See Rick's Photo Gallery

Rick Norcross, longtime leader of Vermont’s premier western swing band, Rick & The Ramblers, performs songs from his most recent CD, “I Rode The Ti,” and new songs written for his upcoming 2013 CD project celebrating 50 years as an internationally-known performer and musician. Many of his songs are lighthearted snapshots of a lost Vermont.

A third generation graduate of Hardwick Academy, Class of ‘63, Norcross began his career performing as a “folk singer,” today called a singer/songwriter, for 17 years playing mostly humorous songs, first around northern Vermont before moving on to perform at major folk venues like Club 47 in Boston and The Gaslight in New York City.

In June of 1965, he boarded the ocean liner “Empress of England” out of Montreal, and headed for London where he performed for nearly a year in folk clubs all over England under the auspices of London City Agency (who also handled one other American folk singer, Paul Simon). He returned for three more British tours playing over 50 folk clubs into 1974 when he began working summers out of Burlington and winters out of Tampa, Florida for the next 20 years.

When the “Great Folk Scare of the 60s” receded, Norcross turned to performing in band configurations, continuing to perform many of his own songs in a western swing genre, a natural extension of his favorite music, combining folk, country, swing, blues and jazz in a dancable, up-tempo, audience-friendly sound.

Fronting his longtime seven piece group, Rick & The Ramblers Western Swing Band, Norcross has performed many hundreds of shows around the region over the years including 59 concerts in Vermont State Parks over the past 12 years, 14 First Night Burlington shows, six appearances at the WOKO Country Club Music Festivals at the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds, four performances on Vermont Day at the Eastern States Expositon and 16 times prior to Vermont’s largest fireworks show on Burlington’s Waterfront on the 3rd of July. For the past 26 years, he has resided in a former railway express depot at the foot of Battery Street on Burlington's historic waterfront, inspired by breathtaking sunsets over Lake Champlain. Rick writes songs and spins tales of a Vermont gone but not forgotten.

In May of 2010, Norcross was invited to perform a solo 10-day tour of British folk clubs in Murcia, Spain by an old friend who booked him into folk clubs in England back in the 60s. The experience rekindled his love of the folk venues. He has since performed at house concerts, Vermont’s History Expo at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds, at the Hardwick Town House 150th Birthday Party and Burlington’s South End Art Hop where he was joined on stage by The Blue Gardenias, who also appear on the Rick & The Ramblers “I Rode The Ti” CD. He is vice president of the South End Arts & Business Association in Burlington, on the board of directors of the Northeast Kingdom Arts Council, is listed in the International Who's Who in Popular Music and is honored to stand on stage with this talented and wonderful band of Ramblers.
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See Taryn's Photo Gallery

Vocalist Taryn Noelle is the Ramblers' Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Taryn joined the Ramblers three years ago to bring her sultry voice, her commanding stage presence and her audience-melting smile to our stages. She is featured on three songs on the "I Rode The Ti" CD, "Swing of the Range," "Never Be Anyone Else" and "Right or Wrong" and is gaining a growing legion of fans who love to hear her sing Patsy Cline tunes.

"Luminous, Evocative, Poignant and Soulful" are words spoken about this talented young singer, actress, dancer and choreographer. Originally from Toronto, Taryn has studied dance, theatre and voice with acclaimed New York and Vermont vocal teacher Bill Reed and at the renowned Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City. After years of playing leading roles in American Musical Theatre, she returned to Vermont to focus on her love of singing, playing on her considerable talent as a jazz and cabaret vocalist. She was showered with rave reviews for her recent lead performance in "Cabaret" at the University of Vermont's Royal Tyler Theater and in addition to her busy schedule teaching dance, has been center stage for the past two years in the Vermont Arts Council's "Dancing With The Stars."

Taryn has recorded two of her own jazz CDs and, in addition to her starring position with the Ramblers, frequently performs with the very fab jazz vocal trio, The Blue Gardenias. Rambler Taryn Noelle is simply... Terrific.

