Mike Guldin and Rollin' & Tumblin'
Sellersville, Pennsylvania, United States | Established. Jan 01, 1989 | INDIE
Music
Press
On Roadhouse Rhythm (Wah Wah Boy 001), Philadelphia-area Stalwarts Mike Guldin and Rollin & Tumblin, two time International Blues Challenge finalists, are tight and have great presence, with two fine guitars (Guldin and Alan Howe) and keys (Karl Frick and Tim Hooper) in front of a tough rhythm section (C.J. Clark and Billy Wear) - not to mention guests EG Kight, Tommy Castro, Delbert McClinton's horns (Terry Townson and Don Wise), Denise NeJame and James Pennebaker - pushing a wall of soul sound. The set list ranges from Edwin Starr's Motown smash "25 Miles" to Little Richard's "Lucille", and from the Memphis sound of "You Left the Water Running" to McClinton's minor-key "I Wanna Love You", with originals hitting acoustic blues ("The Cost of Going Broke"), Chicago (Snuggle Man"), Soul ("Don't Take
Your Love Away", my pick for best track), and roadhouse rockers (the title cut). It all sounds good, and fun is at a premium!
Tom Hyslop for Blues Revue's "Blues Bites" - Blues Revue reviews "Roadhouse Rhythm"
Okay, forget about the fact that Mike Guldin looks like an insurance salesman or a guy who should be teaching a self-improvement seminar...the fact is, this guy rocks! Mike and his band, Rollin' & Tumblin', jam and swing and play like they really enjoy it. Guldin's voice digs deep into the soul of all that is blues and belts out the tones that make the blues come alive. R&T's bassist, CJ Clark, gets into the act by adding his vocal talents to "25 Miles" and Delbert McClinton's "I Wanna Love You." Karl Frick's B-3 action is as smooth as gravy, as are the glowing brass chops of Terry Townson (trumpet) and Don Wise (tenor sax) on nearly every cut. Tim Hooper's piano adds a nice touch to songs like 'Memphis Women and Chicken' and 'Lucille', a perennial favorite originally written by Albert Collins and Richard Penniman and made famous by Penniman (aka 'Little Richard'). Guldin wrote a handful of the songs including the lead off "Snuggle Man", "The Cost of Goin' Broke," and the title cut. This one is worth listening to....
- Review of "Roadhouse Rhythm"
"By not only keeping the blues alive but also expanding its boundaries, Mike and the boys prove night after night that they deserved to be Two-Time Finalists at the IBC in Memphis. I'm proud to know this crew of hard core, Blues-Lovin', rib-eatin' miscreants. Third time's the charm!"
Beardo
Senior Contributing Editor of 2004 KBA Winner, Blueswax
Weekly Radio Show Host at http://www.bandanablues.com - www.Bandanablues.com
“Mike Guldin and Rollin’ and Tumblin’ are “good as a unit, well rehearsed and seem to be having
fun. Confident presence, nice and relaxed. Bass player has good vocal personality”
Bruce Iglauer, Alligator Records - Alligator Records
“Mike Guldin and Rollin’ and Tumblin’ are one hot band! Expressive and powerful vocals with
creative harmonies tight arrangements never without a groove, and meaningful and thoughtful
material set this group apart.”
Bonnie Tallman
BC Productions Artist Management Group representing Saffire the Uppity Blues Women, Ann Rabson, Greg Piccolo and E. G. Kight - BC Productions Artist Management Group
“A well-seasoned band, having fun, playing great songs. Mike and
the gang take their music to a new level! ‘Snuggle Man’ says it all,
great groove, great lyrics, definitely a hit. Your going to love it”.
Terry Townson, Delbert McClinton Band - The Delbert McClinton Band
Mike Guldin & Rollin’ & Tumblin’—”Roadhouse Rhythm”
There’s no false advertising in the title of this release. The songs on this CD would make for an exceptional roadhouse show. And in the majority of songs there is a heavy reliance on and amplification
of the rhythmic aspects in these R&B and blues songs.
Just as in a real show, these studio recordings are choreographed and paced to traipse the listener
through numerous ups and downs and back and forth from one blues genre to the next. Clocking in at over an hour, “Roadhouse Rhythm” features 13 songs - roughly half going for over five minutes - that could easily constitute one extended live set. Seven of the tunes are covers and five are Mike Guldin originals.
The final song, a Guldin collaboration / performance with sultry, Handy Award nominee EG Kight, “Southern Woman and a Nawthern Man”, is a buttery hot blues ball with Kight out-dripping anything Bonnie Raitt might do. Special guitar guest (there are eight special guests on this CD) Shawn Appleby oils this tune with suffi cient slippery warm dobro resonator work that it will make you feel like you need a cold shower after a listen. This is a truly sumptuous finale for this CD.
