The Players Band
Encyclopedia
The Players Band is an 8-piece ska band formed in Baltimore in 1999. The Players' musical style combines Jamaican ska, rock, and reggae, and is characterized by the use of upbeat horns and percussion. The band has played over 400 live shows in various states, including; Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, DC, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Long Island, Vermont, and Virginia. The Players have performed with acts such as Grammy Award Winner The Isley Brothers
, Grammy Award Winner Toots & the Maytals
, The B-52's
, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
, Joe Strummer
, Matisyahu
, The English Beat, Third Eye Blind
, Citizen Cope
, Fishbone
, The Toasters
, The Skatalites
, Reel Big Fish
, The Pietasters
, The Aggrolites
, The Slackers
, Rebirth Brass Band
, Big D and the Kids Table
, The Know How
, King Django
, The Scofflaws
, Westbound Train
, Eastern Standard Time
, Junkyard Band
and many others. Notable ska musicians who have performed on stage with The Players Band as guests include; Jeff Richey (The Toasters
), Buford O’Sullivan, Vinny Noble (Pilfers
& Bim Skala Bim
), Dr. Ring-Ding
, Morgan Russell (Eastern Standard Time
) and H.R.
(Bad Brains
).
.
"Your band freaking rocks!" Joe Strummer
.
"Those guys are nice, really nice." Angelo Moore
"A rocking big band out of Baltimore and DC, the Players can hit all the styles and are a must-see live!" - AP Magazine (Alternative Press magazine). August, 2003.
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
, Grammy Award Winner Toots & the Maytals
Toots & the Maytals
Toots and the Maytals, originally called simply The Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group and one of the best known ska and reggae vocal groups. According to Sandra Brennan at Allmusic, "The Maytals were key figures in reggae music...
, The B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. Since the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer Ben Carr have remained constant members...
, Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
, Matisyahu
Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller , better known by his Hebrew name and stage name Matisyahu, is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae and alternative rock musician....
, The English Beat, Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
, Citizen Cope
Citizen Cope
Clarence Greenwood is an American songwriter and producer. His eclectic mix of blues, laid-back rock, soul, and folk has a large and profoundly dedicated following, built over the past decade of touring due to solid word of mouth....
, Fishbone
Fishbone
Fishbone is a U.S. alternative rock band formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California, which plays a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk, hard rock and soul. Critics have noted of the band: "Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s...
, The Toasters
The Toasters
The Toasters was one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and is one of the longest active third wave ska bands.They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the...
, The Skatalites
The Skatalites
The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone". They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period...
, Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
, The Pietasters
The Pietasters
The Pietasters are a seven-piece ska/soul band hailing from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.- History :In 1990, a group of friends were attending college at Virginia Tech in the mountains of Virginia...
, The Aggrolites
The Aggrolites
The Aggrolites are a reggae and ska band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002.- Overview :The Aggrolites are an amalgamation of two previous Los Angeles reggae and ska bands, the Vessels and the Rhythm Doctors. They formed in 2002 as a live backing band for reggae icon Derrick Morgan, and...
, The Slackers
The Slackers
The Slackers are a New York City band, formed in Brooklyn in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz...
, Rebirth Brass Band
Rebirth Brass Band
The Rebirth Brass Band is a New Orleans brass band. The group was founded in 1982 by tuba/sousaphone player Philip Frazier, his brother, bass drummer, Keith Frazier and trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, and other school marching band members from Joseph S. Clark Senior High School in New Orleans’ Tremé...
, Big D and the Kids Table
Big D and the Kids Table
Big D and the Kids Table is a ska punk band formed in October 1995 in Allston, Massachusetts when its members converged in college. Their first release was on their own Fork In Hand Records label, but have since teamed with Springman Records and SideOneDummy...
, The Know How
The Know How
The Know How is a third wave ska band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1998. Their musical style blends ska and pop punk and prominently features a Moog synthesizer alongside more typical ska instrumentation Despite releases on Jump Up! Records and Stomp Records, numerous nationwide tours The...
, King Django
King Django
Jeff Baker, better known as King Django, is a New Brunswick, NJ-based ska musician. He was the leader of Skinnerbox and Stubborn All-Stars....
