Southern Schoolhouse Rascals

The Southern Schoolhouse Rascals
Southern folk songs, tunes and Cultural Presentation

The Southern Schoolhouse Rascals is a group of four musicians with lifetimes of experience in the culture, history and music of the American South. They are able to play complete concerts in the old Southern Mountain music style as conjured up by movies such as "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" and the Oscar winning movie of Charles Frazier's book "Cold Mountain." The Southern Schoolhouse Rascals can provide an audience with interesting insights into Southern musical culture through photographs, anecdotes and intimate personal experience. In addition, The Southern Schoolhouse Rascals can play entire old style southern square dances, and can even provide a caller if requested. The possibility of combining entertainment and educational content, using music with an enriching presentation, works well in settings such as libraries and cultural organizations. The Schoolhouse Rascals has played to enthusiastic audiences at the Good Coffehouse, the Black Cow Coffeehouse, The Brooklyn Jamboree, The Cuneen Hackett Theater in Poughkeepsie, as well as the Chappaqua, Somers, Hendrick Hudson and Croton Free Libraries and would enjoy doing the same for your venue. Members are:

Gil Sayre – lead vocals, guitar
Gil grew up in the mountains of West Virginia, learning songs and tunes from local farmers, miners and family members. With his first hand knowledge, Gil's anecdotes and songs give an authentic account and eye opening picture into Southern culture. He sings and plays guitar and banjo. Among his many accomplishments; [1] Leader and vocalist on the compact disc " The Stillhouse Rounders. [2] Guitar workshop leader at many festivals, including Black Creek fiddlers convention and the "Dance Flurry" [3] Concerts at many locations including the Café Rosendale, the Greenwich Village Bistro & the Black Cow.

Ambrose Verdibello – fiddle
Ambrose is a multi-talented instrumentalist who can play fiddle, banjo, guitar, pedal steel and Hawaiian style lap guitar. With an encyclopedic knowledge of fiddle tunes, he provides an endless variety of tunes. [1] Ambrose plays at numerous square dances throughout Westchester, Putnam, Duchess and Ulster counties. [2] Session musician for numerous songsters, appearing on CDs such as the CoMando mandolin Project [3] Works with cultural organizations, presenting concerts for the Millbrook Council on the arts

Dave Howard – mandolin, guitar, harmony and lead vocals
Dave is a vocalist, mandolinist and guitarist in constant demand throughout New York and Connecticut. The Southern Schoolhouse Rascals are always happy when Dave is available to appear with us. Dave sings tenor to Gil's lead vocals and came from a musical family, his father was a fiddler. Dave has many credits including; [1] Leader and vocalist with the Zenith String Band, now with the Contra-Dance band Please & Thank You. [2] Appearing at numerous venues, including the Beekman Café, the Town Crier and the Main Stage [3] Featured vocalist on the Marimac recording of the Lazy Aces string band. [3] Featured track on the Rounder CD anthology of American old time musicians "The Young Fogies."

Ray Alden – banjo
Ray traveled south every summer for 35 years to study with, record and absorb the culture of the older generation of Southern musicians. A student of fretless banjo great Fred Cockerham, his credits include; [1] Presentations & Banjo Instructor, Pinewoods Folk Music Camp, 1978 [2] Bnajo instructor at Augusta Folk Heritage week, Elkins, West Virginia, October 1994 [3] Fretless Banjo Instructor, Tennessee Banjo Institute, October 1992 [3] Concerts & Banjo Instructor, Port Townsend "Fiddle Tunes" Festival, Washington State, June 1997 [4] Banjo Concert & Historical Presentation, American Folk Arts Museum, New York City, August 2002 [5] Banjo instruction, concerts at the Massachusetts Banjo Camp North, 2004 and 2005 [6] Recorded 15 compact discs of American traditional music for the Rounder and Chubby Dragon labels such as "Mountairy.USA" "The Young Fogies" and "Old Time Friends."

Pat Plankey – bass
Pat is a wonderful bass player with many traditional music groups and swing music groups such as the Zenith String Band, and an excellent vocalist as well. She has made several recordings and is the newest member of the band.

Contact Ray at 914-941-8536 or rgamusicat bestweb.net to schedule a concert-presentation.