In 2017, John Pittas (JP) and Andy Bernstein produced the first Andy B.AND solo effort, My Roots are Showing, recording original tunes in the style of the genres that influenced them. Positive press and worldwide airplay resulted, proving our strategy correct. So…I put together a small combo – the group that’s come to be known as SoulFolk. Its members – Gary Ambrosy, Paul Daloia, Bill Homeyer, Greg Stier - are music scene veterans. They... More
In 2017, John Pittas (JP) and Andy Bernstein produced the first Andy B.AND solo effort, My Roots are Showing, recording original tunes in the style of the genres that influenced them. Positive press and worldwide airplay resulted, proving our strategy correct. So…I put together a small combo – the group that’s come to be known as SoulFolk. Its members – Gary Ambrosy, Paul Daloia, Bill Homeyer, Greg Stier - are music scene veterans. They all play multi-instruments and sing as well. As Andy B.AND SoulFolk, we honed the sound and groove appearing at Light of Day WinterFest; Bourbon Street Music Festival; Delaware CanalFest; plus openers for The Fins and The Cyns. Performing the first CD’s songs with a smaller group necessitated changing the arrangements, which worked out quite well for most of the first recording’s tunes. As newer compositions were added to the group’s repertoire, these organically took on the smaller group sound. It was a live demo of Andy B.And SoulFolk that brought this music to the attention of Indie On Air (IOA) Records. They'rereleasing my new recording LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN on February 2019 With IOA’s encouragement, this new recording goes for an Americana roadhouse vibe. SoulFolk recorded all the rhythm tracks eyeball-to-eyeball live at JP’s Benet Avenue Underground studio with him back in the producer’s chair. Other than his keyboards, the few added instruments are all played by myself and the band. As with the earlier CD, my songwriting jumps around a variety of roots genres. For example: “Leavin’ Train” is pure blue-eyed soul while “The Way that Men Be” and “Another Cloudy Day” come out of country rock. “Justine” is a stab at neo-rockabilly. With “Master’s Ship” we took a folksong written for a 9/11 fundraiser and morphed it into a Band-like power ballad. In addition to my own songs, the collection includes my favorite American traditional song “Candyman.” It’s always a crowd pleaser at our performances. LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN rocks a roadhouse vibe that spans decades of bar-hopping and record party influences. The SoulFolk arrangements make the songs more muscular yet leave space for me to tell my little stories. And I have so many stories to tell. Less
Songwriter
Country, Alternative Country
Los Lobos, Van Morrison, John Prine, The Band, Hank Williams, Keb Mo, John Fogerty