The Kitchen Syncopators
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The Kitchen Syncopators were born in 1998 out of love for old southern music and necessity by Gill Landry and Woodrow Pines while they starved, sharing floor space in a tool shed in rainy western Oregon. They spent the next few years cutting their teeth on the streets of New Orleans not so starving, and sharing floor space in a one bedroom shotgun in the 9th Ward, heading to the west coast in the summers for the kinder weather, and easy living in the open air. Joined the next year by their old friends Bob Scarecrow and Charlie Bean from previous ensembles, they have evolved into their own sound with a blend of rural and urban oldtime string band, blues, ragtime, jazz, and jug band music and have since built quite a name and following for a few hobos. In the last few years Ryan Donahue and Slim Nelson have been performing and recording with the band in New Orleans and occasionally on the west coast.
[edit] Members
Gill Landry / Frank Lemon/ Lawrence Talbot:
Gill Landry was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He's played guitar and sang with the Syncopators since 1998 as Frank Lemon. He's been playing under Gill Landry in a project of his original material backed by Ryan, Scarecrow and some other folks. He spends his spare time making short films about Chinatown bathrooms and practicing western shamanism from mossy Spanish rooftops.
Bob Scarecrow:
Inspired by the scratchy sounds of 78's played on his ol handcrank Grafonola, Bob Scarecrow was definitely born in the wrong century. Playing brass washboards with rusty cans, washtub, and banjo, he joined the Syncopators in Yazoo City, 99.
Charlie "S.S. TUB LIGHTNIN'" Bean:
Charlie Bean met up with the Syncopators in 2000 while miming on Royal St. as Charlie Chaplin. Nicknamed Tub Lightnin' he is currently playing piano in the band and captain of the Great White Wonder.
Slim Nelson:
Slim Nelson, born in Little Rock, Arkansas. Spent the early 90's in Chicago playing electric blues. He moved to New Orleans in '95 where he started another blues band. He's been playing electric and acoustic blues guitar and harmonica in and around New Orleans. Joined the Kitchen Syncopators in 2001. He is currently making upright bass out of gastanks and mufflers from flooded New Orleans cars.
Ryan Donahue:
Ryan Donahue is a musician virtuoso, living in New Orleans, LA . He's played upright bass and guitar with the Syncopators since 2000. As a performer he has toured extensively throughout the states and Europe. He is currently in Croatia riding his bike in preparation for the next Tour de France. He's still playing with the Syncopators, Gill Landry, and several other bands.
Paul Kemnitz:
Paul Kemnitz is a El Salvadorian from Milwaukee. He recorded tub bass on the Syncopators first record in New Orleans.
Woodrow Pines:
Woodrow Pines started the Syncopators with Gill in 1998 but left the band in 2002 hoping for a brighter more independent future.
