RedSammy
Graveyard Country Music From Baltimore, MD
"Whatever has black sounds has duende," Manuel Torres, the great artist of the Andalusian people.
In 2005, local Baltimore songwriter, Adam Trice, founded the graveyard country rock band, Red Sammy. The band name, a reference to Flannery O'Connor's short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find" (1955), is a perfect pairing for the band's dark and menacing style. Red Sammy captures the hope in desperation, the beauty in imperfection with honest songwriting. Life, work, hard work, disappointment, love and loss are all themes entwined in their songs. The band draws upon a variety of both literary and musical influences including Flannery O'Connor, Ernest Hemingway, Anton Chekhov, William Faulkner, William Carlos Williams, Gerald Stern, Alejandro Escovedo, Tom Waits, Neil Young, The Pixies, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Johnny Cash.
In 2007, Red Sammy released their first, full-length, self-titled album recorded at Cleancuts Music in Baltimore's thriving and unique art community, Hampden. The album contains eleven picturesque songs that juxtapose gritty sounds with vibrant bursts of harmonic splendor. From the mellow ocean-tide groove of "Outside" to the raw-rocking grunge licks of "King on the Road," Red Sammy's songs reach the core of the listener.
The band: Adam Trice presents Red Sammy in various musical arrangements including solo, duo, and full-piece band performances. Baltimore area musicians that perform and/or have performed in Red Sammy include, Katie Feild (bass guitar, concertina, vocals), Josh Weiss (pedal steel, electric guitar, banjo), Nick Sjostrom (drums and percussion), Eric Friedman (keyboards, harmonica), Theron Alexander (bass, musical saw), J. Spence Holman (drums and percussion),
Robert Creath (drums and percussion), Adam Trice (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals, harmonica).
"It's freight-jumping, wedding ring-pawning music," Violet Glaze, Baltimore City Paper.
On-Air Interview: The Signal (WYPR 88.1 FM)
The band name, Red Sammy, comes from Flannery O'Connor's short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find" (1955). To read the short story for yourself, click on the book image below.
