Gumbohead was formed in 1999 in St. Louis after years of discussion between bassist Andy Coco and guitarist Tim Halpin about putting together a band playing nothing but music from New Orleans and southwest Louisiana. Both had attended Jazzfest for years and loved the styles and grooves that influenced New Orleans music.
A Gumbohead show will include funk, zydeco, traditional Mardi Gras music, Latin rhythms, brass band anthems as well as some original music shaped by St. Louis.
Gumbohead has played dive bars, fancy nightclubs, BBQ joints, museum parties, Mardi Gras balls, crawfish boils, fundraisers, wedding receptions and many festivals - RiverSplash and The Big Muddy Blues Festival in St. Louis, Ribfest in Chicago, the Taste of New Orleans Festival in Peoria, the Decatur Celebration (Illinois' largest free street festival) and the Rollin' On The River Festival in Keokuk, IA.
The band has opened for Louisiana legends the Neville Brothers, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Buckwheat Zydeco, Chubby Carrier, Terrance Simien and Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen.
Instrumentation
*Andy Coco: bass, vocals *Tony Esterly: guitar *Tim Halpin: guitar, harmonica, vocals *Tom Martin: accordions, piano, organ *David Mills: saxophones, vocals *Benet Schaeffer: drums *Ron Sikes: percussion, rubboard
Discography
*2001: Live And Cookin CD - All tunes received airplay on KDHX, 88.1 FM *2004: Get You Some EP - All tunes received airplay on KDHX, 88.1 FM *2004: You Never Can Tell (C'est La Vie), a track on the Chuck Berry tribute CD, "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man: St. Louis Salutes The Father Of Rock And Roll," released to popular and critical success. *2006: Eponymously titled CD, Gumbohead released in September 2006. Features five original tracks and eight interpretations of Louisiana tunes. Receiving airplay on KDHX, 88.1 FM and various public radio stations across the US.
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