Smokin Roots
Blending of Bluegrass, Rock, Blues, Alt-Country and Cajun
4
songs
59
plays
I Don't Know I Don't Know
I still don't the answer..where it all comes from and where it all goes..
Magnolia Landing Magnolia Landing
A love story on the river. Just a guy talking about seeing his love and dancing the Trinity River Stomp!
SMOKIN' ROOTS is some pumphandle smack dab music! One thing for sure these guys like to make noise...noises like hill country rock kicked up by down south blues smackin' into a fat patch of bluegrass with Cajun seasoning.Band/artist history
SMOKIN' ROOTS
Allen Big AlVanBlarcum - Born in Oak Cliff, Texas. Big Al played his first public gig in 1983. Since then he has played in The Same Difference, Purple Geckos, Upper Under-ground String Band, The Rounders, The Tenner Shoe River Boys, Full Tilt Boogie and guest player with the Bluebonnet Plague..
His Tenner Shoe River Boys stint was perhaps his most noted role. The musical comedy trio included Al on guitar, Greg Jackson on banjo and Ron Green on bass, As Jackson put it, they were "the tallest trio in Texas" (the shortest member of the band was 6'2"). TRB shared bills with Merle Haggard, Asleep at the Wheel, Garth Brooks, Buck Owens and Brave Combo among many others at venues around the DFW area.
The bands high water mark came with a performance of "The Ballad of Clayton Williams" to Ann Richards during her gubernatorial campaign.TRBs unique sartorial flair featured a black tuxedo from the waist up and swim suits and tennis shoes from the waist down.
Big Al and David Giddens (former member of The Bluebonnet Plague) began forming a new group that would blend bluegrass with cajun, blues, folk, country and rock with a rural favor and multi-instrumentation. That is the genesis for Smokin Roots.
David Giddens - Raised in Houston in the 60s, David grew up on the same radio fare as most of Space Citys kids, including Motown and Stax Records artists, South Texas rock and the Rolling Stones. (the Beatles were wildly popular, but Houstons young seemed to gravitate more to the Stones sound.) A move to North Texas in1967 introduced him to Buck, Porter, Dolly, Patsy, Bob Wills and Webb Pierce and the whole country lounge lizard scene and eventually, folk, bluegrass and country blues.
At 16 he bought an old Kay dreadnaught for $5 from a psychotic ex-Marine DI whose life mission was to beat Jesus into everyone that wasnt as big as him. David took his revenge on Brother Larry by trying to mimic Bob Dylan (which some say was a tragic mistake) as well as John Lee Hooker and Gram Parsons.
1975 found him in South Louisiana working as a DJ for country radio station KCIL 107FM. Initially a sensation, David gained a big following among Houmas counter-culture. But after starting out in prime afternoon drive time, his casual disregard for the proscribed playlist got him bumped down to post-drive evenings. He wound up on the 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. slot right before Cousin EJs Cajun show.
After a year living in New Orleans David headed back down the bayou and occasionally played with informal pickup bands. He had lessons on pedal steel from a local legend down in Chauvin (his first name was Forestt, no not that one), and spent his sparse off- hours trying to emulate the styles of Lightnin Hopkins, Taj Mahal, David Bromberg and Leo Kottke late at night, pulling in the week signal from WWNO in New Orleans.
Back in Texas David worked his way into the live music scene and served a short-lived stint with a band called The Red Derangers ( each of the band members drove red vehicles). Shortly he discovered the regular Thursday night bluegrass jam at Arlingtons Tanstaafl Pub, where he became a regular. The engine that powered those jam sessions consisted the brother/sister duo, Greg (world class Dobro player and guitarist) and bass player A Kathleen Jackson. David turned to Greg to radically redevelop his guitar style and the rudiments of bluegrass Dobro, and the low-down on performing. David later worked with Kathleen in the Bluebonnet Plague and also met Big Al VanBlarcum, a frequent cohort of the Jacksons in previous years. After a Plague gig one freezing night in East Texas in 2011, Al laid out the initial idea for the Smokin Roots.
David Roberson A native of Wichita Falls, David grew up on the sound of Texas Radio and has stayed involved in music throughout his life. He started on drums in junior high school and stayed with it through high school and college at the University of Texas at Arlington. As a trained drummer and percussionist he is also a three-year member of the Arlington Community Band playing tympani.
Some of Davids favorite players include Neil Peart from Rush, Billy Cobham, the late John Bonham, Danny Seraphine of Chicago, Ron Bushy of Iron Buttefly and or course Buddy Rich. He is partial to Texas alternative country, bluegrass, Cajun, jazz and rock & roll.
David's motto is Have drums will travel.
Steve Moore Born in Dallas but raised all over the world in a US Air Force family, bass player Steve Moore is the other half of Smokin Roots rhythm section. He began playing the guitar while living in Germany in the early 60s, when the sounds of the British music scene were broadcast over Radio Luxembourg. Groups like The Shadows, The Kinks, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones were a staple and he .picked up the bass early on. Years of traveling and playing has made him a formidable presence in the Smokin Roots. With influences as diverse as California surf, Motown, Texas blues and LA country, His love of music has developed a well-defined, driving and vibrant style. A veteran of innumerable groups no one has heard of, Steve has found a home with the Smokin Roots. On the first night that Steve played with the Smokin Roots another musician also showed up to play bass. That was Sterling Z.
Sterling Z appeared that night after being given the wrong address for the previous jam session. He sat on the side listening to Steve play bass. After awhile David Giddens being a good host asked if he played guitar, of course he did and how! Sterling quickly settled in on lead guitar playing his black Strat. Here was a great compliment to David's Telecaster played with a finger picking style with Sterling wheeling off searing riffs dancing on his pedal board. All we know is that he used to be with fairly well known band, which one he'll never say. Little is known of his past, he's a mysterious figure but when you play like that.. no questions asked.Have you performed in front of an audience?Yes we are a band that loves to play LIVE gigs. We have played Clubs, Restaurants, Bars and even some theater played a gig for The Hip Pocket Theater production of "Moby Dick".
Your musical influences
The one band that started the idea for the group came from seeing The Gourds and listening to them. A lot of different bands and artists have influenced our music Wilco, Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo, Riders of the Purple Sage, The Byrds, The Band, Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, Old and in the Way, The Grateful Dead, etc.What equipment do you use?
Fender, Gibson, Mackie, Shure, Epiphone, GK, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Brazos Mandolin, Dunlop Drums, MXL, M-Box, Protools.Anything else?
Smoke 'em if you got 'em!Contact
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