Learn more about Taryn by visiting her Web Site: www.tarynnoelle.com
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See Charlie's Photo Gallery

Charlie was educated at Oberlin College (math & music) and as the piano player for the Burlington rockabilly and swing band Buck & the Black Cats, making him the perfect choice as keyboard whiz and accordion player for Rick & The Ramblers. Originally from New York, Charlie has lived in Burlington since 1992 and by day is a high school math teacher at CVU in Hinesburg. Besides holding down the stage left position on the Ramblers' team, Charlie plays accordion with the jazz quartet Combo 37. His latest project is raising a piano trio at home with his two sons on bass and drums.

He prefers the old-fashioned swing, boogie and honky-tonk piano styles in the tradition of Moon Mullican and Al Stricklin which fits the sound of the Ramblers like a sequined glove. Charlie outdid himself creating the swinging arrangements on the new Ramblers CD project.
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See Doug's Photo Gallery

Rambler Doug Reid started violin lessons at fourteen when was listening to jazz/swing master Stephane Grappelli. Doug says he's excited to be at the stage in his career when he can devote himself to the fine points of this lyrical style. Classically trained, he spent many years as a touring side man in country & western bands out of Southern California, Austin, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia. He has opened for many major acts in country music. While living in Texas, he studied jazz and composition at North Texas State University and played with several of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys, including Joe Holley and Johnny Gimble.

Doug spent seven years as a feature performer at the Jim Stafford Show, in Branson, Missouri, where he was alternately comedy writer, arranger, Music Director, and head of Special Effects. Doug was with the Paris Swing Orchestra of New York for four years at the annual Bastille Day Celebration on 60th Street. He returned home to Vermont in 1999 and currently resides in Wheelock in the Northeast Kingdom.
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Buck Maynard first picked up the guitar during his last year of high school, in Colchester, Vermont. After graduating in 1987, he went on to the University of Vermont, where his interest in music took a firm hold with a stint on UVM's radio station WRUV. His two hour show, The Mystery Train, opened his ears to many roots based styles and led to seven years as front-man and eventual lead guitarist in Vermont's Buck & The Black Cats along with Rambler keyboard wizard Charlie MacFadyen.

After playing Rockabilly and a little Western Swing in his first band, Buck played swing jazz guitar in Burlington's Combo 37. He now plays a mixture of Gypsy Swing, American Songbook classic, and French Chanson in Trio Gusto.

His love of many, different swing-based guitar styles makes him a welcome addition to the Ramblers, where he will surely fit in well, playing classic Western Swing and Country guitar with hints of Luther Perkins, Chet Atkins and Hillbilly Jazz whiz, Jimmy Bryant.
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By day, an unassuming account executive with Morrisville country music station WLVB, a north country realtor and a spirited country auctioneer. By night and onstage... one wicked talented bass player and spot-on lead and harmony vocalist. Dave Rowell brings more than 18 years experience as a longtime member of one of Central Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom's favorite traditional country bands, the WDEV Radio Rangers. The WDEV Radio Rangers have performed on the air every Saturday morning at 10:30 on WDEV since 1986 and are a favorite at community events all over the region.

Dave and his family live in East Craftsbury where his musical roots run deep. His family founded the Craftsbury Chamber Players over 40 years ago and his sister Mary is Concertmaster at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and occasionally tours with Cheryl Crow. Dave brings a love of real country music to the table and knows more songs than an iPod Classic. He has quickly become a favorite vocalist on Rambler shows with his smooth as silk delivery in addition to holding down the bass position in the rhythm section.
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See Brett's Photo Gallery

A grateful denizen of the Northeast Kingdom, Brett has been a drummer since 1964, when he first picked up sticks to emulate his favorite timekeepers of the British Invasion.

Brett took a ride last summer on the Rambler tour bus, affectionately known as "The Pickle," as a sub drummer for a concert at Lake St. Catherine State Park in Poultney just below Rutland. It wasn't just the color of his drum kit (turquoise) or his jovial nature that immediately endeared him to the Ramblers, it was his rock-solid drum style and innate feel for the western swing genre that made him such a delight. Brett expressed an interest in playing with the Ramblers and when an opening appeared, he was immediately invited to ride The Pickle as a regular Rambler.

On hearing Hoagy Carmichael's famous song, "Moonlight In Vermont", Brett took the title as career advice, and so today you'll find him also making music (moonlighting from his teaching position) with the Slant Six Swing Band, the Dave Keller Band and now, Rick & The Ramblers Western Swing Band.
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