MuddGroove

The band MuddGroove is a success story about survival, living through the mud, the sweat and the tears with triumph! The band has pulled itself out of the Mud and kept on grooving. 

MuddGroove is a variety band formed in     Oklahoma, in 2003 before moving to Prescott, Arizona then back to Oklahoma. 

Fueled by larger than life performances,  honed tight from countless nights on the stage, with searing guitar, scaling heights of musicianship and powerhouse vocals. You can expect a concert performance at every gig. 

The band has a long history dating back to 1996 when renown jazz fusion guitarist Stuart Rhodes joined a rock band with drummer Nonie Taliaferro. The two became instant friends, sharing a passion for writing music and lyrics. 

Stuart and Nonie accomplished great success with an album titled “It’s All Relative,” followed up by two singles. The two open for the greats such as, Leon Russell, Dr. Hook, Jack Ingram.  In 2002 drummer Nonie Taliaferro took a hiatus from the music world to care for her terminally ill fiancé, as well as her father who suffered a stroke. Guitarist Stuart Rhodes carried on by forming the band MuddGroove in 2005  with lead vocalist Linda Luke and Bass guitarist Whitney Anderson. The band MuddGroove saw great success playing the McAlester Tulsa, Oklahoma,  Grand Lake area. Tragedy struck yet again with the loss of Stuart Rhodes daughter, Amber, in a tragic car accident in Arizona. It was then that Stuart moved the band to Arizona. To get thru this horrific event, Stuart threw his mind body and soul into his music. He found solace on stage, to deal with his feelings of grief and distress when he poured his heart out on stage. 

After Linda Luke departed the band in 2014 to move to Colorado, Robin Trinchini came on board to help front the band. 

 In 2017, with the encouragement of former band mate Nonie Taliaferro, Stuart moved back to Oklahoma to run Taliaferro’s music studio. It was then that Stuart started looking for players with a high level of musicianship to join the now back in Oklahoma band. That’s when Stuart reunited with former MuddGroove bass guitarist, Whitney Anderson. Stuart was very aware few could match Whitneys effortless blend of flawless bass guitar timing and grooving, always bold and exciting. 

Nonie suggested local powerhouse  vocalist, Telina Rudd join the band. Telina is no stranger to the stage, opening for Wynonna Judd and John Conley, fronting several bands. Nonie has played in a country band with Telina’s father Alan Rudd. As a child, Telina was impressed with drummer Nonie Taliaferro and her skills as a musician. Ironically, as fate would have it, Nonie and Telina share the same stage together after all these years. 

MuddGroove has evolved as they’ve soaked up life’s experiences. Camaraderie and creativity has made this band what it is today. As Stuart stated, “We are all in a good place right now and just as good friends as we first started.”

MuddGroove is here and now, rooted in friendship, grounded in dedication to deliver an epic concert performance at every gig!