Spicy band: Red Beans and Rice Combo coming to Ellwood
ELLWOOD CITY ― On Saturday, Red Beans and Rice Combo is bringing a big helping of hot New Orleans jazz to the Ellwood City Community Plaza stage.
The multi-talented group is also serving up a generous side of wit and humor.
The sharply dressed, fun-loving group with Tom Roberts on the piano, Dave Klug on the drums and Wayno, vocalist, who plays the harmonica and ukulele, have been together for seven years. They bring New Orleans with a dash of jazzy Tin Pan Alley.
Spokesman Roberts said there is no leader. He describes them as a cooperative with no ego.
The group plays rhythm and blues, music from the '40s to the '70s that they call rocking rhythm and jazz, the songs of Chuck Berry, Nat King Cole and Jerry Lee Lewis, Mose Allison, Tom Waits, Slim Galliard and Louis Jordan.
"We want people to return to being happy. We are very seirous about creating happiness to those who see us. It is easy to create anger and hate. We are serious about creating joy," Roberts said.
The group is also serious about their music, recently rehearsing more than four hours on one song to get it right.
Roberts was described by JazzBeat Magazine as "one of the finest pianists today in the exciting Harlem stride piano style."
After living and playing in New Orleans, Roberts brings an authentic vibe to the plaza stage.
Roberts has toured Europe, lived and played in New York City including the 92nd Street Jazz Lounge, performed on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, The Statler Brothers Show on TNN, performed and arranged music for Martin Scorsese's film "The Aviator."
He has also arranged music for a number of pieces for Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for a concert of the music of Louis Armstrong in October 2006.
"All my life goals are accomplished. I've met all my heroes," Roberts said.
Wayno is a cartoonist and illustrator, pop artist, writer and musician whose name is in fact a registered trademark. Wayno is the daily cartoonist for Bizarro, which is syndicated internationally in more than 350 newspapers. His humorous illustrations have appeared in "The New Yorker," "The New York Times", "Entertainment Weekly" and "Pittsburgh Magazine."
Dave Klug is an illustrator for magazines and newspapers including "The New York Times," "The Wall Street Journal," "Barron's," "Time' and many others.
Recently, Klug was the illustrator in the courtroom for the Tree of Life killer's trial.
With his wife, Pat, they have Double Dog Studios in the former rectory of St. Joseph German Catholic Church in Carnegie. They have turned the four-story 8,000-square-foot building into art galleries, workshops and a spacious kitchen for guest chef dinners and wine tasting.
The three men combine their musical talent to make music as Red Beans and Rice Combo just to make you smile.
"Smile. Be happy," Roberts said.
What: Red Beans and Rice Combo
Where: Ellwood City Community Plaza
When: 7 p.m. Aug. 12. Remember to bring a chair.
Information: In case of rain the concert will be in Lincoln High School Auditorium
A comfort station is available. Handicapped parking is available. Beaver Avenue is blocked off but it is available for parking.
The concert series is hosted by Ellwood City Community Enrichment and supported by corporate, business and individual donations.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Red Beans and Rice Combo latest to hit Ellwood City stage
