LISTEN
The Stone Shakers – (L-R) Kevin Walsh, Ritchie Rubini, Pete Cogan, Samantha Poole and Tony Cappella.
SHAKIN’ IT UP
With a who’s who lineup of local musicians and a 'casual synergy,' the Stone Shakers have found a growing audience By Kevin Francis Photos by Joe del Tufo
T
he local music scene is a living organism, with musicians and singers shifting between bands, forging new ideas and new sounds. And many of these troubadours hold positions in numerous bands simultaneously, thus deepening their pedigrees. One such is the Stone Shakers, featuring the chanteuse Samantha Poole on vocals and “a bunch of grizzled old musical vets,” according to guitarist and mandolin player Kevin Walsh, who, like the rest of the band, has a few decades on Poole. Indeed, the band is a literal who’s who of the local music scene stretching back more than 40 years. Alongside Poole and Walsh is Tony Cappella on bass, Ritchie Rubini on percussion and Pete Cogan on harmonica. With a collective resume that includes local legendary bands such as Montana Wildaxe, The Snap, Vinyl Shockley, and The Bullets, with
whom Cogan is a frequent guest performer, their musical chops are beyond reproach. Everyone sings, too, with the exception of Cogan, who says, “You don’t want to hear me sing.” Their self-titled CD was released in October, with a cover shot by local photographer Joe del Tufo, who has a strong connection to the Delaware music scene. It was produced, recorded and mixed by Ian Walsh, a producer and songwriter with Pulse Music Group, based in Los Angeles, who is also with the band Bel Heir (RCA Records). He also happens to be Kevin Walsh’s son. “The new EP has done really well,” says the elder Walsh. “The single ‘All My Best Years’ has been added to maybe a dozen member playlists on Spotify. Last time I checked we had well over 4,000 monthly listeners from all over the U.S. and internationally.” ► JANUARY 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM
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