Artist description 4 piece rock band.

Music Style Rock

Musical Influences Bob Dylan, Replacements, Etta James, Jackie Wilson, anyone with soul.

Similar Artists Melisa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, Vonda Shepard

Artist History The heart of Christine Ohlman, a/k/a Rebel Montez', has belonged to rock n' roll from just about the time she could walk and talk. By the time she traveled from Boston to New York on an overnight train to make her first record at the age of 16, writing the "B" side on the way to the studio, she was already a veteran of the local coffeehouse circuit around New Haven, Connecticut. "The first guy who ever signed me flew down from New York City to hear the band; he signed us the same day," she says. "We were in the studio practically before we knew what hit us recording a version of Al Kooper's "Wake Me, Shake Me." The next thing we knew, we were on the charts and I was in heaven!"Christine was a founding member of The Scratch Band (G.E. Smith, Paul Ossola, Robert Orsi and Mickey Curry), legendary throughout the Northeast for their incendiary and eclectic live shows. The band released two LP's: the first was picked up by Decca and EMI worldwide, with Christine's stark piano-accompanied version of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want To Be With You" becoming a turntable hit in the U.K. Beginning in September 1991, a portion of The Scratch Band reunited in the studios of NBC's Saturday Night Live with Christine joining guitarist/vocalist/musical director G.E. Smith and bassist Paul Ossola, both former Scratch Band members, in the Saturday Night Live Band.The 11-member group, featuring in its repertoire a heavy dose of Christine's favorite music--southern soul--took the stage (joined by Ry Cooder, Steve Cropper and Maceo Parker) as the house band for The 1994 Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Awards, a performance that was, in Ohlman's words, "just about the biggest flat-out thrill of my life. We were doing 'Tell Mama' and I looked around to catch Steve Cropper's eye only to spot Clarence Carter, who wrote the song, standing in the wings waiting to come on. I thought -- well, it just doesn't get much better than this" (although she admits that the 2003 Central Park Summerstage Tribute To Janis Joplin, where she fronted both Big Brother & The Holding Company and the Kozmic Blues Band, and the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Tribute Concert, where she sang with George Harrison and Chrissie Hynde, among others, edges out everything for sheer historical vibe). Leader, Christine Ohlman & The Soul Rockers From 1982-1985 Vocalist, The Saturday Night Live Band 1991-92 to present / 1995-96 - studio pre-recording & live performances Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez 1987 to present.

Group Members Larry Donahue: Drums,Eric Fletcher: Guitar,Michael Colbath: Bass,Christine Ohlman: Vocals and Guitar

Instruments Drums, Guitar, Bass, Vocals

Albums Strip (TNA Records), Wicked Time (TNA Records), The Hard Way (TNA Records), Radio Queen (TNA Records)

Press Reviews Taken From TODAY - London - October 13, 1995Andrew's crazy over Christineby John ClarkeWHEN ex-Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham calls you to tell you how wonderful an unknown American girl singer is - then you take notice.After all, this is the man who once took a full page ad out in the music papers at his own expense just to tell the world what a great record You've Lost That Loving Feeling by the Righteous Brothers was. And he could be on the right track again with Christine Ohlman, a blue-eyed blonde with the vocal talents of a Bonnie Raitt crossed with Janis Joplin. "I first met and was knocked out, as I continue to be, by Christine and her producer Thomas 'Doc' Cavalier when I lived in Connecticut," he said last week. "I have no interest in her other than love and respect," he added. And with songs on her album The Hard Way (Deluge) like Edge Of The World, A Shot Of You and the bluesiest version of Love Is All Around you're ever likely to hear, you can see why it's a respect that she deserves. The only shame is that until some enterprising UK label can pick up the rights, the record is only available on import.Taken From Playboy Magazine, December 1995 IssueMusic Sectionby Charles M. YoungThe Hard Way is by Christine Ohlman, and the first thing you notice is her tough, rousing, sexy voice. The second thing you notice is that she can write songs with booming choruses you want to sing along with the first time you hear them. The third thing you notice is that she's on this really small label (did the majors give up on blues rock?) and deserves a bigger audience.

Location New Haven, Connecticut - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).