Robert Johnson, Billie Holliday, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Elmore James, Skip James, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Mance Lipscomb, Mississippi John Hurt, Hank Williams, Howlin Wolf, Little Walter, John Lee Hooker, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Muddy Waters, Bessie Smith, Django Reinhardt, Woodie Guthrie, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, Them, Paul Butterfield, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Captain Beefheart, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Beck, Robert Randolph, Derek Trucks, The Lost Wandering Blues & Jazz Band
Style Weekly - "Because you can't really feel the blues until you're playing the streets of Paris with cleaning implements, Brooklyn roots trio The Crooners add to their clean guitar sound the homegrown rumble of a washtub bass. Theirs is a sound that is really, really American, like surf rock born in the Midwest, or like The Beatles after they got big in America. Their song "New Kind of Blue" certainly is, because it sounds like that first moment when the smoky blues joint became, through a few quick guitar riffs, the first rock club."
NY Post - "one of Brooklyn's finest [...] a
harmonizing roots-rock act with accents of Brit pop and '60s sounds,
and tuneful guitars."
Ft. Worth Star Telegram - "the Crooners, a trio of blues street musicians who, banging on a washtub bass and vintage guitars on the sidewalk, played the best set I saw this year. Sometimes, you don’t even have to go into a club to see the best that SXSW has to offer."
BIO:
In their existence, The Crooners have brought their interpretation of roots rock to no less than 11 countries and 14 states. Combining American traditions of blues, swing, folk and country in a performance that is pure rock ‘n’ roll, the group has hotfooted around the globe gaining the respect of it’s cult-like fans one at a time on street corners, in cafes, and concert halls.
Longtime friends since 1998 where they met at Cornell University, Nyles Fitzgerald (washtub bass), Kevin Denton (guitar) and Chris Merkley (guitar & harmonica) evolved into The Crooners following a number of collaborations on various musical projects. While studying abroad in Paris for a semester in 2001, Nyles came across Danny Fitzgerald, his great-uncle, the undisputed European “granddaddy of the buskers” and longtime band leader of The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band, arguably one of the most successful street acts in history. He was immediately drawn to the culture of street performance (busking) and soon shifted his studies to a film project called 'A Busker's World'. After following Danny and his band around in the streets of Paris, conducting interviews and shooting footage of performances, Nyles brought his experiences home with a proposal to Kevin and Chris to start a band.
The Crooners started out on the streets of Paris in 2002, but soon brought their high-powered arrangements of blues and swing classics indoors back in the states. They released their first, self-titled album in 2003 followed by a live album in 2004 both accompanied by relentless European tours.
2006 saw the release of The Crooners first all-original album, “So Many Places.” Recorded at the band’s loft in Brooklyn and mastered at Electric Wilburland Studios in Newfield, NY, the album showcases the band’s songwriting and production talents. The album also echoes the band’s of diverse musical interests from Robert Johnson and Fats Waller to Neil Young and The Beatles. “So Many Places” has brought The Crooners acclaim from the press and radio play across the United States and Europe.
In 2007, The Crooners path came to an abrupt halt when Nyles was killed in a New York City subway accident of unknown circumstance. In the years since then, Kevin and Chris have been working with Thomas Bryan Eaton (guest musician on 'So Many Places' - pedal steel guitar) to carry on the spirit of The Crooners while seeking out new directions for the music and experiences gained.
TO EVERYONE THAT HAD THE EXTREME PLEASURE OF KNOWING NYLES, AND TO EVERYONE THAT NEVER GOT THE CHANCE, WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS THAT WE HOPE WILL MAKE THIS PROCESS A MORE POSITIVE EXPERIENCE...
______________________
There is nothing more to lose and everything to gain.
It seems like we've been robbed of something that should have been around much longer. It seems like we have lost something that we should have been able to hang onto for our whole lives.
Everything has a reason for happening the way it does but it is up to us to define exactly what that reason is and what it means to us individually. We all take different things from an event with so much significance. Ultimately, we can only fail to make it something good if we refuse to see just why it is good and believe that a tragedy is and can only be a negative occurrence.
By leaving us so early, he leaves us that much more to appreciate for longer. However much time we have left, it is our duty to pursue what it is to truly be alive. Living is doing when something tells us to wait. Living is acknowledging that there is no guarantee of tomorrow or even the next moment. Living is being grateful for what you have and not being remorseful for what you think you don't. Living is not taking for granted the things that mean the most to you.
