Kevin Denton (Guitar), Nyles Fitzgerald (Washtub Bass), Chris Merkley (Guitar & Harmonica)
Influences
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
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...
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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.
Thank you Nyles.
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PRESS:
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 five year 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 after coming across Danny Fitzgerald, Nyles’s 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.
The Crooners started out on the streets of Paris, 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. The band continues to tour and record, playing to larger crowds in larger venues, but never abandoning the street corners where they started out.
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.
Le clip de "Là ou je m'enlise" (chanson extraite de notre premier album), réalisé par Venkman prod, est en ligne sur notre page (et aussi un blog avec toutes les photos du tournage)! :-)
the street corners of the world will never be the same. washtub in the sky my man, croon on, croon on.
thank you guys for your existence and sharing your loving talent. those of us who saw you play are the blessed ones.
HELP PUT THE STANLEY BROTHERS IN THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME!
Ralph Stanley has received many well-deserved honors in the last few years, yet one honor eludes him. While many of their fellow musicians and singers have been recognized by The Country Music Hall of Fame, THE STANLEY BROTHERS have been sadly -- some say criminally -- overlooked.
Jeanie Stanley, youngest daugher of Carter, and fan Kaye Hill have organized an on-going petition to change all that.
"The Country Music Hall of Fame recognizes those persons who have made a significant contribution to the country music field," says Hill. "The Stanley Brothers helped lay the foundation for what we have today. Their names deserve to be listed among greats like Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs, who have already be recognized."
You can join their efforts in one of the following ways:
Contact the CMHoF directly:
Mr. Kyle Young, President
Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum
222 Fifth Avenue South
Nashville TN 37203
Or, if you prefer, you can send a letter to Kaye Hill, who will forward them to the HoF.
D. Kaye Hill
PO Box 2553
Harrisonsonburg VA 22801
Kay says, "a simple one-line note is all that would be required, but please remember to supply your name and address, and an email address if applicable. I will be collecting all letters and forwarding them to the Country Mus
My thoughts are with you guys. The wash tubs of the world will never be the same again. I'm glad that I got to know Nyles , he was an amazing artist on many levels!
I know Nyle's great-uncle, Danny Fitzgerald. I lived on one of the boats in Conflans in the 90s and hung out with Danny's crew of musicians. I'm sorry to hear about Nyle's death. My thoughts are with his family and friends.
oh nyles nyles nyles. . .you have changed our lives forever. sooooo much love for you. . .it's amazing. what a phenomenon you are. thank you. we are blessed to know you. i'm proud to say you're my friend.
I'm at a complete loss for words. I just randomly stopped by to listen to some music and that's when I read the sad sad news. Words cannot express how sorry I am.
Ny your time on this earth was far to short, but you are home now. It's hard to understand, but GOD brought you home to be with HIM. You were a blessing to many and you will truly be missed...Love ya man.
It was a pleasure to meet you all, unfortunately it was under the cirmcustances of saying goodbye to Nyles, but the work that all of you have created is phenomenal and beautiful. Nyles spirit of gold is all around us forever.
