Jackson Coffee Company

It all started with The Merv Griffin Show in 1967….

While watching the performance of a guitar player on the Merv Griffin show, I was enthralled at the sounds coming from the sunburst, archtopped, “F” holed guitar of the entertainer. Not just the notes, but the rythmic thumb thumps and accents that he used to drive the music forward. I knew that I had to play guitar.

Over the next few months I saved my money (a very limited commodity in those days) and purchased a “Holiday/Harmony” Arch top guitar from the Sears catalog. Upon its arrival imagine my diappointment when it just didn’t “thump” like that other guy’s guitar did!

Not to be discouraged I pestered my mother for guitar lessons. On a weekly basis she took $5.00 for an hour guitar lesson from her limited funds and drove me an hour one way to take lessons. Today she remains my biggest fan (aren’t Moms great?), even though my guitar thumping hasn’t improved one little bit.

I’ve been around the block a few times. I began playing in bars right out of High School in 1973. In 1975 I finshed 2nd to Jim Perkins (a local Detroit favorite) in a single entertainer competition. Jim won a guitar…I won …well 2nd! Although my ego at the time struggled with it, Jim should have won. He was better than I was. Congratulations Jim (ok….so I’m a little late with it). I’ve spent time with my music in front of audiences in the Detroit metropolitan area as well as Missouri, Kansas and California.

In 1976 I passed on an opportunity to join “The New Christy Minstrels”. It seemed like a rational decision at the time to pursue a real job that would have some long term benefits (like a retirement). I don’t regret the decision one bit. I’m back now doing what I love full time. I’m making music.

I’ve been fortunate in my life. Read what some nice comments from various folks have been………..

“Bob’s voice continues to resonate with a mesmerizing quality and his guitar work is sublime.” Grasslake Folk Festival

“…Bob Marshall, whose rich baritone voice and sensitive interpertations are sure to move you.” SLUM City Coffeehouse

“The words that Bob sings are from the heart and the guitar playing is honest enough to lay bare the soul.” Live From the Livingroom

“Bob Marshall’s rich baritone voice and sublime guitar work will make your day. This cowboy, singer/songwriter will make you laugh and warm your heart…. visit with Bob and listen to his great originals, paradies and covers…he does it all!” Ellen Doster, Motor City Sidestrokers

“Matt Moore’s music has the ability to meet people where they are at and connect with their very heart and soul. His passion and creative ability to touch the core of a person with his music is what sets him apart from other artists.” Shannon Marden, Youth Director – Coleman Wesleyan Church (Coleman, MI)

It’s difficult for a young male singer/songwriter to set himself apart from the crowd in a genre that is already packed full of talent, but that is exactly what Clare, Michigan based modern rock artist Matt Moore has been doing.  With his powerful original music and engaging live performances, Matt has carved out a reputation as the “Must See” artist in his area.  Performing an acoustic set for a few dozen at a local coffee house or fronting a full rock band in front of a festival crowd, Matt has a captivating talent for intimately connecting with people no matter the setting.

His songs are the story of his life, often touching on love, relationships, personal struggles and faith.  Matt has a unique ability to combine honest and vulnerable lyrics with passionate guitar playing to create an emotional and memorable experience.

Matt Moore’s musical style is often compared to such male rock artists as Chris Daughtry and David Cook, as well as modern rock acts like Fuel and OneRepublic.  In 2009 Matt released his debut album “No Place Left to Hide”.  The album’s blend of driving modern rock energy and engaging songwriting has only further served to establish Matt as an exciting up-and-coming artist worth keeping an eye on.

Notable Achievements:
• Released debut EP “No Place Left to Hide” in May of 2009
• #1 Single on Indie-Music.com  for Sep & Nov 2009  (Change In Me)
• Indie-Music.com “Editor’s Pick” for Aug 2009 & “Choice Cut” selection Sep 2009
• “Top 25” award nominee on Indie-Music.com for 2010
• #1 & #4 Singles on Inferno Radio for August 2009 (Standing In the Flames, Change In Me)
• Has shared the stage with nationally touring acts such as Caedmon’s Call, Lenae Hale, Newworldson, Ag Silver, Jayson Simonson, Mike Hirst, etc…
• Has performed at over 250 independently booked shows throughout the Midwest since starting in 2007
• Performed at “Born to Play”, largest ever simultaneous acoustic music event hosted by GAP August 2009
• Featured artist on several music related websites, blogs and podcasts (IndiesTop10.com, 95one.com, DigiVegas, Inferno Radio, Indie-Music.com, etc…)
• Several tracks from the debut EP have been added and played on radio stations across the country.
• Currently representing World Vision as an “Artist Associate”

“No Place Left to Hide” available online at iTunes, Noisetrade, CD Baby, Amazon, Napster, iLike, DigStation, Rhapsody, and many more.

After Kev Nichols spent a full year bugging and begging his parents for a guitar, they finally broke down and put one in his hands at the early age of 12; he hasn’t let go of it since! Equally at home with his full electric band Blue Tuesday or in more intimate singer-songwriter settings, he brings joy and passion to every song he plays and sings. His love for a wide range of musical styles seep into every minute of his performances. From tender ballads to roof raising rockers, he’ll have you tapping your feet, humming or singing along, and wanting the music to go on and on and on! Kev has lived his life believing that music is a wondrous gift and a common thread that runs through us all and he can’t wait to share his songs with you!

From the age of 5 Sam had an interest in the performing arts.  At the age of 11 she started playing guitar.  By age 13 her love for music developed into playing piano and singing as well as writing her own music.  Since then she has progressively picked up more instruments developing her natural talent.  She has found a great love in playing and performing for others and now with the dawn of her first single “Listen,” she is taking her music on the road playing at many local venues.  Don’t miss the opportunity to come out and see this amazingly talented young lady. Check her out on facebook at: www.facebook.com/sampeppermusic

The heart of Blue Pontiac is the wife & husband team, Rosalind Hartigan and Graham Cassano.  The pair has been playing music, together and apart, for more than 20 years. They began as political punks, and after a brief detour through jazz, ended up back where they started – with 3 chords and a cloud of dust. The damage caused by too many years in too many loud rock and roll bars made them turn down. So punk became hillbilly, but the rage remains. The couple moved from the east coast of the US to the Midwest just as the Great Recession hit Michigan like a tsunami. They watched their new neighbors and friends pulled under by the tide. Inspired by early country music and artists like Rose Maddox, Loretta Lynn and Woody Guthrie, Blue Pontiac set out to document the dust as it settled in their first CD, Welcome to the Great Recession. They continue this minimalist neo-billy documentary with their latest EP, The Devil at the Bottom of the Sea. Through audio clips taken from a constantly moving phantasmal camera–from the Delta blues lament for the Gulf (“Blacktide Blues”) to the ruins in Haiti (“Kayla Kraze”)–Blue Pontiac tells the story of another year passed and lost in our Great Recession.

Since forming in 2009, Blue Pontiac has taken its particular brand of neo-billy minimalism to coffee shops and clubs in Michigan and throughout the United States. In addition to Hartigan and Cassano, band members include

Graham Cassano – dulcimer and dobro

Ros Hartigan – bass, fiddle, vocals

Dan Kennedy – guitar, vocals

Mike Kenyon – cello

For more information and for booking information contact ros@bluepontiacmusic.com, or visit our myspace page, http://www.myspace.com/bluepontiac.