Orpheus Reborn

A NEW GROUP WITH AN ILLUSTRIOUS HERITAGE
In the summer of 2004, an impromptu on-stage reunion of four veterans of Boston's seminal soft-rock group Orpheus (see "The Orpheus Legacy", below) began the formation of a new, more contemporary band whose music spans a variety of genres, and whose live performances are unparalleled in their entertainment value. Guitarist Jack McKennes, guitarist/harmonica player Stephen Martin, bass guitarist Eric Gulliksen (aka “the Snake”), and drummer Harry Sandler were later joined by renowned lead guitarist Robert Emmet Dunlap and extraordinary percussionist Kathi Taylor, to round out a six-person group. After a year of preparation the ensemble, now known as Orpheus Reborn, emerged with a fresh, new sound and show.
By no means should Orpheus Reborn be considered a “reunion” band or an “oldies” act. This is a new group that includes six friends, four of whom just happen to be former members of Orpheus. Their music, individually and collectively, has evolved into styles that are edgier than that of the original group, with a wide variety of musical colors. Live performances are characterized far more by providing enjoyment and fun to audiences than by attempting to reproduce the precisely executed, but sometimes sterile, performances of the original band. Instrumentals and vocals are tight and solid but, again unlike those of the first Orpheus, are allowed — and indeed encouraged — to grow and change on-the-spot.
Nevertheless, Orpheus Reborn is not a “jam band.” Music includes hard rock, beautiful ballads, blues, country, latin, reggae and ska, to name a few genres, featuring up to six parts of harmony, a mixture of flat– and finger-picked guitars, wailing harmonica, powerful melodic bass guitar and incredible percussion. Any songs that were recorded by the original group have been completely rearranged, and new material written to fit into a grittier, more contemporary groove.
And the fun isn’t just in the music. Orpheus Reborn presents a show, a Musical Experience where the audience is drawn into the performance and encouraged to interact with the band. The result is entertainment that is truly unequalled.
Despite their legacy, Orpheus Reborn is not “your father’s Orpheus.”
Orpheus was then…
Orpheus Reborn is NOW!
THE ORPHEUS LEGACY
The original Orpheus was founded in Worcester, MA in 1967, and had a very successful run through the much of 1972, recording three albums and four singles for MGM Records as well as one album and one single for Bell records. All of the MGM albums and two of the singles, including the signature song Can't Find The Time, reached the best-seller charts in Billboard magazine. Can't Find The Time is considered to be one of the classic love songs of the late 60s, and still receives a great deal of airplay today. It has been covered by the Rose Colored Glass, the Groovin' Strings, by Hootie and the Blowfish on the sound track of the Jim Carrey movie "Me, Myself and Irene," and by country artist Johnny Dollar. It has even been used as the basis for a parody by comedian Red Peters.
In addition to recording, the group played many sold-out concerts throughout the United States, sharing the stage with performers like Blood, Sweat and Tears, the Who, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, the Rascals and Janis Joplin, just to name a few. Their second album, titled Ascending, reached no. 10 in the 1968 Playboy magazine Jazz and Pop Reader Poll, Vocal Album of the Year. The group also recorded Little Sister, the theme song for the MGM movie "Marlowe," starring James Garner.
The singles Can't Find The Time and Brown Arms In Houston have been reissued many times since and, in recent years, three major CD compilations have been issued, including material from all four albums. All of the original Orpheus albums as well as the CD compilations were produced by musical legend Alan Lorber.
Check out our web site:
http://www.orpheusreborn.com
We have a lot of history, additional information and news as well as hundreds of photos and sound clips there. You can also sign up for our newsletter.
Currently, members of Orpheus Reborn reside in Worcester, Grafton, Chestnut Hill, South Boston and Hull, MA.