THE TONY RIVERA BAND
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The Tony Rivera Band brings the best of New Orleans style Blues with the bold flavor of Flamenco guitar playing. The band’s repertoire of songs includes melodies from the Grateful Dead, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan and other classic rock artists. Entertaining audiences with cover music, as well as original compositions, the band re-creates classical rock songs, infusing each melody with its own Flamenco Blues style.
Influenced by percussive intensity, Rivera’s Flamenco Blues naturally delivers intense emotional responses from its audience. The music captivates and mesmerizes listeners with its mysterious and intoxicating cadences. These intense rhythms transform the entire Tony Rivera Band with the cadences taking over each member in its own unique way, creating a synthesis of Flamenco and Blues.
In 1997, Rivera began recording his first CD, Gypsy, and, in 1998, he formed the band Touch. Performing cover songs as well as originals, Rivera infused contemporary music and Rhythm and Blues with Flamenco guitar, mixing Disco, Blues, Flamenco, Southern Rock, Latin and Gospel music. Thus, Rivera’s ‘Flamenco Blues’ style of guitar was born.
Rivera attended the Juan Orozco School of Flamenco Guitar, located in New York City. For approximately eight years, Rivera studied under the tutelage of Emilio Prados, Mario Escudero (who inspired Paco de Lucia), and Mr. Juan Orozco himself. In 1986, Rivera enrolled in the American Institute of Guitar (AIG). There he studied under the most sought after Flamenco guitar teacher for the past 20 years, Dennis Koster. During this time period, Rivera also began training in the Blues, educating himself on various styles and from various teachers, eventually going all the way to the tracks.
Tony Rivera Band wants to encourage partying responsibly. In our efforts to discourage drinking & driving, please ask Tony Rivera Band to help arrange a ride home if you truly feel unable to drive home safely from one of our shows.
Fred Scholl
Fred@TonyRiveraBand.com
Fred is known to NY/NJ area audiences for his work with the improvisational rock
bands Bartleby and Electric Jelly, and also has an extensive background in
traditional American acoustic guitar music, as well as jazz guitar, having
studied with the legendary
Joe Monk. His solo steel-string guitar playing,
heavily steeped in blues and ragtime picking styles, often results in
exploratory and passionate instrumental ramblings.
Huw Phillips with a friend
Huw@TonyRiveraBand.com
The Band’s keyboardist, Huw Phillips, playing for more years than he cares to admit, specializes in the Hammond B3 organ. Most recently, he played with improvisational NY/NJ bands including Electric Jelly and Rooster. Prior to that, he played in numerous bands in London, UK and other parts of Europe. Huw is particularly excited to be part of the Tony Rivera project as flamenco-jamband-blue age bands are thin on the ground in his native Wales.
Doug Levine
Drummer
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JAMES (JIMMY) ALLAN
Jimmy@tonyriveraband.com
Drummer
Jimmy Allan began playing the drums while in high school. Joining the school’s band, Allan developed a love for the instrument and began taking lesson’s from the school’s band teacher, Richard Goodman who teaches and motivated Allan by introducing many different instruments in his lesson.
A keen observer, Allan began the never-ending quest to fine tune his craft. Immersing himself in a variety of music, Allan avidly began studying concert and live performance videos, imitating the styles and actions of various performers and genres of music, including the Blues, Reggae and Latin music. From this, Allan became skilled in determining the role of a drummer in numerous situations what to play and do in a learned in numerous forms of music and drum playing, ultimately creating his own style of playing.
While still young, Allan began performing in local, NJ area bands, playing at open mic nights and such venues as Geronimo in Teaneck and B.B. Kings in New York City (where he played with Mandolinist John Poussat Dart). In addition, Allan immerses himself in
performing with numerous area bands, including:
Succulent Patty Pop, Rock and Blues band
Hip Hop, Jazz, Reggae, and Blues band that blends fusion and funk music together, RWJ; Forbidden Fruit who mixes Reggae, Dance Hall, Funk, Hip Hop and Soul music together. (Are all the bands
Dave Bradler
Erica
Stephie
Roberto
Sound Clips The Band Tony's Bio Upcoming/Past Shows Latest News Lessons Contact Song List Links Page Photo
