Patch caught up with Bill Cuccinello, band leader for The Biscuit Rollers (formerly known as Scrumdaddy) who performed to a packed house at the Main Streets Market this past Saturday.
Q: What do you like about performing? What makes you motivated to go out and do a gig?
A: We all truly enjoy playing music together. It is a great expression for us. We play American "roots" music, because it is heartfelt and honest. Blues music is one of the only true American art forms. We like going back to the early pioneers.... Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Slim Harpo etc. There was a big trend in the 60s with the Stones, Clapton etc. They took the early music and played it with a 60s twist. But, instead of electrifying and psychedalizing the music, we play it more homegrown, more spiritual. We truly love to be able to share some of this early music with our audience. The name "Biscuit Rollers" comes from an old Robert Johnson song.... "If I Had Possesion of Judgment Day."
Q: What do crowds tend to respond to best?
A: I think the crowds always respond to what seems to be honest and what seems
to come from a musicians heart. One of the things we love about Main Streets
Cafe is we can have a dialog with the folks in the audience. They might ask
about the origin of a tune, or ask if we have ever heard of a version by such
and such artist. That is great... we are all sharing the music. I have run into
some folks that thought the blues started in the 60s with the English invasion.
No way. It all comes from some truly talented artists in the early 20th
century.
Q: What makes you distinct from other bands? Why do you keep getting invited
back?
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A: I think we like to dig back into the blues and play that music with our own
interpretation. The spin the three of our hearts put on it. I think many of our
originals are always done with the thought "how would Muddy do this, and how do
we want to do it?" My hope as far a being invited back is that we are drawing a
crowd for them, and they like what we do. Ellen Schmidt (the person that books
the venue) has always been a supporter of ours, as she is with all live music
and she does a great job.
More info on The Biscuit Rollers can be found at:http://scrumdaddy.com