No short review is going to comprehensively express the range of blues on “Roadhouse Rhythm”.
From the early blues-rock of Little Richard’s “Lucille” to the lurid blues on the cover of Delbert McClinton’s
“I Wanna Love You” to Guldin’s own songs (the Delta inspired “Roadhouse Rhythm” or the sarcastic David Bromberg-ish “The Cost of Goin’ Broke”) this CD is tap dancing in far too many bluessounds
and emotions to be pigeon-holed. What solidly holds it together is the superior musicianship of the five-member Rollin’ & Tumblin’ band (god-awful tight) and the versatile and natural blues vocals of Mike Guldin.
“Roadhouse Rhythm” is a nice addition for anyone who is either a complete blues addict, needs a
quality introduction to a range of blues, or is road-tripping and wants a studio-polished version of an
authentic roadhouse experience to while away the drive time. For folks with a narrow or specialized taste in the blues there are going to be a couple songs here that will hit home hard but be prepared to hear a number of other songs that aren’t necessarily right up your alley. - Pennsylvania Musician
Discography
Oct 2004 "Roadhouse Rhythm," Wah Wah Boy Records. Guests include Tommy Castro, EG Kight, Don Wise, James Pennebaker, Terry Townson.
April 2000 "Caught Bwtween the Blues and a Heartache" Hawg Wild Records.
Photos
Bio
Mike Guldin (Guitar, Vocals)
Mike started playing guitar and singing at age 16, inspired and influenced by blues legends Muddy
Waters, Howlin Wolf, Albert Collins, B.B. King as well as more contemporary artists such as the Allman Bros, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and the Rolling Stones. Also heavily influenced by R&B/Soul icons such as Sam & Dave, Booker T. and the MGs and the Stax sound, along with the southern-fried sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Outlaws and a slew of country artists. Having honed his craft playing in roadhouses, clubs, and bars for the last 20 years, his approach is that of a journeyman.
Stinging guitar and soulful vocals are second nature for Guldin who has had the opportunity to open
for such acts as Sam and Dave, Molly Hatchet and Roy Buchanan. Mike has also shared the stage
with Delbert McClinton, Levon Helm, the Nighthawks, Little Milton, Shemekia Copeland, Son Seals,
Debbie Davies, EG Kight, Saffire the Uppity Blues Women, Michael Hill and his Blues Mob, John Sebastian and Jimmy Vivino. All of these influences and experiences come together in the original tunes of his first release, “Caught Between the Blues and a Heartache”. The new release, “Roadhouse
Rhythm,” takes it all to the next level. Combined with the raucous backing sounds of Rollin’ &Tumblin’, these inspirations are fully realized.
C.J. Clark (Bass, Vocals)
Attending Berklee College of Music VERY briefly, CJ left to go on the road to make some much needed cashwith one of several “Chicken-Circuit” bands. He joined Chuck Jackson in the early 70’s & toured the south. Later CJ became one of the “Philly-Sound” bassists in the mid-70’s doing mostly session work. He toured with Billy Paul until ‘79, with the OJays from ‘80 to ‘81, and with Sister Sledge from late ‘81 through ‘82 when CJ decided to “hang it up.” “Big, Bad, Dangerous Daddy” resurfaced to work with select Philadelphia jazz and R&B bands from 1984 ‘til present, including (thankfully) Rollin’ & Tumblin’.
Tim Hooper (Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals)
Classically trained on the piano, and self-taught on everything else. Through high school, Tim was
educated in Great Britain, and later in the U.S., where he received his Music Composition degree
from Haverford College. Tim not only holds down the keys, but also adds his unique jazz inflected guitar voice to Rollin’ & Tumblin’. Tim’s been playing with a variety of bands off and on for 25 years; he currently plays with R&T and Philadelphia’s legendary Soul Survivors.
Alan Howe (Guitar, Vocals)
Joining Rollin’ & Tumblin’ in 1998, Alan has succeeded in bringing his own guitar voice to an already extraordinary band. Known for his “less is more” approach to the blues, Alan’s emotional playing style recalls his major infl uences: BB King, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, Jimmy Vaughan, Hollywood Fats, and a little Albert Collins on the side. In keeping with the ensemble spirit of the band, Alan enjoys being the third driving force in the rhythm section as much as his tasteful, soulful soloing. Groove is everything.
Dawn Dengler (Drums)
Affectionately known as “Sugar Foot” by the Tumblers, Dawn became involved in the local blues scene, and met up with Mike and Rollin’ and Tumblin' by sitting in at area open jams. She loves the many friends she has made in the process and is thrilled to play with some of the greatest musicians and people ever, and we’re damn glad have her on board!
Band Members
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