A.J. Rubino
Vocals, Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Banjo, Mandalin, Dobro, Autoharp
Few musicians from the New England area have had as varied a career, that has been filled with so many accomplishments, as Tony (A.J.) Rubino.
Long known as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, “Fast A.J.” has opened shows for, accompanied, and recorded with some of the most famous names in folk, pop, and country music, appearing on over 100 recordings, and his songs have been recorded by numerous major artists.
He began his performing career as a folk singer and guitarist, playing the Boston-New York-Philadelphia college and coffeehouse circuit, and during this period he worked with the likes of Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Jim Croce, Tim Hardin, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Buffet, Arlo Guthrie, and Bonnie Raitt. He spent three years on the road as lead guitarist for the legendary Jaime “Titanic” Brockett, appeared at all the major folk clubs and festivals, including the Newport and Philadelphia Folk Festivals, and was favorably reviewed in The Village Voice, The New York Times, The Boston Phoenix, and Rolling Stone.
During his Nashville period, as a steel player and lead guitarist, he accompanied such country stars as Ferlin Husky, Yodelin’Kenny Roberts, Moe Bandy, Mel Street, Margo Smith, Dick Curless, Freddie Fender, and Dave “Six Days on the Road” Dudley, and appeared on WWVA in Wheeling West Virginia, WSM Radio, the Grand Old Opry, and the Austin City Limits show.
A.J. is widely respected as a session musician, playing guitar, bass, mandolin, dobro, 5-string banjo, harmonica, keyboards, and the pedal steel guitar, and he has recorded with many of the previously mentioned artists, as well as John Hartford, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, J. Geils, Ricky Skaggs, and The Seldom Scene.
Among the bands with whom he has worked are: Clean Living, Boot Hill, The Great Speckled Bird, The Outlaws, Handpicked, John Penny and the Country Sounds, and Telegraph Canyon, Wild Heart, and, currently, the Pecos River Band.
Randy Bordeau
Drums
Randy's father started teaching him to play drums when he was between 6-7 years old, having his own band called The Ray Allen Band. Growing up on Jazz, along the lines of Les Elgart, Glen Miller, Duke Ellington, etc...
Then the Beatles hit the States and it was Rock & Roll. Randy played his first gig at the age of 18 at the Buccaneer Lounge in Agawam MA, then rolled into the later 70's and early 80's with seperate R&B Funk Bands. The George Carrington Band, Tapistry and Salt & Pepper. Some band members included Cane and Able, Springfield MA Singer & Guitarist Dave MacAlpine.
In the later 80's with the help of other musicians they formed a top 40 band called Avatar. Heading into the 90's Randy formed the A-Street Blues Band with the help of singer-guitarist Mike Ryder and the band went on to include Brazilian born singer-Guitarist Allan Marcus and Harmonica player Mark Bird. The band recorded a CD called "All In One".
The band broke up in 1996 and Randy moved on to the band "Crocodile Tears Blues Band" based in Greenfield MA. Randy has also had jams and sit ins with Jim K. & Company, Susan Angelettie, Art Steel and Mick & The Hurricanes. Randy is presently with the "Pecos River Band" and found a new home in Country Music!
Shirley Van Kainen
Vocals, Electric & Acoustic Guitar
The most recent addition to the revitalized Pecos River Band is guitarist and Harmony singer Shirley Van Kainen. A Michigan native, Shirley began playing guitar as a teeanager around 1970, and had her first instruction at a music store in Detroit, mainly playing folk music, and singing and strumming with her friends. After relocating to New England in 1983 she continued to hone her skills on guitar, and then, in 1988 began to study the drums and percussion at the Community Music School in Springfield MA with instructors Stephen McCraven and Claire Arenius.
As she began to perform as a drummer, she played with numerous groups, performinga wide variety of musical styles. Among these were; Tone Science Unit (a jazz ensemble), The AbdulBaki Group (reggae), and Mimi Whitecomb and Devotion (an original pop-rock band).
During this time she kept up her guitar chops, and, upon meeting A. J. Rubino, they decided to begin performing together, later adding bassist Craig Mac Master. Shirley has not let her musical interests become stagnant. In recent years she has added the mandolin and 5-string banjo to her stable of instruments. Most recently, she has returned to the Community Music school to study the Suzuki method for 'cello with master instructor Boris Kogan.
Craig Mac Master
Bass Guitar
Like many musicians, Craig Mac Master began his involvement with music as a young man, playing the tuba in his junior high school bands. He also studied the drums for a while during this time. He began playing the bass guitar approximately twelve years ago.
His first experiences as a bass player were with the band Eclipse (a John Denver tribute band), with whom he performed for two years. His next musical project was with the modern rock band Blue Light Special. Then as a long time friend of A.J. Rubino, he gladly accepted the bass player position in the A.J. Rubino Show, a folk music and country act, adding harmony vocals as well as bass parts. From there, it was a natural move to join the resurgent Pecos River Band, where, along with drummer Randy Bourdeau, he creates a rock-solid rhythm section for this high-powered country act.
