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Mickey Bones Hanging Out With His Pals The Boogaloo Swamis |
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Mickey Bones and his pals the Boogaloo SwamisMickey Bones was the first one to make Cajun and Zydeco music a big hit in Boston Massachusetts. He formed The Boogaloo Swamis in 1984 when he was 28 years old. The band won the Boston Music Awards four years in a row. Mickey Bones has played shows with Boozoo Chavis (four times!), Buckwheat Zydeco (five times!), Queen Ida (two times!), C.J. Chenier (three times!), Clifton Chenier, Terrance Simian, Rockin' Sidney, Steve Riley, Balfour Toujours, The Basin Brothers, he played drums for D. L. Manard, and opened for other major Cajun and Zydeco artists. He has been the dance band at the Cajun and Bluegrass Festival Dance Tent (now called the Rhythm and Roots Festival) and held his own dance every week at Johnny D's in Somerville Ma. for four years. While living in New Orleans, he played at the Jazz Heritage Festival in 1990 and 1991, and while he was living there he played at Tippitina's frequently, as well as other local hot spots like the Maple Leaf, the Holwlin' Wolf, the Muddy Waters, Cafe Brazil, Carrolton Station, the Rock 'N' Bowl, the Absinthe House, the list goes on and on. With so much musical experience you know he's ready to entertain your crowd !! "The Boogaloo Swamis planted their roots in the rich diversity of the Louisiana bayou. Now their blend of Cajun and Zydeco music has the critics raving and the audiences dancing till they drop". The Boogaloo Swamis are Boston's premier party band. Over twenty-three years ago, they brought New Orleans music to New England and kept it here. Like a walk down Bourbon Street, the Swamis' music is a melting pot of sounds as the band continues to make wonderful bayou-infused music. When the Boogaloo Swamis are playing, the audience comes along for the party. The Boogaloo Swamis combine their rhythmic Cajun and Zydeco music with Rockabilly, Tex Mex, Blues and original tunes for a "hot" musical gumbo. Four-time winners of Boston Music Awards' "Outstanding World Music Act," the Boogaloo Swamis, true to their roots, create a party wherever they perform".  "One of the Northeast region’s favorite dance bands, the Boston-based Boogaloo Swamis have been playing their unique blend of New Orleans influenced Rhythm and Blues for the past twenty-three years with five recordings and four Boston Music Awards to their credit. When that driving beat starts up, every room turns into Mardi Gras -- a joyful reunion of clapping, jumping, swinging people who are having the time of their lives. With their unique, mix of traditional Creole and Cajun elements along with the contemporary sounds of blues, funk and Afro-beat, the Boogaloo Swamis are taking the Zydeco tradition into the future, and making friends everywhere they go".  "Like a walk down Bourbon Street, the Swamis’ music is a melting pot of sounds as the band continues to make wonderful bayou-infused music" "A beautiful combination of soulful Cajun and Zydeco rhythms with just a touch of blues and gospel thrown in for good measure. Whether your at home cookin' up some Jambalaya or hosting an all out Bayou Bash, the Boogaloo Swamis are just the ingredient you'll need to heat thing up". Listen To The Four Boogaloo Swamis Songs On This Player If the site music is still playing turn off the player in the top left hand corner, then operate the player below Click here to view the Boogaloo Swamis web site Click here to contact the Boogaloo Swamis Click on the icon below to hear the Boogaloo Swamis at Garageband  |
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Check out Mickey Bones drumming with the Hot Tamale Brass Band.Mickey really knows how to lay down that second line rhythm with a strong groove that just won't let you go! New Orleans music has been a favorite of Mickey's for over twenty years and he still gives it that spark of life. Hard hitting funky second line rhythms and earnest traditional New Orleans jazz is what the Hot Tamales are all about. Although Mickey Bones has been the leader and drummer of the Hot Tamale Brass Band for the past fifteen years it has not been without help. The band has excellent charts for Mickey's favorite songs. The charts have been written by outstanding horn players such as Timo Shanko, Scott Shetler and Gordon Beadlle alias Sax Gordon. BOSTON GLOBE REVEIW OF THE HOT TAMALE BRASS BAND *Boston First Night Wrote; Dear Mickey, Thank you so much for all your efforts and help with the First night 25th Birthday Celebration in Copley Square. Everyone had a fabulous time and our board of directors along with the visiting First Night cities called it a great success. Much of the praise belongs to you and the Hot Tamale Brass Band. You guys were the hit of the party-kept everybody dancing and the festivities hopping! Once again THANK YOU from all of us at First Night. Talk to you soon. Gina Mullen-Production Director for Boston First Night *BOSTON PHOENIX, Brett Milano wrote on Billy Ruane's 35th Birthday Bash at three clubs simultaneously, T.T The Bears, The Middle East and Green Street Grill; On Tuesday, you had to keep moving, through hallways that got crowded all the time, to catch the alternating 20-minute sets at T.T.'s and both levels of the Middle East(and sometimes the music moved with you, as the Hot Tamale Brass Band paraded through the clubs New Orleans style, adding a surreal element to the proceedings). *BOSTON GLOBE, David Wildman wrote; One of the most important lessons that Mickey Bones of the Hot Tamale Brass Band has learned in his years of show business he learned the hard way; If your group is performing in a parade with the Ringling Brothers elephants, you should never let them put you between the elephants and the food." Bones recounted;"The parade organizers said,'When we give you the signal, you start marching in front of the elephants and start playing.' But they were running them along at a pretty good clip, and in front of us was the cornbread and the water, that was what the elephants wanted. No one told us we were going to have to run for our lives. I turned around and saw this three-story-tall elephant coming at me" Listen To The Hot Tamale Brass Band On The Player Below If the site music is still playing turn off the player in the top left hand corner, then operate the player below  God bless Thorny Penfield.
My old buddy from New Orleans passed away August 21st 2007. Thorny Penfield was my girlfriend's mother's cousin but I suppose he was everybody's cousin or brother. He would call me frequently to go out to hear bands in New Orleans, once remarking, "All my friends are getting too old and don't want to come out.". I was always happy to go with him and though I was twenty years his junior, he always had as much energy as I did. What a zest for life he had ! Every great place to eat, every great place to hear live music in New Orleans, Thorny either told me about it or brought me there personally. THANK YOU THORNY PENFIELD |
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Spitwhitle featuring Mickey BonesHello, We Are Spitwhistle. We play Americana, Yes Depression, and Crappalachian Mountain music. Yes this is another Mickey Bones project. Mickey does most of his gigging playing Louisiana music in New England - go figure. He started this band when when he was living in Somerville MA.. He had just rented a small but beautiful home with a huge yard full of fruit trees, grapevines, nice fully matured fir trees, a gazebo and two cat houses(one built like a schoolhouse and one like a church) for the many wild cats that came around to the neighborhood. One of the deals in getting this nice house was that he had to feed and water the cats. Mickey then proceeded to rent out all the rooms in the house and live in the basement so he could live there for, as Mickey says, 25 cents an hour. All of the songs on this site were written and rehearsed in this basement with the first incarnation of Spitwhistle. Mickey was not experienced as a songwriter and had never played any of these instruments before writing these songs. After five rehearsals all but two of the four people Mickey had asked to join the band had left in disgust over the lack of ability that he was showing on the dulcimer, ukulele, Hawaiian steel guitar, banjo and pennywhistle. The drummer needed to play more because she was new at it, so she was willing to play. The upright bassist was married to her, so he stayed too. Unfortunately they broke up four months later and with their marriage, so went the band. Mickey Bones kept at it, and after some music lessons, called on a couple of old friends who were a little more sympathetic to his cause. Rehearsals started in earnest and in six months Spitwhistle added a lead fiddle player and a trumpet player. Mickey by this time had the opportunity to rent a cheaper apartment with more rooms, in a more vibrant neighborhood, kicked out his awful roommates and past the old house and stray cat care over to his recently exed-girlfriend, who couldn't seem to remember to take her Prozac (bye-bye). His new digs were great, he built two walls, made two new bedrooms, creating a total of four. He quickly rented out three to much cooler people than in the last place, sound proofed his room and started having rehearsals. with all sorts of groups, including Spitwhistle. With the line up solidified and Mickey not doing too badly on his new instruments, they decided to take these sixteen songs into the studio. Who I'd like to meet: Mickey Bones - Banjo, Ukulele, Appalachian Dulcimer, Second Fiddle, Hawaiian Steel Guitar, Fake Bongos, Songs and Vocals Brian Rost - Acoustic Bass Emily Jackson - Drumset Daniel Kellar - Lead Fiddle Keiichi Hashimoto - Trumpet and Flugelhorn Listen to Spitwhistle there are 2 songs on the player below Visit Spitwhistle At Myspace Mickey Bones and Spitwhistle at Garageband.com 16 songs click link below |
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