We could start out this bio with a barely interesting anecdote about how The Ramblers met in the tree house on the playground of our primary school, picked up some recorders the next period in music class, and have been making music together ever since. But frankly that would be pretty boring, and not to mention, a lie.
A soul-loving rock and roll band infused with influences from all over America (plus a dose of Tokyo), The Ramblers are Jeremiah Birnbaum (guitar and vocals), John Embree (drums and vocals), and Caz Ishijima (bass), with Mark Marshall (electric guitar), Scott Stein (keys) and Jackson Kincheloe (harmonica).
Time Out London has called New Jersey native Jeremiah a "rootsy and soulful troubadour". He toured as a solo artist for several years, winning an ASCAPLUS Popular Music Award along the way, while also backing other artists on lead guitar. John grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas, practicing the skins in an old log cabin on his parents' horse farm, before moving to New York to study Law. Caz, born in Saitama, Japan, right outside of Tokyo, surrounded himself in jazz, blues and funk growing up. His devotion to the craft brought him across continents to New York to study jazz bass and a slew of other instruments.
Scott, Mark and Jackson are more recent additions to the lineup, and have brought a new richness to the band. Scott, from Akron, Ohio, is a conservatory-trained composer, and a performing songwriter. Mark, from Wilkes-Barre, PA, has been a professional guitarist, composer and arranger since age 17. Jackson, from Halcottsville, NY, comes from a highly musical family (his mom and sisters are singers, sometimes joining the boys on stage, and his dad's a professional drummer), is a fine songwriter, and plays lap steel as well.
Our new album was just released, on 6.28.08, at Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble. It was recorded in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at Monkeyboy Studios with engineer/producer Brian Fulk (Martha & Rufus Wainwright, Teddy Thompson, Willie Nile, Marc Ribot), featuring the guitar work of our wonderful friend David Immerglück (Counting Crows, John Hiatt) as well as Mark Marshall, and another good friend, NYC/Austin songwriter Bryan Dunn on harmony.
Individually, each member of The Ramblers has woven his own story and musical path, and through this we've built a little family that likes to have a good time playing some good-feeling music. We hope you enjoy it.
