The Band Members
Alan Podber
Vocals, guitars (6 & 12 string, slide wood-bodied resonator), mandolin, harmonica -- Alan was a founding member of both the Delaware Water Gap and Wretched Refuse string bands, one of the "Fabulous Furry Harmonica Brothers" (with Ralph Litwin), accompanist for labor singer-songwriters George Mann and Julius Margolin, and a past host of "A Taste of the Blues" on WBAI (Pacifica radio in NYC). He holds an MA in Music (ethnomusicology) from Hunter College and has been a college lecturer on Music Appreciation from a Global Perspective. He is also a licensed social worker in NY.
Myriam Valle
Vocals, mandolin, guitar, spoons, tambourine -- Myriam has appeared on Broadway and in film, and has worked extensively as a recording artist in popular music and commercials. She was also a founding member of the Delaware Water Gap string band.
Jim Porter
Frottoir/percussion -- The "Zydeco Messenger" and "Cajun Crusader" is a master of the Zydeco frottoir (a percussion rub-board worn by the player), an artist (he designs and builds a variety of unique percussion instruments) and a tireless advocate for Louisiana music. He is a DJ, dancer and entertainer who has brightened parties, picnics, fundraisers, conventions, dances and weddings with music, old and new, from the Caribbean, Latin America, and the U.S. (especially Louisiana!), having played with the great artists of Cajun and Zydeco music. He is also an audio specialist who often provides sound system management for the band. (photo by Brian Sammond)
Ken Ficara
Vocals, harmonica, guitar -- Ken is a popular and creative country/blues harmonica player and singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, NY. He is also a highly regarded web consultant.
And in memoriam, we recognize former members of the band, both of whom performed on our CD:
Ricky Eisenberg
Vocal, guitar, slide steel-bodied resonator guitar -- Ricky Eisenberg, a co-founder of the band, was a tireless activist for social justice, a raconteur and a lover of humanity, but when you heard him sing and play the blues, you were hearing the soul of a man. He felt every word he sang, every moan he uttered, and every note he played with a passion that made you feel it too. He'll be deeply missed and remembered by all who knew him, but to those of us lucky enough to have experienced his music, the memories will be even more than the impressive sight and sound of his performances, they'll be inextricably linked to feeling the love, the joy and the sorrow of the blues.
"Delta" Dave Johnson
Harmonica (on the CD) and guitar -- Delta Dave Johnson was a sensitive man, which was reflected both in his deep religious convictions and in the precision of his playing. He formed the Delta Dave Blues Band, which recorded one CD, and he performed with the proverbial "who's who" of major blues artists. The first time we met him we were amazed, and that reaction has stayed with us. He truly studied what he played. If you asked him for Little Walter, you got Little Walter. Same for Big Walter, both Sonny Boys, Jimmy Reed, Howlin' Wolf and Sonny Terry, to name just a few of the harmonica greats whose techniques and styles he mastered. He was an amazing musician, and he was a kind, caring man. (photo by Cathy Grier)