Soulard Blues Band

Music:

Member Since: 18/09/2007
Band Website: http://www.soulardbluesband.com
Band Members: ART DWYER, bass
Born in 1946 and raised in St. Louis, Art Dwyer grew up on the city's north side. "Rufus, the Dells, T-Bone Walker, Otis Redding, and of course, Albert and B.B. King were my music. It fit in with everything my friends and me did. "Art drifted around for quite some time, working as a union organizer, a Maritime employee and a ditch digger, but he never lost the music. "There was always a dance party or jam session going on somewhere.
That's how the Soulard Blues Band came together."Art has performed with the great Henry Townsend, J.B. Hutto, Little Johnny Taylor, Fernest Arceneaux and the Thunders, the Zydeco Farmers, Larry Davis, the legendary Billy Gayles, Chuck Berry, Doc Terry, Tommy Bankhead, Albert Collins and many others. In 1978, Art organized the Soulard Blues Band. Since 1987 Art has been a disc jockey on St. Louis' number one community radio station, KDHX 88.1 FM, hosting the weekly blues program, "Blues in the Night," Fridays, 4:00 to 7:50 p.m.

TOM MALONEY, guitar
Tom Maloney has been playin’ the blues for a long time. During that time he has entertained blues lovers all over these United States, Europe, (Germany w/the Soulard Blues Band) and South America. Tom is a musician’s musician. In his younger days he was known to get out on the highway with his guitar and his amp and his thumb, sometimes hitchhiking 150 miles just to get to the “gig”.
Being a session man in St. Louis may not garner great riches but it brings a special honor to those who get the call to play with the venerable world class musicians that have made St. Louis, Missouri their home. Men like piano player Johnnie Johnson, who is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Oliver Sain, and Benny Smith, who gave guitar lessons to Ike Turner . These days you could count Tom Maloney among that esteemed group.
Tom first joined the SBB for four years back in the early 80’s and has always been there to help out over the years. He has done stints in the Johnny Johnson Band and The Benny Smith Band and has been the musical director for groups in Las Vegas and Arizona. Look for a re-release of the 1982 SBB album “ Nothing to Lose” with Tom on guitar.

KIRK "Dr. Drum" GRICE, drums
Kirk Grice, a native St. Louisan, played with Soulard Blues Band from’81 to ’95 and rejoined the band in the 21st century. During an eight year hiatus Kirk pursued a career as a professional boxing referee while performing with a number of local and national artists. Performances with national touring acts include Fred Wesley, Chuck Berry, WyntonMarsalis, Maceo Parker, Little Johnny Taylor and Jimmy Smith. Recordings with local artists include Soulard Blues Band, C. Felton, The Unity ArtEnsemble, and the Nuclear Percussion Ensemble.
With many early years under the tutelage of the great Sonny Hamp, Kirk has never stopped growing as a drummer and percussionist. Thirty-five years worth of playing has taken him to a variety of ensembles and musically- related work, including twenty years as a percussion accompanist for dance schools and professional dance organizations among which are Washington University dance department, Dance St. Louis, COCA and Parkway School District’s Dance Discovery Project.
The title "Dr.Drum" was affectionately given to Kirk by devoted students and dancers.Recent performances with Mojo Syndrome, Bob Case and the Wild Accusations, Bennie Smith and Urban Blues Express, and hometown jazz groups like the Bosman Twins, Ptah Williams, Mae Wheeler, and Bill Tucker keep Kirk current and in demand on the St. Louis Blues and Jazz scene in St. Louis.Kirk continues to referee professional and amateur boxing in his spare time while continuing his education. “I got a calling to return toschool.”Kirk is a dedicated musician and is always in pursuit of knowledge and development as a person. “I believe in the healing power of music” is a favorite quote of Dr. Drum’s.

MARTY ABDULLAH, vocals
Known as the "Welterweight Champion" of rhythm and blues, and St. Martin of the northside, Marty Abdullah has so much soul women have been know to scream at the sound of his voice. With over forty years of performing in clubs all over St. Louis and beyond, Marty has not lost his exuburance for song and stage. St. Louis is known the world over as a blues and soul city and Marty Abdullah has the reputation of being one of its best performers.
Influences:
After 25 years and many incarnations, the Soulard Blues Band -- arguably the hardest working band in town -- still tears up the town one show at a time.
It is not every band you run across that has a mission beyond just steady giggin', but then again, as one of the longest-lasting acts around -- and with nine straight wins in the "Best Blues Band" category in a popular local poll -- the Soulard Blues Band is not just any band.
As bassist and sole remaining founder Art Dwyer will tell you, "Our mission always is just to leave things around a little better than we found 'em." That ethic applies equally to song arrangements, the mood of the audience and the entire musical scene in this city that birthed such towering talents as Miles Davis, Johnny Johnson, Henry Townsend, Oliver Sain and many more.
And from all appearances, the mojo is working: the blues landscape in St. Louis now is "better than it's ever been since we started out, playing in the intersection of Menard and Geyer with absolutely no cars or people coming by to cause us to have to move," Dwyer says.
He formed the Soulard Blues Band in 1978, "just a long-haired guy in blue jeans and sandals," motivated in part by memories of the St. Louis of his childhood, when clubs with names like Shalimar and Oasis and the Peppermint Lounge and Sadie's Personality Bar jumped with live music and people "dressed up looking flashy" any night of the week, and fifty cents' cover got you in to Ike and Tina Turner's set at the Club Imperial.
Indeed, that's one of the goals in group's frequent rehearsals, says Dwyer:"We are in the business of supporting each other in playing, to play in unison with each other." And in so doing, blending seamlessly into the fabric of a city with a deep history in the blues.
Amanda E. Doyle, Where Magazine St. Louis, January 2003
Record Label: King Solomon
Type of Label: Indie