Artist description No frills, no gimmicks - just straight-up song-oriented blues-based rock 'n' roll. Heavy emphasis on memorable melodies and interesting lyrics. Arrangements dominated by strong vocal harmonies and blistering guitar interplay.

Music Style Blues/Roots Rock/Country Rock

Musical Influences Otis Redding, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson, Mississippi John Hurt, Lightnin' Hopkins, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Grateful Dead, Chris Whitley, Carlos Santana

Similar Artists The Allman Brothers Band, The Rolling Stones, Santana, The Black Crowes

Artist History 1993: Keith Bartow and Guy Tino begin writing songs together. 1994: Bartow and Tino hook up with Terry O'Grady and Butch Bochino and a drum machine to form the first incarnation of the band, originally christened "Automatic Slim"; quartet records a six-song demo with future Primrose Path drummer Jeremy "J Dog" Ellman before finding Dan "Fatback" Cusack to fill the role full-time. 1995: Cusack exits; nine-song demo recorded with new drummer Bob Lussier; band starts playing extensively around the Connecticut club scene. 1996: following a tip and a bit of detective work, band renames itself "The Providers" and starts playing with some frequency at The Back Fence & Kenny's Castaways in Greenwich Village and Koyote Kate's in Manhattan. 1997: Bochino exits; band appears with They Might Be Giants and The Gravel Pit at Kenyon College Summer Send-Off with Nolan Voss on bass, after which Lussier exits; Jim McCarthy signs on and quickly departs; Mike Conlin replaces him but soon leaves along with Voss; Craig Tiedeman and Tom Kapteina become the new rhythm section. 1998: quintet records the first full-length Providers CD project "Open For Business" over a six-month period; open for Roomful Of Blues at Toad's Place in New Haven, CT in November. 1999: band makes two jaunts to Kenyon College, playing with The Healers in January and with De La Soul and The Slip at Summer Send-Off in May; also opens for Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, and Roomful of Blues and Eight To The Bar at Toad's Place; Kapteina exits in December; "Open For Business" CD officially released by year's end. 2000: Tiedeman exits; songs from the CD garner airplay on numerous college, triple-A and Internet radio stations; Jayson Baker and Don Fudge enter as the new section in March; band opens for The Radiators and Johnny Winter at Toad's Place. 2001: band records its second CD between March and September with Chuck Chesler on keyboards. 2002: band plays two gigs, calls it quits in March.

Group Members Guitars, mandolin, banjo, percussion, vocals - Keith Bartow; guitars, vocals - Terry O'Grady; vocals, percussion, harmonica, occasional guitar - Guy Tino; bass - Butch Bochino, Nolan Voss, Craig Tiedeman, Jayson Baker; drums - Dan Cusack, Bob Lussier, Jim McCarthy, Mike Conlin, Tom Kapteina, Don Fudge; keyboards, mandolin, accordion - Chuck Chesler.

Instruments vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, drums

Albums Open For Business, Roots & Blues

Press Reviews "Bluesy artistry." - Philip Innes, The Fairfield County Weekly (September 23, 1999). "The band can jam, and the music on their LP pulls you in for a worthwhile and thoughtful ride." - David Friedman, The Danbury News-Times (January 21, 2000). "['Relent' is] the kind of song that makes you want to break up with your lover just so you can have make-up sex." - Stefanie Ramp, The Fairfield County Weekly (March 8, 2000).

Location Brookfield, CT - USA

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