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With his band the "SPITFIRES" he performs a broad range of musical styles including Classic Rock and Roll, Rhythm & Blues, Swing, Jazz, Zydeco, Chicago, Jump and Country Blues, and a variety of popular and seasonal tunes plus his own originals to bring good times to music lovers of all ages. Choo Choo has played in a wide range of musical groups over the past 25 years in the mid-Atlantic region and in Europe. He resided in Germany for five years (1981-86) where he performed throughout western Europe and returned to perform for the Millennia 2000 New Year Eve at the Hotel La’ Sapiniere in Chamonix, France with the “German” SPITFIRES. |
My band CD Harpin My Life Away features 9 original songs and includes outstanding support from Daryl Davis (www.daryldavis.com), alumnus of Chuck Berry's band, Tom Lepson (www.tommylepsonband.com) on Hammond B-3 Organ, and Louisiana's own Geno Delafose on accordion. I also perform songs pre 1940 blues on my CD, GUTBUCKET BLUES of Delta, Piedmont, Texas and Ragtime style acoustic blues with singer and master finger picker and slide guitarist Baltimore "Red Jones".
Fall 2006 - planned double CD release of former band Loaded Roller -
A
Retrospective Studio and Live co-produced with Marc
Levant .
Summer 2004 to Summer/Fall 2006 - At Big House Recording Studio for
new CD
June 2004 to June 2006 - Performed on 3 songs on new CD release from
singer Nadine Rae and guitarist Rich Chorne.
Summer 2004 to Summer 2005 - Produced and released first CD - Love Me
with A Feeling for singer Liz
Briones .
Released as CD June 2002 - performed on 3 songs on the album by Stevie
"Guitar' Sparks and the Leisure Scientists" In the Blink of
an Eye" recorded at Wally Cleaver studios and produced by Peter
Bonta (cassette released June 1995).
December 1999 - Harpin’ My Life Away CD - Choo Choo Charlie and
the Spitfires band perform original blues, rockin’ blues, zydeco,
and jazz with support from Geno Delafose on accordion, Tom Lepson on Hammond
B-3 and Daryl Davis on piano and the Spitfire horns.
October 1999 - Gutbucket Blues CD, a second album of Delta, Piedmont and
Ragtime style acoustic blues in the folk tradition with singer and guitarist
Baltimore “Red Jones”
January 1995 - Video with Red Jones on Music Night Out cable TV show produced
by Fil Sibley.
April 1994 - "Rendezvous Ragtime" with Red Jones an album of
acoustic style blues.
December 1993 - "Goin' to Town"- all original rock, blues and
jazz album with his former band Loaded Roller and produced by Michael
Hamilton and mixed by Jim Fox of Lion and Fox Studio.
November 1993 - "Slippin Away" - Choo Choo's song was a finalist
in the Jazz/Instrumental category in the 1993 Songwriters of Washington
competition.
Performance Highlights: BBS' Alonzo's Memorial concert 2003 and 2001,
Hot August Blues with Scott Cunningham in 2003, Funky Pirate & House
of Blues in New Orleans with Big Al Carson - 2003, Mardi Gras Museum with
the Battiste Family Band - 2003, Steppingstone Museum Bluesfest 2003,
at the Texas Museum of Culture in San Antonio – 2003, Inner Harbor
Blues Cruise – 2003, DC Blues Festival at Carter Barron 2001, Baltimore
Book Fair 2000 and 1998, Baltimore Blues Festival 1996 & 97, Hot Sauce
Festival, SOWEBO Festival (SW Baltimore), D.C. Folk Festival, Southern
Maryland Traditional Music Association, Baltimore and Washington D.C.
blues societies' shows. With pal Stevie “Guitar” Sparks in
Maui and in Maryland and with past members of the Nighthawks.
