Solid Air: Bio
Solid Air Bio - Background & Info
Solid Air is a music group based north of San Francisco, led by founders Allegra Broughton (vocals, guitar, songwriter), and Sam Page (vocals, bass, baritone slide guitar, co-writer), native Californians who have been performing together for twenty years at fairs, festivals, clubs, concert stages and coffeehouses.
They have eight albums to their credit, including their brand new (Aug. 2007) Grammy-nominated album on Jackalope Records, Solid Air: Allegra Broughton & Sam Page, and a featured song on Nina Gerber's new album (June 2007), "Good Music with Good People".
They both perform and record with other ensembles. Sam: Elvin Bishop 2004 Tour and album “Getttin’ My Groove Back” (Blind Pig), New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Hot Frittatas; Allegra: SoulJoy Gospel R’n’B Revue, Wild Catahoulas Cajun Dance Band.
Performing highlights: performing at the 2005 Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival, Sausalito Arts Festival, live radio shows on KRSH-FM, guest appearance with Elvin Bishop at the 2005 Millpond Festival in Bishop, CA, Tribute to Gram Parsons Show at the Mystic Theater.
2007 & 2006 nominations for Sonoma County's NORBAYS Awards (folk/acoustic) and a Grammy nomination for the new album Solid Air: Allegra Broughton & Sam Page; featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine Nov. 2007 (#179) and Jan.’95; a nomination for 1992 S.F. WAMMIES; Kerrville Music Festival Song Finalists 1989; continuous international radio airplay and rave reviews in publications worldwide.
Solid Air performs as an acoustic duo/trio as well as a four-piece fun-filled band with high energy vocals, stellar musicianship, top-notch original songs as well as classics by the Beatles, Van Morrison, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Chris Isaak, Patsy Cline, etc.
Sam Page - vocals,elec.& acoustic bass,baritone gtr
He also co-writes many of the songs, and plays both fretless & fretted electric bass, as well as both stand-up acoustic and electric upright bass. Whew! Born in Bishop, California and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and Oklahoma, Sam has been playing bass since he was a child, recording and performing in a wide variety of musical styles. Name a few? OK....
Solid Air - folk-rock/Americana
Elvin Bishop - blues
New Riders of the Purple Sage - psychedelic country-rock
Hot Frittatas - Italian/Euro Café music
Rancho All-Stars featuring Angela Strehli & Mike Duke - classic R'n'B
Wild Catahoulas - cajun/zydeco
Sarah Elizabeth Campbell - folk
Laughing Gravy - acoustic rock/Americana
Allegra Broughton - songwriter, vocals, guitar
Fourth generation Californian born in San Francisco, Allegra grew up with an opera-singing mother and a father who loved Mahalia Jackson, Miriam Makeba, and Noel Coward. She studied recorder, piano, and cello only to chuck it all for singing and playing guitar after Joni Mitchell appeared on the scene. She studied voice with Bobby McFerrin, and has performed in a variety of ensembles as well as having an enduring commitment to writing songs. Examples?
Solid Air - singer/songwriter - folk-rock/Americana
Wild Catahoulas - cajun/zydeco
SoulJoy - gospel R'n'B Revue
Laughing Gravy - acoustic rock, Americana
The Country All Stars - vintage country & western
John Salz - guitar, guitar, guitar
John has been playing incredible electric guitar with Solid Air since 1993. John has been a member of many great Sonoma County bands (Cayenne, Jerry Hertz Rent-a-Band, Kay Irvine). In addition to being a great songwriter and studio genius, he is known for his pithy onstage one-liners.
Rick Cutler - drums
Solid Air's main squeeze on the drums since 1992. Rick was a Rock God in the '70's on Elektra records with his band, Show of Hands. He has played with countless ensembles (Tommy Tutone, Rick & the Realtones, Pam's Country Jam, Michael Barclay). He rocks hard and steady at a full force gale or whisper-quiet volume.
Steve Barbieri - acoustic & electric guitars, vocals
Steve is the Ultimate Riffmeister - not only can he win any 50's-60's Rock'n'Roll trivia contest, he can sing & play all the right parts, too - just try to "Stump the Chump" with a request. Has recorded and performed with Pacific Coast Highway, the Chills, Pam's Country Jam, Danny Sorentino. Great singer, master of correct grammar, and King of rockabilly rhythm.
Vic Carberry - drums, percussion
Vic has played with Tommy Tutone, Pinocchio Vampire, Sarah Baker, and many, many others. He is easily the most physically fit of the entire Solid Air extended family. Frustrated by last year's single-plant corn harvest, he has moved boldly into tomato farming with tangible and tasty results.
Kendrick Freeman - drums, percussion
Kendrick has a stylistic range that encompasses the rhythms of Haiti, jazz, Celtic folk-rock and his excellent work with the Alison Brown Quartet and David Jacobs-Strain. He is also known for the antics of his alter-ego and reggae persona, Ras Creatin'.
Russ Gauthier - guitars, mandolin, fiddle, vocals
Russ is one of those guys who can play just about everything and sing well, too. Just not fair, is it? Russ joined the New Riders of the Purple Sage in 1982, has performed with and composed music for the Middle Eastern ensemble Light Rain, and does double duty as sound engineer and musician with the infamous band, California Zephyr. Oh, and he knows his red wines, too.
John R. Burr - piano, keyboards
John R is the only phenomenally talented person we know who can discuss ballgame scores while playing incredibly heartfelt piano. In additon to a fondness for Peanuts, crossword puzzles, and having "The Wit that Never Quits", John R is a member of the Alison Brown Quartet, has toured with Maria Muldaur and Robben Ford, and is soon to be the proud papa of his second child.
Jim McCarty - drums
Drummer extraordinaire - regular member of Buck Owens' band as well as having a deep Toto streak running in his veins. Best "groaner" jokes award, as well as the ability to eat more fair food in a short timespan and still play with zest and drive.
David Phillips - pedal steel guitar
The list of luminaries with whom David has played is far too vast to list here, but suffice to say that he ain't yer run of the mill pedal steel country dude. (Tom Waits' "Bone Machine", the Potato Eaters, Stephen Yerkey, the cream of San Francisco's art rock/Americana scene). Always inventive, tasteful and fun to work with.