There is no such thing as dying; there is only change of form. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. His spirit is very much alive and we will carry it with us for the rest of our lives. He will influence our decisions, he will make fun of us when we screw up, he will smile at us when we do something beautiful, and he will guide us through the moments of doubt when we need confidence the most.
Memories are real physical things. It is easy to think of a thought as nothing more than a figment of our imagination but thoughts are measurable signals we send out to our surroundings.
THOUGHTS BECOME THINGS.
There is much more energy in a good thought than there is in a bad thought.
Love is not exclusive to people you know, nor exclusive to people alone. People you know are not yours to keep. There is nothing you own but there is everything to share.
We decide how we perceive reality and it only makes sense that we should choose a reality that revolves around a positive perspective. Conviction is unfortunately a rarity among most people, it seems, but that can change.
Everything can change and will. It is the only thing we can rely on. How it changes is entirely up to us.
Up until now, we were all closed buds waiting and wanting top open. When Nyles left, he brought the sunshine and rain necessary for us to flower. We are all now in full bloom and ready to take on a world of possibilities. We owe him the rest of our lives.
Please don't forget to publish your country music news and events to CountryHome Forum. Each news and event published to CountryHome Forum will go to my weekly newsletter with more than 30,000 readers.
Warm regards
Christian
CountryHome Magazine Editor Christian Lamitschka An der Pfingstweide 28 61118 Bad Vilbel Germany
Hey! Just wanted to show you the trailer for my new music video coming out! It's for the song "Forever" and it will be out the middle of April. Thanks for all your support with my music I truley apprecaite you.
Hey there! Just stoppin by to say hey and that I hope all is going well!! If you haven't yet, please stop by my page and check out new song "Wonderful Things" and let me know what you think of it! Thanks so much! Rock on!! :-)
Hey y'all, I'll be playing in NYC Thurday, Friday and Saturday (details on my page). Swing by if you're in town. Would be great to meet up with you. Peace, Toby
Hey leave it up to me reminds me so much of the beatles, Give a little piece is my favorite though...Sorry to hear about Nyles, I have never met you guys yet but I would love to hang out, or come to a show.....Keep the roots alive...
Hey there! Just stoppin' by to wish you a great week!! If you get the chance please check out my new song "No Other Day" and let me know what you think!! Thanks :-)
I hope everyone is in fine health, of body and mind, and the road is prooving smooth and true.
Please enjoy our new Video for our single 'Nature of This Town' wich was released last monday (on Butterfly Recordings). We filmed it where we live in South East London, Mundania Court, Peckham Rye, One Tree Hill and Gipsy Hill. Spot our pretty little Miss Brian Ferret's camio. Thanks to Andy Hankdog for letting us borrow his house with living room swings, and to our favourite chippy fisherman at the Dolphin Fish Bar. And shame on the Manhatten Loft Corporation who are turning our beautiful Honor Oak Baptist Church into flats. nice one.
24 Oct 2007 20:00 Leytonstone Ex-Servicemen’s Club London, London and South East 1 Nov 2007 20:00 Glee Club Birmingham, Midlands 7 ..ransmusicales, Salle de la Cite Renne 8 Dec 2007 20:00 Renne Maximum Security Women’s Prison Renne 12 ..he Luminiare London 18 ..he Social London, London and South East 28 Dec 2007 12:00 Royal Festival Hall London, London and South East
Sorry to hear of your loss, and your eulogy to him on your space is beautiful. We appreciate your sentiments, kind sirs....
We'll be up in Brooklyn on the 21st in support of our CD. If we should happen to cross paths, we'll raise a glass in his honor, and to living life! :-)
We trust you are all well, and may you always be blessed with music...
Hey Hey,
Just checking in to see how things are going these days? Looking forward to meeting up at a show at some point. Keep in touch.
Cheers,
Matt & Kane
greetings! i hope all is well with you boys, i'm sure it is. . .i just wanted to send a friendly hello and say that not a day passes that i don't think of you. :) i'd love to see you all sometime soon. . .keep in touch.
Stopping by to bless your page with a little "Afrolicious" love. Checkout my new song "Hold Up" when you get a chance and let me know what you think. It's track #3 on my player.
