About Me
Mark Carroll
Bandleader, Vocals, Fiddle, Mandoline, Buffalo Bill-Lookalike Contest Winner
Originally a trumpet-player, Mark started playing Guitar and double-bass at the age of ten. After undergoing a complicated brain surgery his doctor had avised him not to touch any wind instrument again. After High School he toured the US and made the acquaintance of famous Banjo-maniac Cregg Bigsby. As a busker-duo with double-bass and banjo they lived on the road until one day, while hitchhiking, they were picked up by no less than Willy Nelson. Willy, who was touring without a bassplayer at that time, on the spot hired Mark for his band.
Since he didn't want to carry such a heavy instrument around all his life, Mark switched to Fiddle and Mandoline. He played together with Johnny Gimbal – fiddler of the legendary Western Swing Combo Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys and shared the stage with Taj Mahal, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and again: Willy Nelson! After many years of playing different styles like Blues, Country, Western-Swing, Bluegrass or Jazz together with Gregg Bigsby in USA, Mexico, Central America and South East Asia, the Banjo-player went to Alaska. There, still today, he lives on playing music and fishing. Mark settled down in Texas. In 1998 - they had'nt seen each other for 8 years - Mark started visiting Gregg during the fishing season. They went on a boat together to cast for fish an to play Bluegrass.
In 2005 they came to Munich and in the nearby city of Garmisch they made the acquaintance of Bassplayer Jens Zerle who in 2006 accompanied them on their fishing and string-picking trip to Alaska where they recorded a CD titled „Fishpickers Jamboree Project“. In 2007, Mark and Jens together with Ben Esen and Uwe Schmidt founded the Texas Swing Combo BUFFALO BILL AND HIS BAVARIAN BEER HUNTERS.
Jens Zerle
Double Bass, Vocals
The Garmisch-born bassplayer started his career in music with the band Mountain Jam, rocking the River Loisach Valley with own compositions inspired by the Grateful Dead. Afterwards, he gained experience in various Jazz- and theater-projects. Today, he also is in the Band Edelweiss Bluegrass, who published a CD with song covers and own tracks.
Ben Esen
Drums, Percussion, Vocals
The drummer and bassplayer with the programmatic birthday 2 – 3 – 4 (23 of April) has been well-known in Munich's music scene for many years . He feels at home in many different styles like Funk, HipHop, Pop, Hardcore, Punkrock and Jazz. Accordingly, we now present quite a long list of bands he used to be in. Here it comes: Kaengeroos On Broadway, Funkability, Knapp, Riinka, Volvox, Pearls For Pigs, Chris Void and the Graverobbers from Outa Space, Illegal Aliens, Freaky Fukin Weirdoz, Eifleck, Raw Audio Front. Momentarily he's in: Gruba, Pearls For Pigs and Shoot Dolores. Many of the bands mentioned have published one ore more CDs.
Uwe Schmidt
Guitar, Banjo, Harp, Vocals revolutionary leader
Since 1985 Uwe has been active in a wide variety of projects: He played Banjo, Guitar, Bass or Harmonica in bands like Hot Lips (Dixie, Swing), One Missing (70s Rock), Jorge Gonzales Band (Latin Rock), Radiatior (Rock), Hart an der Grenze (Prog-Punk-Rock), Emertsham (60s and 80s Rock) or The hole Shebang. Together with the Munich Blues Gang he opened the stage for The Sweet. Further bands he's currently are Blanche (Southern Rock), Smith&Howland (Duo with Guitar and Harp), die Exzentriker (Songwriter-Duo with Guitar).
Also check out the fishpickers and www.fishpickers.com
