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Tres Pescadores Records |
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Chris Gaffney and The Cold Hard Facts
Chris Gaffney is the leader and inspiration for the band. He was born in Austria a couple of years ago and makes his home in Costa Mesa with his lovely wife Julie and their two canine companions, Hudson and Lulubelle. He does most of the song writing for the band and sometimes collaborates with keyboard player/producer Wyman Reese or long-time pal, Dave Alvin. He's been playing accordion for as long as he can remember and also plays a mean Stratocaster. He is also rumored to be a fiddle player. He has played all over the world with The Cold Hard Facts and with Dave Alvin and other artists. His witty observations about life, sports and women are often unrepeatable but sometimes find their way into a song. He hopes to retire to Bowie, Arizona, and hold court at the Teepee Bar. He knows the words to every song recorded since 1954 and a couple from before that. Danny Ott plays lead guitar and sings harmony and occasional lead. He lives in Westminster with his new bride, Robin. He spends his days as a luthier repairing and maintaining guitars and his nights playing them with The Cold Hard Facts. He also has joined with Jann Browne, Kathy Robinson, Patty Booker and other local artists when guitar playing expertise was needed. Wyman Reese appears on keyboards and occasional guitar. He has been in bands with Gaffney since beer was invented. He is also a record producer of some renown, producing projects by The Lonesome Strangers, Rick Shea, $1000 Wedding, and Gaffney, of course. Never try to stump him with music trivia because he is the king. He and his wife have a young daughter, Dixie, whose smile will stop you in your tracks. Doug Livingston is another LA music scene veteran. He is the king of the steel guitar and doubles up on keyboards when Wyman plays guitar. He does a ton of studio work around LA and has appeared with everyone from David Bromberg to Olivia Newton-John. Like Gaffney, he is another keen observer of the world around him and will often drop you to your knees with laughter after a pointed remark. He and his wife make their home up Hollywood way somewheres. Mike Barry is the bass player and a great one he is. Another versatile performer, he has appeared in LA area blues bands for years. Joe Cocker once threw up on his new shoes and that is paying some musical dues! He recently found a great old black and white Rickenbacker bass and has been playing that but also brings the stand-up to some of the more acoustic oriented gigs. He lives down near the beach in Orange County with his wife Sharon. John Senne is the newest member of the band, having only been around for a couple of decades. He plays drums and sings harmony and sometimes gives Chris a break from the lead vocals. Beg him to sing "Reason to Believe." You won't regret it. Like myself, he and his wife are residents of Anaheim, CA. R.J. Simensen plays rub board with the band on selected numbers and lends a certain enthusiasm to those numbers that is something to behold. He is definitely a crowd pleaser. In addition to being the nicest guy in the world, he is, like Wyman, a student of contemporary music and will stun you with his knowledge. He and his wife and daughter and two dogs live nearby in Fullerton, CA. He and I have been known to drink beer together occasionally. Once we drank too many beers but only that once. |
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