Besides band-leader/guitarist Tony Mason, SwingBridge boasts fiddler/clarinetist and smokey baritone vocalist George Samsen, who incidently is also an Olympic hockey gold-medalist. Other members include: British invasion husband-wife duo Eileen (swinging vocals) and Rob (Bassman) Blake, Rounding out the sound is the smooth Chet Atkins-style fingerpicking of guitarist Bruce Hobley. Our latest addition to the band is drummer, J.R., who brings decades of experience in R&B, rock, country and jazz bands.
Our ukulele man, John Bird, has temporarily moved to Baffin Island!. Come back soon John!
Influences
You name it (alpha order): The Allman Brothers, Chet Atkins, Josephine Baker, The Band, Count Basie, Jeff Bird, Blind Blake, "Manitoba Hal" Brolund, Bob Brozman, J.J. Cale, Hoagy Carmichael, Cats and Fiddle, Ray Charles, Tod Collins, Spade Cooley, Robert Crumb, Dick Dale, Willie Dixon, Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, Tommy Emmanuel, Jesse Fuller, Benny Goodman, Stephane Grappelli, James Hill, John Lee Hooker, James Jamerson, Doug Kershaw, Little Feat, Los Lobos, Taj Mahal, Christy Moore, Paul Moore, Van Morrison, Jelly Roll Morton, Bill Munroe, Newgrass Revival, Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed, Django Reinhardt, Lyle Ritz, Richard Smith, The Stanley Brothers, Charles Trenet, Ernest Tubb, Ukulele Club de Paris, The Ventures, Jackie Washington, Ken Whiteley, Hank Williams, Bob Wills . . .
Sounds Like
SOME OF OUR SONGS (alpha order by genre)
SWING STANDARDS:
All of Me . . . Blue Moon . . . Clarinet Boogie . . . Don t Get Around Much Anymore . . . Douce Ambiance . . . Georgia . . . I'll See You In My Dreams . . . Pennies from Heaven . . . Smile . . . Summertime . . . Swing 42 . . . Sunny Side of the Street . . . The Very Thought of You . . . When the Saints Come Marching In.
WESTERN SWING/CLASSIC COUNTRY:
Blue Bell . . . Diggy-Liggy Li (Cajun) . . . Home in San Antone . . . How Do . . . Poor Boy Blues (bluegrass) . . . Slow Country Dance (Waltz) . . . Tennessee Moon . . . Tennessee Waltz(Waltz) . . . There She Goes . . . Walking the Floor Over You . . .
Wild Flowers . . . Windy and Warm.
FIDDLE TUNES/CELTIC:
Red-Haired Boy . . . Dragging the Bow . . . Gildaroy . . . Jack Tar . . . Kentucky Mandolin . . . Ride On . . . Riding the Fiddle . . . Ste. Annes Reel.
BLUES AND BOOGIE:
The Breeze . . . Clyde . . . Key to the Highway . . . Liza Jane . . . More Than Love . . . Route 66 . . . Saint James Infirmary . . . San Francisco Bay Blues . . . Tore Down.
Veteran musician Tony Mason knew exactly what he wanted--and didn't want--when he put an ad in a Bobcaygeon newspaper. "I didn't want to play one kind of music all night. I did want to have fun playing an eclectic mix of acoustic-based roots music with like-minded musical friends."
The result is SwingBridge.
We play throughout the Kawarthas in southern Ontario, Canada, including: the Summer Lakeshore Festival, the Buckhorn Arts Festival, Peterborough’s Market Hall, Black Horse Tavern and Riverside Park Gazebo, Lindsay's Moose Lodge and Armoury Park Gazebo, Canada Day festivities in Orillia, the Bobcaygeon Legion, plus weddings and various benefits, including seniors homes.
SwingBridge has something for everyone. Our bottom line is eclectic, toe-tapping roots music.
By the way, we do have an eight-song CD: SwingBridge: The Early Years, available for $10, plus $2 shipping in Canada. Contact Eileen Blake to order (see below)
For Bookings or more info call 705-295-6330 or email: eileenblake@hotmail.com
"No matter what style the band plays, it swings with deft syncopation. Most of the cuts have an old-time feel, whether it is rural like 'Diggy Liggy Lo,' or the modified Tin Pan Alley of 'Sunny Side of the Street'."
--David Howell in a review on Rambles.net (http://www.rambles.net/swingbr_early06.html)
"BTW, the CD of your music is in my car. Only the ones I really like make it to the car. Congrats on a great piece of work."
--Margeree
"SwingBridge has a formidable stylistic range and great players. Fun stuff." --Kurt Hoffman, Les Chauds Lapins (www.leschaudslapins.com)
"Just wanted to compliment you on your music! Good luck!" --Cynthia Sayer, Jazz Banjoist/Vocalist (New York City, www.cynthiasayer.com)
Check out our new Album: Resist Temptation Available on Amazon. com and iTunes. com Now!! Gypsy Jazz at it's finest. Consists of new original songs and amazing cover songs by the likes of The Band, Velvet Underground, Tom Waits, Steely Dan and more!
Do you know if the HyperAngels have a myspace site or any other web presence ? If not, other than Fiddlin' Jay, Rob Phillips and Tony?... who else is in the band ?
Hi Guys,
Your new album is great! Talk about eclectic acoustic. You guys, and that includes Eileen, cover it all. Can't wait to see you in person again.
