PETER TORK AND
SHOE SUEDE BLUES
Long
before Peter Tork became a legendary part of the pre-fab pop-star
phenomenon known as the “The Monkees”, he was a well-respected
musician/artist in the burgeoning New York folk and blues scene.
Peter’s talent as a multi instrumentalist (bass, guitar,
keyboard, banjo and french horn) made him much in demand as a
sideman/back-up artist.
Peter knocked around for several hungry years in the mid-60’s,
hanging and playing with the likes of such legendary musicians as
John Phillips, Steven Stills, Dave Van Ronk, Van Dyke Parks,
Arthur Lee, and the list goes on.
Then there was that fatal call in June 1965 that would change his
life forever. His friend and confidante, Steven Stills, had just
auditioned for a new TV show centering on 4 young musicians in a
wacky rock band known as "The Monkees". Steven told the
producers he knew of a person who really fit the bill. Suffice to
say … Peter aced the audition and the rest is pop-history.
Peter was never satisfied with pre-fab rock fame, and even at the
Monkee’s pop-star heights, never forgot his roots as an artist
or a starving musician looking for a gig. He was always out
jamming with bands and learning about music that mattered. Even
legend, Jimi Hendrix, took Peter under his expansive wing, calling
him “The most talented Monkee.” That is high praise for a
musician whose vision of folk-blues refuses to die.
Describing Peter's band is like trying to describe immaculate air.
Richard Mikuls, John Palmer and Arnold Jacks have played with some
of the most influential recording artists of the last 50 years,
such as: Ray Charles, BB King, Ronnie Dawson, Chaka Kahn, Wanda
Jackson ... you get the idea.
With Peter’s band of seasoned pros, Shoe Suede Blues delivers a
heart-felt soulful, unforgettable mixture of their vision of what
music and songwriting is all about.
Peter Tork and Shoe Suede Blues remind us all that the soul of
music lives on.