, The Scofflaws
The Scofflaws
The Scofflaws are a Huntington, Long Island, New York-based third wave ska band that debuted in 1988. Known for their rambunctious live shows, technically proficient horn solos and tight arrangements, The Scofflaws were one of the top third wave ska acts of the '90s and one of the most beloved...
, Westbound Train
Westbound Train
Westbound Train is a ska band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. Their name originates from the Dennis Brown hit song by the same name....
, Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
, Junkyard Band
Junkyard Band
The Junk Yard Band is a go-go band, founded in the early 1980s by children playing on improvised instruments. They are best known for their song, Sardines.-Biography:...
and many others. Notable ska musicians who have performed on stage with The Players Band as guests include; Jeff Richey (The Toasters
The Toasters
The Toasters was one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and is one of the longest active third wave ska bands.They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the...
), Buford O’Sullivan, Vinny Noble (Pilfers
Pilfers
Pilfers are an American ska band formed in 1997, when former Toasters vocalist, Coolie Ranx, at the urging of Pietaster's vocalist Steve Jackson, joined with former Bim Skala Bim trombonist, Vinny Nobile...
& Bim Skala Bim
Bim Skala Bim
Bim Skala Bim, formed in Boston, Massachusetts, was a third wave ska band that started in 1983 and remained active until 2002. They were influenced by the bands in England's 2 Tone movement, as well as bands such as the Clash, UB40 and Bob Marley...
), Dr. Ring-Ding
Dr. Ring-Ding
Richard Alexander Jung better known by his stage name Dr. Ring-Ding is a German reggae, ska and dancehall artist.Ring-Ding first performed by the name of Prof. Richie Senior as the trombonist in the German ska band, El Bosso Und Die Ping Pongs. During Christmas in 1992, he founded the band Dr. Ring...
, Morgan Russell (Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
) and H.R.
H.R.
H.R. is the stage name of Paul D. Hudson, the lead singer of the hardcore punk band Bad Brains. His vocals can be quite diverse, ranging from a rapid-fire nasal whine, to feral growling and screeches, to smooth near-crooning or staccato reggae rhymes...
(Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
).
Studio albums
- Instrumental - 2001
- Hate the Game - 2003, Victor RiceVictor RiceVictor Rice is a musician and producer from New York City. He is most noted for his work within the third wave ska genre of the 1990s through the early 2000s, as both a bassist and as a producer....
mixed 'Mama' & 'Rub A Dub'. - Half-TimeHalf-timeIn some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
- 2005 - Live & Direct - 2008
Compilations
- D.C-ENE - 2001 on PGU Records
- Make It Happen – 2001 on Big Touchin’ Productions
- Oasis Alternative - 2002 on Oasis
- Still Standing - 2003 by Jump Up Records and Megalith RecordsMegalith RecordsMegalith Records is a ska record label founded on August 22, 2002 and located in Norman, Oklahoma. It is owned by Robert "Bucket" Hingley of The Toasters and the defunct label Moon Ska Records, and managed by Jeremy Patton, current webmaster and graphic artist for the Toasters...
Still Standing (ska compilation) - Stubborn Records Sampler - 2005 on Stubborn Records
Band members
- Dan Schneider - guitar/vocals - (Current member of The PietastersThe PietastersThe Pietasters are a seven-piece ska/soul band hailing from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.- History :In 1990, a group of friends were attending college at Virginia Tech in the mountains of Virginia...
) - Nick Reider – trumpet
- David Blackstone – trombone/vocals
- Michael Gorman - bari sax
- Paul Ackerman aka “Pablo Fiasco” - keys – (Current member of H.R.H.R.H.R. is the stage name of Paul D. Hudson, the lead singer of the hardcore punk band Bad Brains. His vocals can be quite diverse, ranging from a rapid-fire nasal whine, to feral growling and screeches, to smooth near-crooning or staccato reggae rhymes...
and the Dubb Agents, tours with Bad MannersBad MannersBad Manners are an English 2 Tone ska band. They quickly became the novelty favourites of the UK pop scene through their bald outsized frontman's on-stage antics, earning early exposure through their Top of The Pops exploits and an appearance in the live film documentary, Dance Craze.They were at...
