Member Since: 6/25/2006
Band Website: stacymitchhart.com
Band Members:
Stacy Mitchhart - Guitar, Slide Guitar,Vocals
Jules Caldarera - Saxophones,Vocals
Don Adams - Bass, Vocals
Darin James - Drums, Drum Programming
Cory Distefano - Trumpet, Flugelhorn,Keyboards, Vocals
Peter Burger - Tenor& Bari Saxophones, Vocals
Paul Brown-Keyboards
Stacy comes from a musically talented family. His grandfather played the fiddle, his uncle played drums and his grandmother played piano. I grew up listening to my parents albums - Wes Montgomery, Al Hirt, Herb Alpert, Boots Randolph, Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers. While my friends were listing to R&R, I was tuning into soul stations and jazz. I went to rock concerts, but the music never thrilled me at all. I would have rather listened to Sam Cooke.
Growing up in Cincinnati, my best friends father was my biggest musical influence. Frank Hedges was an unorthodox storefront preacher who played gospel as the blues. He put me in his band. We would always laugh at how he played guitar. He was never formerly taught. He didnt just strum the guitar, but would smack it. There were these bass notes, drums, everything, I tried to do this in my playing. He played from his soul. He was my biggest guitar influence from a personal level.
Bobby Blue Bland is my favorite vocalist. Hes so smooth. He picks good material, does the classics and his own so well. Hes got style. BB King, of course, is a favorite. Theres a lot of him in my playing, without a doubt. At 14 I saw BB and Bobby together. I sneaked back stage and BB gave me his guitar pic. Albert Kings tone and intensity just really excites me. Hes the epitome of the blues guy. Same with Albert Collins, again, its tone and the super intense energy in the way he plays. Carlos Santana and Sly and the Family Stone were early musical influences. Wes Montgomery was a big influence. I was never influenced to play note for note. If I tried to emulate something, it was the tone.