MIKE CRAVER, BILL HICKS, and JIM WATSON
with
JOE NEWBERRY
Bill Hicks and Jim Watson, along with Tommy Thompson founded the Red Clay Ramblers in 1972. Mike Craver joined in 1973. For the next decade these talented musicians toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia and Africa. They appeared frequently on Garrison Keillor's A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION, acted and played in two Off-Broadway shows (DIAMOND STUDS, Sam Shepard's A LIE OF THE MIND)-- and released albums on the Flying Fish and Sugar Hill labels. In the early 80s, Watson, Craver and Thompson released a highly acclaimed album of Carter Family songs titled MEETING IN THE AIR.
Co-founder and banjo player Tommy Thompson passed away in early 2003, after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Bill and Jim and Mike had all left the band by 1986, but they still get together and play music, these days joined by Joe Newberry on banjo and vocals.
Bill, the founding fiddler of the Red Clay Ramblers, was before that a member of the Fuzzy Mountain String Band, and appears on their two Rounder LPs (reissued in 1995 as a Rounder CD). After leaving the Ramblers in 1981, he began playing music with his wife, Libby, and working as a stone mason in Chatham County, NC, where they live. Bill and Libby have a CD on the Copper Creek label, SOUTH OF NOWHERE. Bill and Libby also played for seven years in the Cajun-Zydeco band Unknown Tongues. Bill writes songs and produced a live solo CD of his songs, THE PERFECT GIG, in 2002.
Jim currently tours with Robin and Linda Williams in Their Fine Group. Jim has released three solo CDs: DON'T TELL ME I DON'T KNOW, WILLIE'S REDEMPTION, and his most recent THIS WORLD WOULD ALL BE SUNSHINE. Jim, who also performs with the Green Level Entertainers, has ushered in the Christmas season for 24 straight years with his holiday show at the Cave in Chapel Hill. Before the Red Clay Ramblers, Jim recorded with the Hollow Rock String Band on their second LP.
(l-r: Joe Newberry, Mike Craver, Jim Watson, Bill Hicks. Photo by Daniel Coston. For higher resolution and more photos).
Mike has worked in musical theater since leaving the Ramblers. He co-wrote the Off Broadway musicals OIL CITY SYMPHONY, and RADIO GALS. He arranged the music for SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN and the sequel SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN HOMECOMING. He's released three solo records: FISHING FOR AMOUR, WAGONER'S LAD, and SHINING DOWN, and also collaborated with Clyde Edgerton on a musical version of Clyde's novel LUNCH AT THE PICCADILLY, and a recent "story/song" CD of THE BIBLE SALESMAN.
Joe Newberry grew up singing the old songs he learned from his family in the Ozarks, and is also known for his powerful banjo playing and deeply rooted songwriting. In addition to performing with Jim, Mike and Bill, he plays and sings with the old-time and early bluegrass stringband Big Medicine, and with mandolinist Mike Compton. His solo CD TWO HANDS has received glowing notices from reviewers and fans alike.
Craver, Hicks, Watson, and Newberry have made appearances at the Festival for the Eno, the Artscenter, the Six String Cafe, Southern Village, the Cook Shack, Godfrey Daniels, the Carter Fold, the Down Home, and the Omagh Festival of American Music in Northern Ireland. They do selections from their individual CDs, classic ensemble songs, and fiddle and dance tunes from their early repertoire.
SOUND NEEDS: For performance the band requires four vocal mics on booms, three instrumental mics on booms, one line input or direct box for guitar (with pickup) and one line input or direct box for digital grand piano. In most cases the band needs to be supplied with a simple monitor system.
The band usually sets up, stage left to stage right, as follows:
#1 position: piano player [1 vocal mic on boom, 1 line input or direct box for digital piano, also we need a power supply/extension for keyboard too]
#2 position: banjo player [1 vocal mic on boom, 1 instrumental mic boom].
#3 position: mandolin player [1 vocal mic on boom, 1 instrumental mic on boom],
# 4position: fiddle/guitar player [1 vocal mic on boom, 1 mic on boom for fiddle, and 1 line input or direct box for guitar]
for inquiries: mcraver at ptmc dot net