Bonedog Records Keepin' Da Blues, R&B, and Funk Alive

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

Bonedog Records

Keepin' Da Blues, R&B, and Funk Alive

Bondedog Records releases new music from pioneering 20th century blues and soul artists along with recordings from contemporary artists who embrace those traditional genres. The sound of vintage blues, R&B and Funk are kept alive by Bonedog. The Mojo Boneyard Studios staffed by producer/engineer Jeff Ingersoll and a stable of crack veteran Pittsburgh instrumentalists is delivering great music with big fat horn sections, deep baritone sax, funky beats, tight bluesy rhythm guitar and cool Hammond organ riffs.  Fans across the world who love the music of Tower of Power Stax Records, and James Brown can rejoice in the music of Bonedog artists.   Old school musicians who began their recording careers in the 1950s are being heard again through Bonedog Records including Piney Brown, Tommy Brown, and Leon Daniels & the El Venos.  Contemporary artists Craig King, Guitar Shorty, Bobby Wayne, Eugene Morgan, Jimmy, Alder, Robert Peckman, Billy Price, Dwayne Dolphin, Larry Nath, James Hilton, the Mauranders and others have recorded and released on Bonedog.  Bonedog has released over 39 albums from 23 artists.   "Producer Jeff Ingersoll and his roster of dynamite musicians could make anybody sound good. Fabulous horns, tight rhythm sections and great studio sound typify the label’s output."  Dylann DeAnna -Review of Piney Brown's "One of These Days" CD in bluescritic.com   Founder Jeff Ingersoll   Jeff Ingersoll founded Bonedog Records and the Mojo Boneyard Recording Studio in McKeesport, Pa. in 1996. A native of Duquesne, Pa Ingersoll grew up in the Mon Valley listening to R&B, Soul and Blues on the radio shows of Porky Chedwick and Charlie Apple.  They turned Jeff into a lifelong fan of the music of Piney Brown, Tommy Brown, and the El Vinos. Ingersoll graduated from McKeesport High School in 1970 and began his career in the music industry working in concert production for promoter Danny Kresky and later Electric Factory Concerts.    Bad JuJu   Jeff Ingersoll became a performer playing bass guitar in several bands. He played in the band Bad Juju with guitarist Phil Butchelli, keyboard player Don Shriner of Swamp Rats fame, singer Gary Gentile formerly of the  Ignitors, and the Rhythm Kings first drummer Kurrt "Jr. Smoke" Steinle.  They appeared at the Decade and other area clubs from 1976 to 1978.  The Rhythm Kings    After Bad JuJu did a 1977 New Years Eve gig with the Rhythm Kings, Jeff Ingersoll and Phil Butchelli were recruited by sax player Chris Paterini to become members of the the Rhythm Kings in 1978.  The band's line up at time included Chris Paterini,  lead singer Bobby Wayne and baritone sax player John "Dr. Bad" Hogue.   The Rhythm Kings formed at Penn State in late the 1960s and moved to Pittsburgh in 1971.  The band had a horn section consisted of three to four saxophones and was fronted by lead singer Billy Price.  On stage they dressed like tough guy 1940s Jersey Shore street hoodlums in style of the J. Geils Band and Southside Johnny.  Pittsburghers thought that the Rhythm Kings were drugged addicted Vietnam-war veterans. They played retro rock 'n roll and jump blues. In the early 1970s they were the hottest band in Pittsburgh packing the Fox Café in Shadyside, the Evergreen Hotel, the Warehouse in Bethal Park and the Fat City Lounge.    Lead singer Billy Price left the band in 1972 to join the Roy Buchanan' Band, returned in.1974 and left again in 1976. The Rhythm Kings horn section recorded with Sweet Lightning on their 1974 RCA album release.  In April of 1975 Ahmet Ertegun, president of Atlantic records, came to Pittsburgh to audition the Rhythm Kings at a jam session at the Audio Innovators Studio.  He was not sold on the group. The Rhythm Kings opened for Roy Buchanan several times including shows at the Syria Mosque in December of 1975 and New York’s Carnegie Hall.  Bobby Wayne joined the band as lead vocalist from 1976 to 1978.  The Rhythm Kings horn section backed Robert Peckman’s band ‘Q’ on their 1977 hit single “Dancin’ Man” that reached number #23 on the Billboard charts with sales of over 600,000 copies.    The Rhythm Kings broke up in 1979 spawning several other bands.     Bon Ton Roulet   Ingersoll formed the band Bon Ton Roulette in 1980 with vocalist.Sharon Garland, keyboard player and ex-Houserocker Gil Snyder, guitarist Don Hollowood, drummer Ken Crisafalo, and sax players Chris Patarini and Mark McCollum. They played regularly at the Decade Club in Oakland. They were surprised one night at the Decade when Bruce Springsteen walked in to jam with them for one set. Three years later Jon Bon Jovi jammed with them at the Decade. Bon Ton Roulet's had their 15 minutes of national fame when the video of their song "Love and War" was aired on MTV's Basement Tapes program that was hosted by Frank Zappa. Singer Pat Scanga joined the band and recorded on their 1987 album "Big Game Hunter".  Ingersoll played with Bon Ton Roulett until 1989. Chris Paterini, Pat Scanga and Bad JuJu drummer Kurt Steinle joined Gary Belloma and The Blues Bombers after the break up of Bon Ton Roulet.   Bonedog Records and Mojo Boneyard Studio   Jeff became a recording engineer / producers in 1980 when he opened his first recording studio.  He worked on wide range of media projects such as jingles for large ad agencies, news theme music for KDKA TV, soundtrack music for a Westinghouse product film, and theme music WDUQ's 40th anniversary.  Ingersoll also recorded two albums: Bon Ton Roulet's "Big Game Hunter" and Phillip Harris' "Somebody Else's Dream".    Ingersoll opened Bonedog Records in McKeesport in 1996 and the Mojo Boneyard Recording Studio in 1997.  Drawing upon his years playing in bands he hired veterans musicians from the best of Pittsburgh funk and jazz fusion bands like sax players Kenny Blake, Robbie Klein, former Rhythm king members Ed Jonnet and Chris Paterini, and Hammond B-3 and keyboard player Fred Delu.   Ingersoll's goal for Bonedog Records is to record early blues artists and contemporary players of blues.  In an interview with Scott Mervis of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Jeff said.  "what I'm doing, is finding these guys who are neglected and getting some good music out of them, so they can tour behind it and make a few dollars. They're like the grandfathers to the music we're listening to today." Re-Discovering Piney Brown Bluesman Piney Brown who was born in Alabama in 1922, recorded R&B records in the mid 1940s and 1950s on the Apollo, King Duke and Sound Stage 7 record labels.  Browns' recordings of “Walk-a-Block and Fall” and You Bring out the Wolf" became classics sought out by record collectors around the world. Brown while working as a staff writer for King Records wrote the song "Popcorn" for James Brown. He also wrote for Roscoe Gordon and Little Milton.  Brown moved to Dayton Ohio in 1964 and disappeared from the national music scene.  In Ohio he helped the Ohio Players and the funk group Slave.  Interest in Brown's music was sparked in 2000 when the English magazine Juke published an in-depth feature story on him.  Brown appeared at blues festivals in Holland 2001 and 2002.  Delmark Records released a compilation CD of Brown's 1940s and '50s recordings.   Ingersoll, who had collected Piney Brown records since his teens, met his hero when Freddie Bohn of Attic Records brought Brown to Pittsburgh in 2002. During their meeting Brown and Ingersoll decide to make a new record.  Brown came to Boneyard Studio with demos of his arrangements.  Jeff supplied the musicians and backing vocalists.  The tracks were cut in two sessions. "My Task" released in 2003 is collection of contemporary, horn-driven blues, vocal jazz, hard funk and smooth soul songs.  Bonedogy released Piney Brown's “One of these Days” CD in 2006.  Music critic Mick Rainsford of Blues In Britain Magazine highly recommends the CD writing "Piney is still singing/shouting the blues with an emotional intensity and vigor that would shame artists forty years his junior....you have a set that is guaranteed to delight all lovers of 50’s blues and R&B."     Brown passed away on February 5th, 2009. Boneyard had captured the last recordings one of America's blues legends.   Remembering Tommy Brown   Ingersol became a fan of singer Tommy Brown as a teenager hearing the song "V8 Baby" on the radio shows of  Charlie Apple and Porky Chedwic. Tommy Brown came to fame in 1956 with his Billboard #1 hit "Weepin & Cryin" and his comedy records of the 1970's.  Tommy Brown throughout his career recorded for the record labels Savoy, Dot, King, United, RCA-Groove and Imperia labels.  In 2003 Ingersoll tracked down Brown in Atlanta and brought him to Boneyard Studio to record a new album "Remember Me".  Bonedog also recorded and released Tommy Brown’s 2009 release “Rockin’ Away My Blues”. Produced by Ingersoll the album features a powerful Pittsburgh horn section of sax players Robbie Klein and Kenny Blake and trumpeters Dan Donohoe and Joe Badaczewski.

