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Rich MacPherson, a/k/a
“Filthy Rich”
Rich has played on stages
from Maine to Florida, including The House of Blues in Boston, The
Stanhope House in New Jersey and Manny’s Car Wash and Chicago B.L.U.E.S.
in New York City. He’s shared the stage with blues greats including;
Homesick James, William Clarke, Snooky Pryor, Little Sammy Davis,
Jimmie Lee Robinson, Pinetop Perkins, Bobbie Blue Bland, Jimmy Dawkins,
Honeyboy Edwards, James Cotton and Big Jack Johnson. He and the
Poor Boys are featured on a live recording
by Homesick James.
“What am I doing playing
music popular 40 years ago?” asks MacPherson. “I think it just feels
comfortable to me and it’s the sound I like. It’s still a form you
can put yourself into and express yourself. I like the stories it tells.
It’s still relevant to me and to everybody.” That may be true, but
it’s Rich’s style and talent that keeps audiences coming back to
hear Filthy Rich and the Poor Boys. Rather than pounding away at
listeners, as many of today’s musicians tend to do, Rich understands
that good musicianship and restraint are essential. “If it gets too
loud, it can kill the creativity,” he says.
Rich is at home entertaining
audiences of all ages and frequently leaves the stage to get up close
and personal. Whether delighting a group of young women with his
titillating guitar antics, or encouraging a group of small children to
strum his guitar during a song, Rich adapts his performance to be in
tune with his audience.
Off stage Rich MacPherson is
a quiet man of few words, but put a guitar in his hands, and strap
yourself in. If you’ve never heard him play, you’re in for a treat.
“Hey, “nuf said,” says Filthy Rich. “Give us a listen. We know you’ll
be satisfied.”
Ken Nerbak, a/k/a “Big
Boy Kenny”
Bassist Ken Nerbak, AKA “Big
Boy Kenny,” grew up in Bayonne where as a youngster, his musical
career began playing the accordion (polka anyone?). Ken recalls his late
mother prodding him to play the bass. “I never knew if she was
serious, because the only bass back then was a big old upright wooden
dog house.” He wanted no part of that!
All the while Ken was
listening to some of the greats in Blues Roots music on WNJR am radio.
This is where his passion for the blues was imbued. The strong rhythms
and soulful lyrics strengthened his commitment to some day play this
music.
During a two-year hitch in
the U.S. Army, Ken learned his first three guitar chords and was hooked
on string instruments. He played guitar in a few “garage” bands and
developed his sense of rhythm. He was even lucky enough to sit in with
the late Roy Buchanan who was playing with some friends at a club in
Camden, New Jersey.
Ken finally took his music
seriously enough to study theory privately for six years. His instructor
introduced him to the big band sound and invited him to join Swing Time
a sixteen-piece band where he spent seven years playing electric bass.
Many of the arrangement were blues compositions, particularly the Duke
Ellington pieces. “This was the best training I ever received,” says
Ken.
Longing for club work, Ken
took over the bass duties with Wreckless Abandon, and later moved on to
Roadside Louie and the Dusters and Johnny Charles. Appearances with
Homesick James, James Cotton, Honey Boy Edwards, Pinetop Perkins, Jimmy
Dawkins, Magic Slim and the Teardrops, David Maxwell, Snooky Pryor and
Luther Guitar Junior Johnson gave Ken the opportunity to sharpen his
skills by playing with these great blues artists.
Ken always toyed with the
idea of learning to play acoustic/upright bass but says, “I was
intimidated by the challenge of mastering a fretless instrument.” But
when the opportunity arose in 1995 to purchase a 1953 Kay, Ken decided
that maybe his mother was right, that it was time to make the leap of
faith and learn to play the “bull bass.”
Today Ken can been heard on
electric bass and upright. His love of the blues and the pure joy he
experiences playing for an audience are obvious every time he takes the
stage with Filthy Rich and the Poor Boys.
David Sang, a/k/a “Blind
Dave”
David Sang grew up on Long
Island, New York listening to music and learning how to play drums at an
early age. Blues became his musical choice of direction. Prior to
playing with "Filthy Rich," David was drumming with various
bands in swamp houses throughout the tri-state area. David started
playing and became a founding member of Filthy Rich and the Poor Boys
around 1990. He knew he had found a musical partner in Rich when
on their first gig, Rich and David knocked back a shot of whiskey, Rich
stepped to the microphone and greeted the audience by saying "hey
you X!X@?!XX."
David has had the honor of drumming for Snooky Pryor,
Homesick James, Honeyboy Edwards, Steve Guyger, Little Sammy Davis,
Jimmy Dawkins, Pinetop Perkins and Jimmie Lee Robinson and has appeared
on the bill with many other great musicians.
Says David; "Executing a greasy, seamless, dynamic
groove and maintaining a sensitive approach to backing up the bandleader
is what is important to me musically. My goal is to always focus on
trying to make the bandleader and band sound great."
David continues to enjoy playing his deep blues with Filthy
Rich and the Poor Boys. |
