NRBQ
Biography NRBQ
NRBQ
American rock band, formed in 1967 in Miami, Florida. The band's full name is New Rhythm and Blues Quartet or Quintet. NRBQ covered a wide range of rock music, from rockabilly to Beatles-style pop and jazz.
On their first album, "NRBQ" (Columbia, 1989), the group consisted of Frank Gadler (vocals, percussion), Steve Ferguson (guitar, vocals), Terry Adams (keys, harmonica, recorder, vocals), Jody St. Nicholas aka Joey Spampinato (electric bass), and G.T. or Tom Staley (drums).
Donn Adams (tb) appeared on three of the 14 songs. The same musicians, along with guest Carl Perkins (vocals, guitar), recorded the second LP, "Boppin' The Blues" (Columbia, 1970). The third album, "Scraps" (Kama Sutra, 1972), featured a new guitarist, Al Anderson.
That same year, another album, "Workshop" (Kama Sutra, 1972), was released, featuring the band with horns. From 1974 onward, the core of NRBQ consisted of Terry Adams (keyboards, percussion, organ, vocals), Al Anderson (guitar, vocals), Joey Spampinato (electric bass), and Tom Ardolino (drums). Horn players were often brought in for recordings and/or performances.
By 1994, around 15 more albums had been released in this way. In the following ten years, more than ten albums followed with a slightly different lineup. On April 30 and May 1, 2004, the band celebrated its 35th anniversary with concerts at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Former NRBQ members also participated. At the end of 2004, the band took a break because Terry Adams was diagnosed with throat cancer. Adams' health quickly improved, and he toured with the Japanese rockabilly group Hot Shots.
The other band members were also involved in projects outside of NRBQ. NRBQ also released several compilation albums over the years. In 2011, NRBQ reformed, and a new NRBQ album, "Keep This Love Goin'" (Clang!, 2011), was released.
Since then, more than half a dozen additional albums have been released. The band's album count now totals around 40. In addition, there have been nearly a dozen compilations or reissue packages. The most comprehensive, with five CDs, was "High Noon - A 50-Year Retrospective" (Omnivore, 2016).
