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"T for Texas, T for TennesseeT for Thelma, that gal that made a wreck out of me"
These are the opening lines of Jimmie Rodgers' first hit from 1928, 'Blue Yodel', the record that launched his career as the first superstar of country music. In a recording career that lasted less than 6 years, The Mississippi native known as "America's Blue Yodeler" combined traditional string band music and cowboy songs with jazz, pop, blues and Hawaiian music, and added his own distinctive yodel. No one before him had created such a diverse repertoire, nor delivered it with such good-humored flair. Tuberculosis took his life at the age of 35, but his influence far outlived him.
The Jimmie Rodgers Experience takes you back in time to a simpler era, delivering Jimmie's songs with the intimate sound of a three-piece band, as was typical of 1920's hillbilly performers. (No drums, thank you.) In addition to the Rodgers songbook, The JRX also gives you a taste of the music of other Depression-era singers such as Bing Crosby, Gene Austin and "Haywire Mac" McClintock.
Dave Brown fills the role of Jimmie, with vintage flat-top guitar, easy-going vocals and plenty of yodeling. Dave played bass and guitar for decades in blues, rockabilly, country and bluegrass bands before the "Jimmie bug" bit him. Brown writes humorous songs in the style of the 20's and 30's, sprinkling them in between the Rodgers tunes. He lives in his hometown of Riverside, California.
Kully Styles is best known as an in-demand steel guitarist in the Western Swing and traditional Hawaiian styles. In addition, he is an accomplished clarinet and mandolin player. His swinging stylings on all three instruments are showcased in the Jimmie Rodgers Experience. Styles is very active in the roots music scene, and fronts his own band, The Hilo Hi-Flyers. Originally from Hilo, Hawaii, he resides in Long Beach, California.
Marcus Buser is a singer, songwriter, television and film composer and jazz educator. He is a graduate of Cal Arts, where he studied with the legendary jazz bassist Charlie Haden. Buser's skill on the acoustic bass greatly enhances the JRX sound. A multi-instrumentalist, he has performed with a wide variety of acts ranging from classical chamber ensembles and jazz combos to rock and hip-hop groups. A native of Washington state, Buser lives in Los Angeles, California.
This free public event is part of the Smiley LIVE! concert series. It's family-friendly, with a Q&A segment where young and old alike can ask the performers questions about their music, their performance, and anything else they may be curious about.�
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
173 S Eureka St, Redlands, CA 92373-4619, United States
