Classy bluegrass and a whole lot more, East FM on Saturday arvo

Phil from Farm Cove

Special one, folks, Wellington roots Americana-style band T-Bone are celebrating the release of their debut album Good 'n Greasy, playing Auckland on July 2-3, and to hear about their excitement we’re talking with Richard Klein and playing the new work in entirety on The She’ll Be Right on Saturdays Show with PJ Taylor, 3-7pm (NZ time), June 18, on East FM.

Richard Klein is described as the real deal, from New Jersey, a singing fiddler who has played all the major festivals in the Southern Hemisphere with Le Blanc Brothers Cajun Band, of Melbourne, with who he also headlined the Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo. Wine importer by day, the ex-restaurateur has been bowing his fiddle for 50 years, bringing a maturity to every song he sings and accompanies.

We’ll chat live with Richard at 4.30pm and play the 13-track Good ‘n Greasy around 5pm.
T-Bone have two Auckland shows: Sat July 2 at Whangateu Hall; Sun July 3 at Tuning Fork.

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Here’s some of the comprehensive T-Bone press kit if you’re intrigued. They’re awesome, there is no doubt:

Joining T-Bone on tour is internationally renowned American musician, John Oszajca, who has performed with artists such as Jewel, Brian Setzer, Eve 6, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Hillary Duff, Beth Hart and many others. In 2010, John moved to the Far North of NZ with his family, where he writes, records, and performs. John will be having some fun with the T-Bone boys bringing a Punk Bluegrass sound to the shows.

"The debut album, manages to capture the raw energy of their live shows that the band have become known for, but the arrangements are tight and thoughtful, with space carved out to feature the singing of these fine folk musicians.”

The members of T-Bone are about as eclectic as the group’s influences; a mandolin playing ex-chef from the Far North, a fiddle playing wine importer from New Jersey, a Dublin-born spearfishing songwriter, a guitar slinging laboratory assistant from Taranaki and a gardening double bassist from Karori.

The band's award-winning guitarist and songwriter, Gerry Paul, describes rehearsals as “a ritual that grounds us for the week. We all work other jobs and these get-togethers set the scene for the week. They keep in touch with our creative side and most of all, it’s a weekly reminder of the importance of good friends, good food and great music”.

T-Bone got together through a love of Americana music, good wine and great food. The group have been rehearsing almost every Monday night in a basement flat in Brooklyn, Wellington, for about seven years, working on songs, writing harmonies and telling jokes.

But just as often as they play music, they eat, cook and sample some of the fiddler’s latest wine imports from Italy.

T-Bone went into Surgery Studios in Newtown last year, recording 11 songs. Seven are originals by Gerry, two are co-written by the band and three are from the New Orleans, Zydeco and Cajun traditions.

The setlist includes songs about food, playing music, new beginnings, love lost and found, and bassist Aaron Stewart describes the sound “they are peppered with that T-Bone flavour - acoustic twangs, searing fiddles and just a hint of char-grill”.

T-Bone have brought their influences of zydeco, old-time, blues, bluegrass and folk to this collection, which although has strong Americana flavours, also has a distinct Kiwi folk feel. The close vocal harmonies and fiery instrumentals on guitars, mandolin, banjo and fiddles will have toes tapping and vocal harmonising.

They started as a duo seven years ago with Gerry moving back from Europe after 15 years of touring the world with some of the biggest names in folk music. He struck up a musical partnership with Richard Klein, but it wasn’t long before they invited Cameron “Dusty” Burnell on the mandolin and the group became the T-Bone Trio. Then they enlisted the double bass playing of Aaron Stewart, who Gerry had played with as part of Mel Parsons’ band.

Young gun Michael Muggeridge was drafted in to replace Dusty while he was on tour in Europe with the Frank Burkitt Band, and Richard Klein says “the boy was so good that when Dusty returned, we said - you’re going nowhere”, completing the five-piece.

T-Bone have called on their supporters to help crowdfund through NZ platform, PledgeMe, to raise the money to finish the mastering, duplication and artwork for Good ‘n Greasy. The tour is proudly supported by the NZ Music Commission’s (Via MCH) Aotearoa Touring Programme.

T-Bone – they’re everywhere:

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PledgeMe: pledgeme.co.nz...

Link Tree: linktr.ee...