I'm primarily a newstalgia act, I play newstalgia music as well as cover music from the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, country music, classic rock, standards and novelty songs. I do quite a few vocal impressions (Elvis, Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond, Merle Haggard, Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Fats Domino, Buck Owens, Jim Croce, Johnny Cash, Freddy Fender, Joe Cocker, Tom Jones, etc), and tell a few jokes as well.
I probably receive more recognition from the newstalgia music I play than anything else. It's great to watch people from eight to eighty years old jitterbugging, twisting and swing dancing across the dance floor. I've even had a few centenarians, the most recent was a one hundred and one year old lady, who actually danced the twist and always have good time on stage, laughing, joking, and doing a few vocal impressions
Currently I enjoy a dual career. I perform at large rodeos in the southeast, both as an opening
musical act and a 'rodeo band' providing a live soundtrack during the event. I've been with one large rodeo stock contractor and producer, Five Star Rodeo out of Davie Florida, for about 20 years, as well as doing shows for others. I've been lucky enough to be the opening entertainer for the PRCA Southeast Circuit Finals Rodeo 10 times (the top cowboys of 9 states compete for the title of circuit champion. For those of you not familiar with rodeo, it's a great honor.) Some of the rodeos I play are huge events, drawing over 25,000 spectators over the course of a weekend. Others are more of a local event.
I also play clubs, corporate functions, golf resorts, fraternal organizations, fairs, festivals,community centers, casinos, private parties, and any other venue where people want to have a good time. I have several regular 'house gigs' that I play during the week, I tend to stay at these for quite a while, I've been at one of them over twelve years. All of my 'house gigs' are very understanding that the road jobs may interfere with my local jobs, and they graciously allow me to book in a substitute when that happens.
When I perform solo, I make my music a little differently than most solo acts do. Instead of performing with recorded backgrounds, karaoke, midi tracks, or employing 'automatic' keyboards, I perform while playing guitar and keyboard as well as 'kicking' bass pedals with my feet. There is nothing automatic about the pedals, they are simply keys you can play with your feet that sound like a bass guitar. I've often booked large jobs who prefer me solo. Event organizers sometimes say, 'the band's great, but, you are unique."
As a single, I play guitar with my left hand while playing a piano part with my right simultaneously while my left foot plays a bass line. Every now and then I'll pick up a harmonica or a 5 string banjo as well.,I've been doing this for so long, that although it sounds and looks difficult, it's almost second nature for me. Remember how hard driving a car was when you first started? I've been doing this longer than I've been driving, and, had fewer accidents...
When I perform with 'Reese, the Band,' I work with group of musicians I grew up with, who love the same kind of newstalgia music that I do, and love to entertain and have fun on stage. This kind of enthusiasm always infects the crowd. The lineup may change slightly from job to job, but my staple group consists of Dr. Bob and Kat Clark, (a husband and wife duo on sax, bass and vocals,) the incredible Roy 'R.P.' Pollard on drums, and joining me on guitar, harmonica and often co-fronting the band, the maniacal Jimi Blak. Jimi is a solo newstalgia entertainer himself, and the times we get to work together are invariably magical.
I've been writing and performing newstalgia long before I ever heard the name. I've been doing 'alternate versions of oldies, as well as performing covers, doing artist impressions and writing songs with that 'familiar feel' for years. I've had several songs 'put on hold' by a producer for several major recording acts, (putting a song on hold is a term for when a producer asks you to please not pitch your song to anyone else, he is really considering it for this artists album.) Sadly, none of these were cut, all were eventually returned with the comments of "I loved them, the artist loved them, we feel radio will love them, but they are too fifties," or, conversely, "...too sixties." Rather than write something I didn't feel, I decided to concentrate on performing, and writing for my act. I found out several of my songs became 'club anthems' with one in particular, "the Bob Song," invariably resulting in customers singing the chorus on their way out the door.
In my thirty five year career, I've entertained from Canada to Florida, from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands to Lafayette Louisiana, opened for numerous national acts, and at one time was even Tiny Tim's back-up band. Every week I entertain senior citizens, kids, and people of every age group in between. The laughter, smiles, and thanks for a great time I receive from them make rewards far beyond anything I could imagine from any other way of life. A wise man once said, "if you love what you do, you'll never work another day in your life." Well, thanks to all of the wonderful people who come out to see me play, I've been retired all my life.