The Music of Bonedog Records Bon Ton Roulet on MTV with Zappa The Rhythm Kings 1978 Bon Ton Roulet Piney Brown

Boneyard Records

Mojo Bone Yard Studios References

 

Local music to chew on from Bonedog Records -- Robert Peckman and Tommy Brown – Blues Notes Pittsburgh Post Gazette Community Voices Blog by Jim White 08 April 2010

 

Local Scene: Bonedog & Brown - By Scott Mervis Pittsburgh Post Gazette March 19, 2009

 

Larry Nath and "Live It" By Jim White / Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMay 15, 2008 

 

The Music Makers Mike Kalina Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Apr 23, 1975

Music Makers .By Mike Kalina .Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Mar 31, 1976

Billy Price Keeps The Rhythm Classic With Blues And Soul Pittsburgh Press - Jul 3, 1980

 

Pop Music Piney Brown's Blues by Scott Mervis Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Mar 9, 2006

 

A Veritable American Treasure - Piney Brown considered king of the blues by many Dayton Daily News August 17, 2003

Local Scene: Bonedog & Brown -Scott Mervis Pittsburgh Post Gazette March 19, 2009 

 

Pittsburgh Music History Email Correspondence with Phil Butchelli -Jan 2013

 

Phil "the Knight" Butchelli Myspace