The original Red Clay Ramblers have been called everything from "America's premier whatzit band" (Audio Magazine) to the "the quintessential roots group" (Green Man Review). Over the years, the Ramblers toured with such musicians as Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Lillie Mae Ledford, Ireand's Boys of the Lough, and even recorded with country songwriter iconoclast Eugene Chadbourne. According to one journalist the Ramblers "set the standard for acoustic fusion, melding bluegrass and old time with jazz and rock long before anyone else had thought of it." Music Hound Country described them simply as "one of the most versatile bands in the business". In the early 80's, Watson, Craver and Thompson released a highly acclaimed album of Carter Family songs entitled MEETING IN THE AIR. (l-r: Joe Newberry, Mike Craver, Jim Watson, Bill Hicks. Photo at left by Daniel Coston. For higher resolution and more photos).
Bill, the founding fiddler of the Red Clay Ramblers, was before that a member of the Fuzzy Mountain String Band, and appears on their two Rounder LPs (reissued in 1995 as a Rounder CD). After leaving the original Ramblers in 1981 he began playing music with his wife, Libby, and working as a stone mason in Chatham County,NC, where they live. Bill and Libby have a CD on the Copper Creek label, SOUTH OF NOWHERE. Bill and Libby also played for seven years in the cajun-zydeco band Unknown Tongues. Bill writes songs and produced a live solo CD of his songs, THE PERFECT GIG, in 2002.
Jim currently tours with Robin and Linda Williams in Their Fine Group. Jim has released two solo CDs: DON'T TELL ME I DON'T KNOW, and WILLIE'S REDEMPTION. Jim, who also performs with the Green Level Entertainers, has ushered in the Christmas season for 21 straight years with his holiday show at the Cave in Chapel Hill. Before the Red Clay Ramblers, Jim recorded with the Hollow Rock String Band on their second LP.
Mike has worked in musical theater since leaving the Ramblers. He co-wrote the Off Broadway musicals OIL CITY SYMPHONY, and RADIO GALS. He arranged the music for SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN and the sequel SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN HOMECOMING. He's released three solo records: FISHING FOR AMOUR, WAGONER'S LAD, and SHINING DOWN, and also collaborated with Clyde Edgerton on a musical version of Clyde's novel LUNCH AT THE PICCADILLY.
Joe Newberry grew up singing the old songs he learned from his family in the Ozarks, and is also known for his powerful and innovative banjo playing. In addition to playing with Jim, Mike and Bill, he plays and sings with Big Medicine. His solo CD TWO HANDS has received glowing notices from reviewers and fans alike.
The ensemble have made appearances at the Festival for the Eno in Durham NC, the Artscenter in Carrboro, the Six String, Southern Village, the Cook Shack, The Carter Fold, the Down Home, and the Omagh Festival of American Music in Northern Ireland. They do selections from their individual CDs and then ensemble songs and fiddle and dance tunes from the classic Red Clay Ramblers repertoire. photo by Jane Hogan SOUND NEEDS: For performance we require four vocal mics on booms, three instrumental mics on booms, one line input or direct box for guitar (with pickup) and one line input or direct box for digital grand piano. We also need to be supplied with some kind of monitor system so we can hear each other.
For our set up config, we usually do it "Stage Left to Right" as follows:
FMI, background, pix, & links: Bren Overholt's fan site