CHRISTOPHER Laughery plays flat pick and finger style guitar, and provides vocals for Prisoner’s Apprentice. Christopher is an enthusiastic Celtic session player, and recently studied with legendary Irish guitarist John Doyle. He has opened for Celtic music legend Andy M. Stewart and performed on the Andy M. Stewart tribute cd, It’s All in the Song. He has also opened for Texas artist/songwriter of the year Shake Russell and for national recording artist Edwin McCain as well as Kenny Rogers, Seals and Croft, and Jonathon Edwards. Chris previously performed with the Laughrey Connolly band. He is also a professional geologist and scuba instructor and spends an unreasonable amount of time under the water.
BLAKE Ragghianti, a product of the music schools at Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon Universities, plays keyboards, guitar, and percussion for the band as well as providing vocals. Blake has performed with The Wild Geese, The Shannon River Band, Corned Beef and Curry, Crisis Car, Harry Connick Jr. and Etta Cox. Bake recently composed music for Glenn Beck’s Christmas play "The Christmas Sweater", as well as Beck’s syndicated radio program. A professional sailor and seaman, Blake is often away at sea somewhere far from Pittsburgh exploring the other 70 percent of the globe, returning home to make music music and have a pint with friends.
CASEY Deely, is the “chick singer” in the band Prisoner’s Apprentice. Born in Florida, she migrated north of the Mason Dixon Line, turned Yankee and settled in Pittsburgh. She has been a performer and studio vocalist in the Pittsburgh area for the last 25 years working on her own projects as well as recording with numerous other artists’ studio projects. She was a founding member of the band Common Threads, and the jazz standards duo, UpTown working for many years with local blues legend, DC Fitzgerald. Unlike the guys in the band, you will find her with her head securely above the water and her feet planted on Terra Firma!
MATT Pickart comes from a musical family in Wisconsin. He plays fiddle and bass guitar for Prisoner's Apprentice. Mostly a classical violin player, Matt graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison in music performance in 2007 where he played as concertmaster of the University Orchestra. He is currently pursuing a master's degree at Duquesne University with world renown violinist and pedagogue, Sidney Harth. In WI, Matt played violin for Pale Young Gentlemen, the Melissa Ramsey Quartet, and the Dirty Dogs Bluegrass Trio along with recording and appearing with several area bands including Pupy Costello and His Big City Honky Tonk. He has also taken jazz violin masterclasses with Martin Norgaard, Tracy Silverman, and Christian Howes.
Mark Dignam has been bumping into Paul Luc and Ben Shannon a lot, at Treelady Studios, where they are all working, on their upcoming albums. They admire each others work so much, they decided to put together what promises to be, a mini singer/songwriter festival.. Watch for special guests and a very memorable night at The Rex Theater, 1602 East Carson Street. Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 8pm. $10.
