Ryan Montbleau
Encyclopedia
Ryan Michael Montbleau is an American
singer-songwriter
and guitarist
. He annually tours across the U.S.
with the Ryan Montbleau Band.
that he seriously began to focus on his playing and songwriting. After college, Montbleau began playing on his own at the House of Blues
in Boston
, where he started working in 1999. Eventually, Montbleau began performing his original music on-stage at the House of Blues and other Cambridge
, Somerville
, and Boston area coffee shops, folk and music venues, developing a local fan base. He occasionally performed his music with a percussion player, under the duo name "Palabra", before building what would become the Ryan Montbleau Band.
Montbleau eventually joined up with Matt Giannaros (acoustic upright bass, electric bass
, backing vocals) Laurence Scudder (viola
, backing vocals), Jason Cohen (piano
, organ
, clavinet
, Moog synthesizer
) and James Cohen (drums). In 2006, the group released its first collective album, One Fine Color. A sixth member, Yahuba Garcia Torres (percussion, backing vocals) toured frequently with the band. In February, 2011, the band announced the departure of viola player, Laurence Scudder, and also the addition of guitarist Lyle Brewer. The Ryan Montbleau Band plays upwards of 200 gigs per year.
Montbleau has opened solo/acoustic for John P. Hammond
, Melissa Ferrick
, Ani DiFranco
, Martin Sexton
, and Rodrigo y Gabriela
. In the spring of 2010, the Ryan Montbleau Band toured with Martin Sexton, as his backing band and opening band. Before departing for that tour, Sexton produced the band's latest album, Heavy On the Vine, recorded at Camp Street Studios in Cambridge, Massachusetts
.
acoustic guitar model OM2H Cut, and a Fender
electric guitar.
Press:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. He annually tours across the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with the Ryan Montbleau Band.
Background
Although he received his first guitar at the age of nine, it was not until attending college at Villanova UniversityVillanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
that he seriously began to focus on his playing and songwriting. After college, Montbleau began playing on his own at the House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where he started working in 1999. Eventually, Montbleau began performing his original music on-stage at the House of Blues and other Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, Somerville
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
, and Boston area coffee shops, folk and music venues, developing a local fan base. He occasionally performed his music with a percussion player, under the duo name "Palabra", before building what would become the Ryan Montbleau Band.
Montbleau eventually joined up with Matt Giannaros (acoustic upright bass, electric bass
Electric Bass
Electric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
, backing vocals) Laurence Scudder (viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, backing vocals), Jason Cohen (piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, clavinet
Clavinet
A Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
, Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
) and James Cohen (drums). In 2006, the group released its first collective album, One Fine Color. A sixth member, Yahuba Garcia Torres (percussion, backing vocals) toured frequently with the band. In February, 2011, the band announced the departure of viola player, Laurence Scudder, and also the addition of guitarist Lyle Brewer. The Ryan Montbleau Band plays upwards of 200 gigs per year.
Montbleau has opened solo/acoustic for John P. Hammond
John P. Hammond
John Paul Hammond is an American blues singer and guitarist. The son of record producer John H. Hammond, he is sometimes referred to as "John Hammond, Jr.".-Background:...
, Melissa Ferrick
Melissa Ferrick
-Early life:Ferrick was raised in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Herfather John was a well-liked public school teacher who managed several free-jazz bands on the side. As a child, Ferrick would often accompany her father to clubs on Boston's North Shore to watch the bands play. She began taking...
, Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, poet, and songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums, and is widely considered a feminist icon.-Biography:...
, Martin Sexton
Martin Sexton
Martin Sexton is an American singer-songwriter and producer originally from Syracuse, New York.- Early life :Sexton grew up the tenth of twelve children in a working class Irish-American family. He acquired his first guitar, a Sears & Roebuck acoustic, at the age of 14 and later played in local...
, and Rodrigo y Gabriela
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Rodrigo y Gabriela , also known as "El Rodri y La Gabi", are a Mexican musical duo who specialize in playing fast, rhythmic acoustic guitars...
. In the spring of 2010, the Ryan Montbleau Band toured with Martin Sexton, as his backing band and opening band. Before departing for that tour, Sexton produced the band's latest album, Heavy On the Vine, recorded at Camp Street Studios in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
Awards
Montbleau was named the Best Local Male Vocalist in the 2007 Boston Music Awards. He also won second prize for performance in the 2007 International Songwriting Competition.Equipment
Montbleau plays a CollingsCollings
Collings may refer to:People*Benjamin Collings , a Stamford, Connecticut, yachtsman who was killed during an act of piracy off of Long Island in 1931*David Collings Collings may refer to:People*Benjamin Collings (?-1931), a Stamford, Connecticut, yachtsman who was killed during an act of piracy off...
acoustic guitar model OM2H Cut, and a Fender
Fender
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, commonly referred to as simply Fender, of Scottsdale, Arizona is a manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, such as solid-body electric guitars, including the Stratocaster and the Telecaster...
electric guitar.
Discography
- Begin (2002) - Solo
- Stages (2003) - Solo/live
- One Fine Color (2006)
- Patience on Friday (2007)
- Stages: Volume II (2009) - Solo/live
- Heavy On The Vine (2010)
- Live at Life is Good (2011) - Live
External links
Press:
- State of Mind interview (March 27, 2008)
- The Phoenix article (June 25, 2007)
- Melody Trip interview (September 6, 2006)
- Boston Globe article (April 1, 2006)
- WERS interview (April 11, 2005)
- Boston Beats interview (2005)