ride motorcycles, driving, raining, excessive heat or cold, good food, good service, broken hearts, telephones, shower singing, boombox tape recorders, vodka (no Kettle One), wine (the cheaper, the better), mindless television, truck stops, blue eyes, shoe shopping, cars that go "va-rooom!," and a good night’s sleep. I’m not really sure why I don’t have any female role models. Jim and Jeff influences include rockabilly, punkabilly, psychobilly, rap, rock, funk, R&B, western swing, women in heels, women in general, hotel pools, hot plates, horror flicks, instant lotto tickets, low rent gentleman’s clubs, a good back rub and giant omelets.
Sounds Like
A coin toss between "We Rule!" and "wow, we need to practice."
The essence of Roots music lies in its simplicity. Without flash and fanfare, the music moves the listener in its straightforward and honest delivery. Since jumping into the Chicago music scene in 1997, Pauline York has kept this rule in mind as she puts her personal spin on Roots and Blues music. York, lead guitar and vocals, and her band deliver pure, honest, from-the-heart music minus the fluff, guitar tricks, or frills.
At age 14, Pauline was exposed to the driving "Texas Sound" which inspired her to explore the origins of that music. Rather than becoming another "Power Blues" copycat, she dug deeper into the music of artists like Freddie King and Jimmy Reed. Coupled with her love of Stax soul and fondness for modern Rock and Pop music, the result is a fresh new sound...a style all her own.
BLACKBERRY WINE (2001), Pauline's critically acclaimed debut CD is a blend of her many influences, including Folk-Rock, Blues, and Cajun music. Her 2004 follow-up MUDDY WATER takes her unique style one step further after building chops and confidence on the road. Her latest release, GET DOWN AND RIDE (2007), showcases her determination to push her music into a new direction. Her albums have received worldwide airplay on Blues and regular format radio and her latest effort hit number 19 on the Living Blues chart and number 5 on the Roots Music Report.
Pauline and her band have performed at many clubs and festivals throughout the country including Buddy Guy's Legends, the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival, the Kalamazoo Blues Fest, and every tiny road house, backyard BBQ, and basement shindig in between. Aside from York's own club dates and headline gigs, the band has warmed up the stage for a variety of Blues artists. From the Chicago styling of Lonnie Brooks, to the traditional Mississippi Delta Blues of Paul Wine Jones, to the swampy Louisiana sounds of Tab Benoit, Pauline's gigs are as diverse as they are impressive.
York, along with bassist Jim Billmeier and drummer Jeff Ruffin, have been together as musicians and friends since meeting on the neighborhood open mike circuit over 5 years ago. Balancing "day" jobs, mortgages, and families, the trio has managed to continue to create and perform, somehow transforming from "bar band" to "working musicians." The same trio that plays the yard parties and road houses performs at the large festivals and prestigious clubs. Pauline's "less is more" philosophy applies to the business end as well - although she has a bonafied bachelor's degree in "Talent Management," she has been known to negotiate shows for "good barbeque" and obsessively drives every mile of every tour herself.
As an innovator of contemporary Roots music, Pauline blends the traditional and the modern aspects of Blues with a love of all types of music, daring the listener to pigeonhole her. From club dates, to festivals, to stages both large and small, York, her band, and her "no fuss no muss" philosophy are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Catch them on the way up.
Pauline would like to come back in her next life as James Hunter.
Hi everybody, We've finally moved the repair workshop from Jamaica Street to Otago Street in Glasgow's West End. We're now open for business again and hope to see you soon. Check the website for more details.Thanks for all the support,
Yeah thats very true. I want a margarita...lol. Atleast I get jello shots next weekend. Want me to drunk dial you at 5 in the morning :-p you could make a song about it.
Oh now I know what face you are talking about. I think you should total cut his head out. We could take pictures of everyone like that. Well just the ones we like ;-P
Thank you for accepting my Friends Request. Since you left Sam Ash, Musicians Friend gets all of my Business now. Thank you for your Discounts and much Success to you.
When I get my table YOU WANT TO BE MY GINNIE PIG FOR A WEEK OR SO? We had midterm today,and if this one comes back just as good or better then the last test I WILL ORDER MY TABLE THEN.This test will let me know if the table will pay me back sooner. Talk with you later. MUCH LOVE
Hay there little mama,how is it going with you? things are slow here, but they are moving along.Got a test mon,and hope for some income this weekend I pray., but other then that things are well. talk to you soon.
Hey, no problem. I believe you. I'm hoping to get down your way sometime this summer to see you play again, it's been way too long. I guess i'll just have to keep listening to your new album to tide me over until then. What a bummer. By the way, "Foolish" and "Reap what you sow" are my favorites!!!
If you want to see some funny crap about playing in downtown Chi. check out the craigslist 'musicians' page. Funny stuff. See ya Thursday (as soon as my drivers pull their trucks out of the overflowing rivers)- Mr. Bobbo
