The Bassboards

RARITAN TWP. — A blues and classic rock band based here has its first CD out. Founded in 2004 by John Caruana of East Amwell Township, who moved to Texas this year, the Bassboards are a “very eclectic group” according to Mike Wolf, the band’s coordinator.

The CD, “Live at the Long Island Blues Warehouse,” was recorded in March with a radio audience of about 35,000 people, Wolf said.

Offered for sale at concerts for $10, it includes several covers of classic songs and one original, “I Used to Be Hot (And Now I’m Not),” a “baby boomer’s lament” written by the band’s co-founder Dr. Greg LaGana, pianist and vocalist.


“We have to write what we know about,” Wolf said with a laugh.

They will perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14 at the Pattenburg House tavern in Union Township.

The members, whose ages range from 27 to 68, are: Mike Alferman, an engineer from Flemington; Allan Conover, sports editor at the Hunterdon County Democrat; Keith Csolak, instrumental music instructor at Star Maker School of the Performing Arts in Raritan Township; Dr. Steve Dribbon, a podiatrist at Hunterdon Medical Center; Jim Hindle, executive vice president of Hitran Corp. in Raritan Township; LaGana, a retired family physician from Bridgewater; Mike Machnik, director of instructional technology at Raritan Valley Community College; Ed Ronco, business manager at Immaculate Conception in Annandale; Al Sharavsky, owner of Sharavsky Communications in Philadelphia; lead singer Jessica Smith, music teacher at Hackettstown High School; Wolf, who is the president of pharmacy operations for Wald Drugs; and his son Adam Wolf, an actuarial consultant from Hillsborough.


Caruana will visit occasionally from Texas to play with the band, Wolf said.

While many of the members have formal musical training, others do not. Conover, a self-taught drummer, said he has never had any training and can’t read music.

“My entire life … I really wanted to play drums in a band,” he said. “It’s probably been the greatest experience of my life.”

When the Bassboards started out, they could play about 30 songs. Now, they have a repertoire of more than 150, including covers of Jerry Lee Lewis, Blues Brothers, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and other Motown, jazz and rock favorites, Wolf said.

“It gives us the ability to really vary the shows,” he said.

Though the band plays many covers, Wolf said their music is unique.

“What can we do to make it ours, to make it sound like the Bassboards?” he asks about every song.

Band members are fluent with a variety of instruments, including piano, keyboard, harp, drums, electric guitar, slide guitar, bass guitar, saxophone, trombone, tuba, standup bass, electric bass, trumpet and clarinet.


“The horn section is what really separates us from your run-of-the-mill band,” Conover said.

He said audiences “go crazy” when they hear the Bassboards play.

Despite their full-time jobs, most members find time to rehearse Thursday nights at Wolf’s Raritan Township home.

The best part, for Wolf, is “sitting there playing.”

“It’s playing with friends,” he explained. “I love hearing it all come together.” - Hunterdon Democrat/NJ.com