Sitting in with guitar legend Magic Slim and the Teardrops and singer
Casey Jones in Chicago, with guitarist Sonny Rhodes, with Eddie Shaw and
the Wolf Gang, with Michael Hill and the New York Blues Mob, with Mark
Wenner and the Nighthawks, with zydeco great Roy Carrier. In Clarksdale,
Mississippi with Big George Brock (harp), Bobby Little (drums) and Johnny
Billington (guitar). With bluesharp masters Carey Bell, Phil Wiggins,
Charlie Sayles and Mark Hummel. With Archie Edwards and Ann Rabson. In
Brittish Columbia with jam master John Cronin and also with the Incognito
band. Ottawa with Canada's CBC folksinger and songwriter Wayne Rostadt.
Down on Beale Street in Memphis with pal and guitarist Red Jones and with
singer Liz Briones and the Spitfires. In Molsheim (France) Country Music
Festival and on French International Radio broadcasts, Stuttgart (Germany)
Volksfest with Kentucky Carl, Gettysburg, Shade Gap, Hershey and Supergrass
1980 bluegrass festivals with Still on the Hill, at the Deer Creek Fiddlers
Convention the Crabgrass. From the streets of Vienna to the high Alps
of Chamonix, France. From Handy Square in Memphis to clubs in Chicago.
From the Spanish Ballroom in Glen Echo, Md to Maryland Musician All-Star
jams. From Margaritaville in Key West to Sushi Blues in Kuwai. At Buddy
Guys Legends in Chicago, Panida Theater in Sandpoint, Idaho, State Theater
in VA, Recher Theater, Café Tattoo, Full Moon and 8 by 10 now the
Funk Box in Baltimore, Yale Hotel in Vancouver, Déjà Vu
in Montreal, Panorama Ski Lodger in B.C. and Bally’s Casino and
Double Down Saloon in Las Vegas, Mummers Museum in Philadelphia, Havana’s
in New Hope, PA, Tobacco Road in Miami, and many many others.
Opened for: singer/harmonicist Kim Wilson, rock guitarist Rick Derringer,
blues legend Clarence `Gatemouth' Brown, Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters
with Jerry Portnoy, Duke Robiliard, and Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
and for Handy Award winners John Cephas and Harmonica Phil Wiggins, Big
Jack Johnson and the Jelly Roll Kings, Louisiana Red and Carey Bell and
for the legendary zydeco performer Boo Zoo Chavis.
Regional - Choo Choo has performed with a virtual who's who of the top
local acts from the mid-Atlantic region including Big Jesse Yawn, Carl
Filipiak, Linwood Taylor, Persuaders, Rich Chorne', Tommy Lepson, Daryl
Davis, Ron Holloway, Professor Mac Walter, Jim Allison, Paul Bell, Steve
Jacobs, Larry Dennis, and Automatic Slim and many others including country
and bluegrass bands.
Charitable support - Benefits for capitol region Amyatropic Lateral Sclerosis
(ALS) Association, Herring Run Watershed Association, for the Chesapeake
Center for Youth Development Grant a Wish Foundation, Swing Dances for
Advocate's for Communication Technology for the Deaf and Blind (A.C.T),
for Homeless Shelters, for the inmates of the Montgomery County (Maryland)
Prison, for Maryland's Downs Syndrome and for musicians with serious health
problems.
Awards - 1994 - Choo Choo was the #2 ranked harmonicist behind Kixx frontman
Steve Whiteman in the Fall 1994 Mid-Atlantic Monthly annual music poll.
Summer 1991 - Winner of the Baltimore Blues Society regional blues contest
with acoustic blues guitarist and singer Red Jones. 1991, 1992, 1993,
1995 and 1996 selected as a Mid Atlantic Musician Allstar. Finalist in
the Jazz/Instrumental category in the Songwriters of Washington competition.
He has also received awards for his work in the field of public health
and is in Sterling's Who's Who of America (Executive Edition).
Management and Publishing - Crabgrass Music (BMI)
For additional information please contact me at:
13575 Highland Road
Clarksville, Maryland 21029
Telephone 301-526-4800
Email: info@choochoocharlie.com