Mark "The Wall" Pohlen - provides very solid bass lines - reminds me of John Entwistle.
Mike (next door) Kenrick - I've known him for over ten years we just started playing together. Good Old School drum stuff. Likes to Rock!
Influences
“In 1964 I heard the four coolest guys in world -- all playing like Chuck Berry” For the next couple of years it was a steady diet of Beatles, Stones, and The Who until 1966 or so when I heard Eric Clapton play “Hideaway.”
Tony tells a funny story about when he first heard Eric Clapton play Hideaway back in 1966 or 67 – “Man, it was the coolest, I learned every lick! Then I jammed with these old blues guys and I was really surprised that they knew Hideaway, I told them I picked that up from Eric Clapton, but they quickly told me that I was playing Freddy King! -- I went and got all his records."
Sounds Like
We've been accused of sounding a bit like 'CREAM" probably because we're a guitar lead trio.
Tony Vegas started playing guitar in 1959 being taught by local legend Merejo Martinez (a killer blind recording artist) in the studios of CMHK, Casa Virgilio, Cruces Las Villas, CUBA. CMHK was his grandfather’s radio station. Tony grew up in the radio station, where the area performers came in and broadcasted live from the studio – these made for some fantastic radio shows. Orquesta Aragon internationally known for pioneering the “Cha Cha Cha” was about the most famous of all the acts that hailed from this venue.
Punto Guajiro, Montuno, Cha Cha, and Bembe’ was performed by singles, duos, trios, and bands that would come in and create the best live music you can imagine – Tony watched listened and learned.
Thursday nights was Bembe’ night – Bembe’ is the African music of Cuba played mostly with drums and flute. “They would come in and jam like crazy, and they’d let me sit and hide in the studio behind the drummers” that went on till he was found out and the disk jockey would escort him out of there.
The first electric guitar sounds heard by Tony were from Bill Haley (“Rock Around The Clock” and “See You Later Alligator”), Chuck Berry, and this real cool guy named B.B. King!
“The first electric guitar I saw was an acoustic with a pick up in the hole played through an amplifier that my uncle made – it was loud!”
“In 1960, I woke up one day and some one had stole my country.” That’s how Tony explains the Cuban Revolution… Tony came to the US with his family in 1962 and soon thereafter traded a model airplane for a nylon six string.
Tony has played all over the US with many different bands his favorite gig was as bandleader for “The Vibrations” of Watusi fame is the early 70’s. Prior to that Tony’s group “THE TR-5”got major airplay and two regional hits. “Hey, we were featured in Cashbox!
In 70’s Tony shared the stage with REO Speedwagon, Chubby Checker, The Grass Roots, Tommy James and the Shondells, Frigid Pink, Joe Jeffries, Lee Andrews and the Hearts (with Andy haley), Billy Harner, Cook E Jarr and the Crums, and many others. Tony has also played in a few bands with “La Bamba” from Max Wineberg’s band.
In 2006 Tony Vegas, internationally recognized blues player, released a new CD "Nawlins Renaissance" Recorded in New Orleans for the purpose of raising money for New Orleans recovery efforts. The CD is presently getting airplay in England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and has been well received by Ray Nagin (mayor of New Orleans) Proceeds from this CD will be donated to New Orleans recovery efforts -- buy a CD help the cause. Please visit: www.TonyVegas.com
Tony’s latest CD, “CAJUN LADIES” was released around mid year 2007. This CD was recorded at Word Of Mouth Studios in New Orleans. The “hot song” on this CD is a “rocking blues piece” titled “HEY LORETTA” (I just love it when you wear that swetta) Tony calls it a high power wa-wa workout. The “CAJUN LADIES” CD. features “The Masterful” (Andy Haley) whom Tony flew in from Philadelphia. “Andy didn’t want advance tracks of the songs to study because he wanted to be fresh on his approach…he came in and we cut 17 tracks in one and a half days!, Andy said ‘If you wrote it I know it’ because he’d played with me all through the 80’s in TVG (Tony Vegas Group).” TVG played all over PA, and NJ in the 80’s and 90’s drawing 6,000 people to a concert at Penn’s Landing in Phily.
