Smokehouse Ramblers

The Smokehouse Ramblers are three Pennsylvania blues musicians who have formed an Acoustic Blues Trio for the purpose of have a great time and dishing out their own special brand of Foot Stompin', Butt Kickin', Rib Stickin', Good Time Acoustic Blues. They consist of Tom Malafarina, guitar, bass and vocals; Buddy Cleveland, harp and vocals and Steve Cocchi, guitar and vocals.

Way back in September 2004, three blues loving musicians, all busy and active in other area blues bands, decided to put together a very special side project. This band was to take the form of an acoustic-based, lighter-volume blues trio. The kind of band that you can listen to and enjoy while eating a fine meal and sharing dinner conversation with a few friends. The goal of the project was to provide quieter, soulful blues covers and original tunes to area restaurants, private parties and night clubs, while at the same time not forgetting the real reason for playing the blues which was just to have a passel of good fun.

Two of the “Smokehouse Ramblers” were already enjoying some local celebrity with the West Chester based band Voodoo Deville. They are harp wizard and Voodoo front man, Buddy “Pops” Cleveland. Also from Voodoo Deville, Steve Cocchi supplies vocals, keyboard, guitar, slide, drums and just about any other string instrument we can think of. As luck would have it, Buddy was doing some side harp work with the Reading based Dave Mell Blues Band with his good friend, blues singer/songwriter, Tom Malafarina, who agreed to team up with the boys and in addition to original songs, provides vocals, bass guitar and acoustic guitar to the trio.

These fellas figured with three lead vocalists all capable of providing harmonies, honest to goodness musicians with the ability to play a whole mess of different instruments, a bunch of radio friendly original tunes and an intense love for the blues, how could they possibly go wrong? So the three got together and recorded a few covers as well as some original tunes, sat back, took a listen and said “well roll me on the beach and call me Sandy, this stuff ain’t half bad.” And the rest is history.

The boys are in the process of recording a ‘home grown’ CD, engineered by the Ramblers’ own Steve Cocchi. They will be making it available to restaurant and club owners for promotional purposes, and for purchased either through the band’s web site or from band members at their gigs.

We play live at restaurants, bars, clubs and private parties where folks like a lower volume form of blues. Our premier gig was very memorable as we held the crowd all night and were immediately offered 7 repeat engagements.

Old blues, new blues, boogie, acoustic blues, electric blues you name it.