An Evening of Fun and Frolic

The Todalo Shakers play vintage jug band party blues and old time rags & stomps which sound like they are lifted right out of 1928 in Memphis, Tennessee. The band features lots of harmony vocal arrangements, making for a rich and funky palette of vocal blends and a great feeling of camaraderie; the exuberance and fondness that the musicians feel for their material and for each other is unmistakable. Mix in hot ragtime tunes on fiddle and mandolin plus virtuoso bass slap solos, and the party really gets going!

Suzy Thompson has long been known for her bluesy fiddling and powerful vocals; she is the fiddler of choice for Jim Kweskin & Geoff Muldaur; Del Rey, and has also worked with Maria Muldaur, Dave Alvin, Laurie Lewis and Peter Rowan.

Eric Thompson (playing mostly mandolin in the Todalo Shakers) began exploring the country blues in the 1960s with Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions (with Jerry Garcia and Pigpen) and more recently in his work with such artists as David Nelson, David Grisman and Jody Stecher. The Thompsons are based in Berkeley, California.

Frannie Leopold guitarist/vocalist (Mendocino) has toured and recorded the Delta Sisters and the Balkan Kafe Orchestra, and is a perennial favorite instructor at many West Coast music camps including Lark in the Morning and California Coast Music Camp.

Bruce “WB” Reid (Seattle) sings and plays a rare vintage 6-string banjo-guitar (affectionately known as “the enforcer”) with the Todalo Shakers. WB spent part of his twenties hanging out in San Diego with bluesman Sam Chatmon, of the legendary string band the Mississippi Sheiks. He has toured and recorded with the Tallboys (Seattle’s hottest oldtime string band), with the Carolina Jug Stompers and with his wife, Bonnie Zahnow.

Matt Weiner upright bass (Seattle) boasts a distinguished resume including stints with the Asylum Street Spankers, Hot Club of Cowtown, Wayne Horvitz, Danny Barnes and Becky Kilgore. His bowed bass evokes the sound of the jug or tuba, and his slap bass solos are always a highlight of a Todalo Shakers performance!

Roots & All is a radio show produced for KZYX & Z in Mendocino County, CA. Show host, Jeff Zolitor, has a long history of producing live folk & roots events, and brings his eclectic mix to the airwaves every Tuesday afternoon from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, on KZYX & Z. Roots & All Live! is the instrument with which Jeff produces live music shows on the Mendocino coast.