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| Blue Moon Highway |
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Print Profile |
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| Guitar, Bass, Drums |
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Blue Moon Highway calls Portland, Oregon home and enjoys playing at various venues throughout the Great Northwest. A typical show has the band drawing from a catalog of traditional country music, as well as bluegrass, jazz, and blues. Toss in a large number of rock and roll and R&B favorites, and there you go. Unapologetic about its country leanings, the band balks at being pigeonholed in one particular label or genre, describing what they do as "Country music...and then some."
To the band, Country, Alt-Country, Honky Tonk, "Americana" and Roots are just terms. The band does all of those and more. They're a product of what they listened to coming up...and they listened to it all.
Blue Moon Highway's country influences are many: Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, NRPS, Gram Parsons, Commander Cody, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Steve Earle, Dale Watson, Lee Roy Parnell, BR549, Derailers, Mavericks, etc.
"And then some" includes: Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Elvis, Ricky Nelson, Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, Johnny Rivers, Motown, Bob Dylan, Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Band, Grateful Dead, Delbert McClinton, and more.
~ We're just a band doin' what we love to do -- play music. ~
The Band
 David Weatherby - Guitar, Vocals
When he wasn't busy studying rocks and soils as a geology major at the University of Oregon back in the mid 80's, David could likely be found back in the old concrete fire escape stairwell of his dorm, strumming his guitar. Although largely self taught, his progress as a guitarist was aided by his background as a top state trombonist in high school. His close friend and frequent performance partner Larry Wyatt, an award-winning bluegrass flatpicker, strongly influenced his early days as a guitarist by introducing him to the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robert Cray, and Jimi Hendrix. During the late 1980's his interests expanded from the Blues genre to include such artists as The Eagles, The Grateful Dead, and Pat Metheny, artists to which he remains strongly loyal as a fan. In recent years, he has become strongly committed to acoustic music, in particular Bluegrass, a genre very compatible with his deep, rich singing voice. Such flatpicking greats as Tony Rice, Charles Sawtell, and Don Crary are his current role models. And of course, being a Sinatra fan, David enjoys arranging and singing old swing tunes.
David's personal style as a guitarist reflects his strong improvisational interest and prioritization of eclectic ensemble orchestration over speed and technical wizardry. Over the years, his musical associates have described him as a creative improvisationalist with an impeccable ear for pitch and rhythm. In his current role as a singer and guitarist with Blue Moon Highway, his steadfast rhythm guitar playing and dynamic improvisational skills are quite apparent.
His equipment is in line with his approach to playing. He keeps it simple. He plays a 1980 Martin MC-28 with a piezo pickup, a pre-amp built by Rosco Wright, and a Fender Princeton Chorus amp. He also plays his black Fender Telecaster from time to time.
 John Purcell - Bass guitar, Vocals
Initially a product of the "British invasion," John joined his first band as a bass player only because they didn't have one. He's played in a variety of bands over the years, most notably in Seattle: Marcus Duke (jazz pianist), High in the Saddle (southern rock), and Lost in the Mail (contemporary bluegrass). In Portland, bands have included: Lyle Ford (singer/songwriter), Lawnboys (newgrass), and Freewill (blues). Hallmark moment? The summer he played with jazz great Julian Priester and did the Darrington Bluegrass Festival in the same week. About that experience, John says, "Yes, we all are one!"
John uses a combination of a fretted Fender Jazz and a fretless Warwick through a Nemesis amp. When taste rules over sound pressure, he plays upright bass also.
Bass gods? Jack Bruce, John Cowan and Hutch Hutchinson. Day job: Barnes and Noble, bringing coffee and books to the masses. Pride and Joy: a postal carrier wife and two beautiful teenage daughters.
 Mike Winter - Drums, Vocals
Mike grew up in Toronto, Canada…The Great White North. His Mother says he used to sing Marty Robbins' "A White Sports Coat" word for word and on key at five years old. (He says she never lies.) He recollects early on sitting on the edge of the family couch, playing air drums with knitting needles to Gene, Buddy and Mel Taylor of the Ventures. Then the British Invasion happened and he saw Ringo having the time of his life on Ed Sullivan. Not exactly an epiphany, but he says it did leave an indelible impression of how much fun music can and should be. His folks figured that drums were either too expensive or too loud…probably the latter, so he saved up and bought a Harmony Rocket six string and learned to play by listening to the first five Rolling Stones albums. Mike has played drums, guitar and bass off and on over the years, most recently with Portland bands Malibu Run (Rockabilly/Jump Blues) and White Line Fever (Traditional/Outlaw country). Band memories of yesteryear have faded with time. "Set the Wayback Machine for 1971...and bring the Ezra Brooks."
Gear is as follows: Drums: Mid-sixties Ludwig, Mid-seventies Pearl. Guitars: 1980 Aria acoustic, Tequilacaster: Mexican Fender neck, after market body, Bill Lawrence pick ups. Bass: 1994 Music Man Sting Ray -- Translucent teal over an ash body, birds-eye maple neck...sweet!)
Favorite drummers are Ringo, Charlie and Levon Helm. Hard pressed to pick "influences," he supposes to some degree that he's been influenced by everyone he ever listened to. But if he had to pick one, it would be The Band. "I always liked their Three Musketeers attitude about making music: All for one and one for all. After all, isn't a band… a band?"
 Ralph Thompson - Guitar, Vocals
Ralph began playing music with a 3-piece teenage garage band in the mid-60's, influenced by R&B artists of that time, the Beatles and other sundry soul and British bands (no real "garage" drummer or audience, but he had fun and lots of inspiration, i.e., "chicks"). He's played blues, R&B, country, jazz, and rock guitar in various bands over the years, most recently with a rock/blues band based in Mobile, Alabama (where he says you can enjoy 90 degrees, 95% humidity and 2:00 AM all at the same time). During a nine-year stay in southeast Alaska, he played for the new Governor's Inaugural Ball in Juneau (where the band gained insights into how the state legislative process really works (prerequisite: lots of alcohol), and also played a wedding party in Haines where the partiers managed to break the dance floor (also alcohol-inspired). Ralph and his wife relocated to Portland in 2003 to return to the West Coast and to be closer to two of their daughters, who are enrolled in local colleges.
Main stage setup includes a vintage 1967 Telecaster (his baby) and a ninety-something Telecaster B Bender, which he plays through several effects pedals and a Dean Markley amp. He also has several other instruments in the wings for backup or as the music dictates, including a couple of Schecter Strats, a vintage Gibson ES-335, an Ovation Elite Standard, and a few others.
Musical influences include the Hellecasters (pickers are encouraged to check out their music and web site), Danny Gatton, Billy Gibbons and Albert Lee. Ralph works as a fish and wildlife biologist in his day job, trying to do his part to give future generations of guitar pickers opportunities to experience the natural wonders of this great land and helping their parents understand why it matters.
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