, and formerly of The PietastersThe PietastersThe Pietasters are a seven-piece ska/soul band hailing from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.- History :In 1990, a group of friends were attending college at Virginia Tech in the mountains of Virginia...
, Stubborn All-StarsStubborn All-StarsStubborn All-Stars are a New York City ska band led by King Django, front man of Skinnerbox and owner of Stubborn Records.By early 1994, Django's original ska roots began to tug at him, and he assembled Stubborn All-Stars for a studio session which resulted in the 4-song Old's Cool 7" EP...
, SkinnerboxSkinnerboxSkinnerbox is a third wave ska band formed in New York City in the early 1990s by King Django.-Full Length:*Instrumental Conditioning 1990)*Now & Then *Tales of the Red...
, and Left AloneLeft AloneLeft Alone is a punk rock band from Wilmington, California. They were formed in May 1996 by lead vocalist and guitarist Elvis Cortez. Cortez formed his own label, Smelvis Records, to release Left Alone's records, and has since expanded the label to include numerous other underground bands. Cortez...
.) - Joe Ross - bass
- Andy Schneider - drums
- Mark Leary - vocals/percussion
Notable Press
- The Associated Press (2008). "Performers announced for Phelps celebration." The Associated Press
- Campbell, E. (2008). "The Players Band goes live." The Baltimore Examiner.
- Lee, P. (2007). ""Players Band" Performs At New Year's Spectacular." WJZ-TV, CBS Broadcasting Inc.
- Baylor, A. (2007). “Soundcheck, The Players.” The Baltimore Sun.
- Campbell, E. (2006). “Group plays benefit for homeless in Catonsville.” The Examiner.
- Sattler, D. (2006). “Hungry for help.” The View.
- Sattler, D. (2006). “Rock Steady, The Players are playing for big money. But not their own.” The View.
- Ames, M. (2006). “Brothers play for homeless.” The Catonsville Times.
- Lewis, J. (2006). "The Players Band, Halftime.” Baltimore Magazine.
- Unknown. (2006). “The Players Band will rock Alive @ Five event.” Gazette.http://www.gazette.net/stories/072706/enteent175415_31948.shtml
- Schaffer, S. (2004). “The Players.” The Baltimore Sun.http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-live-meettheband0318,0,3318484.story?coll=bal-live-utility
- Wollan, L. (2003). “The Players Band.” Music Monthly.http://www.musicmonthly.com/archives/archive.cgi?id=158
- Lewis, J. (2003). “The Players Band, Hate the Game.” Baltimore Magazine.
- Buckley, M. (2003). “The Players Band.” Chesapeake Music Guide.
- Unknown. (2003). “The Players.” Viking Remedy Magazine (France).
- Trawinski, J. (2003). “Hate the Game' is a jam driven album.” Towson University Towerlight.
- Scruggs, S. (2003). “The Players, Hate The Game.” Music Monthly.http://www.musicmonthly.com/archives/archive.cgi?id=169
- Wollan, L. (2001). “The Players, Instrumental.” Music Monthly.
- Jones, D. (2001). “The Players, Instrumental.” Rude Roots Magazine. http://www.ruderoots.com/reviews/players/instrumental.html
Notable quotes
"Fantastic! You guys are tough." Buckwheat ZydecoBuckwheat Zydeco
Buckwheat Zydeco is the stage name of Stanley Dural, Jr. , an American accordionist and zydeco musician. He is one of the few zydeco artists to achieve mainstream success...
.
"Your band freaking rocks!" Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
.
"Those guys are nice, really nice." Angelo Moore
Angelo Moore
Angelo Christoper Moore is an American musician, best known for his work as the founding member, lead singer and saxophonist for the Los Angeles alternative rock band Fishbone. Moore also performs and records spoken word poetry under the stage name of Dr. Madd Vibe.-Biography:In 1993 he released a...
"A rocking big band out of Baltimore and DC, the Players can hit all the styles and are a must-see live!" - AP Magazine (Alternative Press magazine). August, 2003.