***Mary Z. Wilson was born in Minnesota, grade school years in Hawaii, Michigan for 2 years, high school in Kentucky. All these places affected her musical perception. Her musical expressions include: swing, bluegrass, folk, old timey, old style country, and Island rhythms.In 1981 she received an honorable mention in the American Songwriter’s Festival. Her former band, The Tatters, provided a wonderful opportunity for Mary Z. to present her Americana compositions, being chosen in 2000 CD as a Top 12 Do It Yourself recording by Performing Songwriter magazine. She has penned 22 lyrics for Turn Back the Pages which have been put to music by many fine melody writers.
***Rosie Tower was born in Offenbach, W. Germany and raised in Cucamonga, California. She has played with Psychedelic Folk, Twangin' Iguanas, Cyrus Clarke Band, and Rosie Flores. She has played at the Kate Wolf Festival, the Live Oak Festival and opened for Jimmy Dale Gilmore. She likes all genres as long as it's got that swing. She is partial to Alt Country.
***Karen Orser was born and raised in Alhambra, California. The first person she ever played/sang/performed with was Julie Stevens while taking banjo lessons from Bill Knopf. They began playing together as Double Trouble. Karen played with an all girl group called Private Property and played at Disneyland. For 7 years she was with Phantom Hollow who played many venues, including the L.A. Zoo. Karen now lives and teaches in Ojai.
***They are often graced by the musical back up of their talented husbands, Dan Wilson and Barney Tower.
***Mary Z. grew up with big band, Hawaiian and folk influences in the house. Heroes are: Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Newgrass Revival, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Hot Rize, and Kate Wolfe.
***Rosie's musicial heros are Joey Spampanato, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Peter Rowan, Buddy and Julie Miller, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Bruce, Jack Cassidy, and Jerry Garcia.
***Karen: A musical hero is Kermit the Frog (he rocks on the banjo and he got her interested in it. Bill Knopf, he is her human musical hero! Musical interests: bluegrass, classical....classical bluegrass?
***Brought together on a whim and a phone call, The Restless Hillfillies are a new Americana group with Mary Z. Wilson, Rosie Tower and Karen Orser. A handful of old timey tunes, a dash of bluegrass, and a sprinkling of folk, these fillies truly enjoy each other look for greener pastures. Collectively the instrumentation in the group includes guitar, banjo, autoharp, mountain dulcimer, fiddle, banjo uke, bass and a french fry cutter.
***Turn Back the Pages is an historical preservation program with story songs written about Ventura County’s colorful past. On August 2 there was a combined art show and concert surrounding these story songs with artists from throughout Ventura County which was covered on CNN SoCal News. The group also covers Steve Earl, The Carter Family, Tim O’Brien and more.
***What’s a Hillfilly? Mountain girls who like old-time music, resist to assimilation into the dominant culture and like to horse around. They are moonlighters rather than moonshiners…all working for educational organizations but keeping alive their passion for music. They all hail from Ojai Valley in California, the Valley of the Moon.
Hi There, We started a Facebook site and wanted to let you know about it in you case you have one too and would like to join us there as well as at Myspace. For the link... Just Click here----->
FACEBOOK Urban Monroes Thanks a lot. Hope to see ya there!
Hey! Thanks for the comment....didn't do the mosaic myself - its 12th century Byzantine art, and the subject was a wandering story teller......that fit me perfectly, so, voila!
Hey Girls, er... Ladies, Just wanted you to know we recently got a new Tour Bus, there are a couple of pics of it in our photo albums. Don't be gettin' any ideas or nothin' on the counta it is a real "Babe Magnet" or so we've been told (at least by the feller that sold it to us)
Anyway we're all Gentlemen, and have been to Finishin' School and all. (actually it was a Furniture Finishin' School) but a Finishin' School just the same.
Just checkin' in, hope you all are doin' well and playing a lot of music!
--them dang hillbillies
PS We're serious "Don't be gettin no ideas" har de har
So here we go..... I've just put up 10 of the 11(wish there was room for 1 more) songs from my new album "These Bright Lights" (featuring Mrs. WAZ!!) I want to make sure everyone can have a little something to tide them over until it officially comes out September 21st on iTunes, so...... Listen to the music player on my page and pick your favorite song. Then send an email to wazmusic@gmail.com and tell me which one you picked. I'll send you a free MP3 of that song! Deal?
It's a pleasure to have the Restless Hillfillies as friends here on myspace! I always love hearing from folks who have met and played with my favorite influences. What an honor to have played on Woody's tribute! Meeting and strumming guitars with Pete was an incredible experience for me also. I learned the most when we did a Vietnam peace tour with Phil Ochs and he stayed in our home for about a week!
Hey Gals.... We're mighty proud to have you as friends. Love the music and wish we could be back out there for some of the festivals. Maybe next year. We got to make a trip out to vist our friends in Long Beach. Want to wait till the Bluegrass festival though. Take care and keep on pickin'.... God Bless, Marty & Linda Smith
Howdee back atcha, cuz... The Ventura Co Cd sounds like a winner..I would love a copy of that.. Ive met so many musician folk from around there and not a bad apple in the bunch.
Ahh Joe ;;;i think we got the picture thing covered. but if not i will let you know and i appreciate the kind offer. This is a REALLY big deal (joe flying away) and im still chewing on it. Say hi to brother Dan and keep on pickin'
上線中！
