ERIC FONTANA and The Ultra Fine Reducers Record Release Party for "Studies in R + B" Friday June 12 2009 Courthouse Center for The Arts $10 cover- BYOB- opening act Hannah Devine 8pm-10:30pm
A three show veteran of Courthouse Theater (The Full Monty, The Rocky Horror Show , Violet), guitarist and vocalist Eric Fontana will be releasing his fourth CD "Studies in R + B" with his quartet The Ultra Fine Reducers ; featuring bassist Thomas Brinkley ("Tommy" national tour, Herbal Nation), drummer Mike Levesque (David Bowie, Letters to Cleo, Reeves Gabriel, Jen Trynin, Juliana Hatfield) and five time W.C.Handy Blues award nominee tenor saxophonist Gordon Beadle(Duke Robillard, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Jerry Portnoy).
Fans of Rhode Island musical theater will also remember Eric as guitarist in Trinity Rep's 'Thunder Knocking on The Door' and 'Nickel and Dimed' , as well as Perishable Theater's banjo and mandolin player for 'Year of the Baby'.
A multiple category nominee several years in a row in both The Providence Phoenix and R.I. Motif's Best Music Polls (Best Male Vocalist, Album of the Year), Eric has been a full time musician since graduating from Berklee College of Music, and has performed as a solo artist opening for such notables as Ben Folds, They Might Be Giants, Kristen Hirsh, Tanya Donelly, Jason Mraz, Howie Day and Deer Tick.
As a session musician and assistant recording engineer , Eric has worked in the studio with Barbra Streisand, No Doubt, The Dropkick Murphys, The Amazing Royal Crowns, members of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and the late great fiddle legend Johnny Cunningham.
Also a touring musician , Eric has done extensive road work with Bruce Springtseen and The E-Street Band's saxophonist "The Big Man" Clarence Clemons, as well as E-Street guitarist Nils Lofgren. Currently, Eric also plays in modern rock band Hope Anchor, featuring Paul Everett of The Blizzard of '78 on vocals, and former Green Day backup guitarist Terry Linehan.
"Studies in R + B" is a musical road trip of various eras, geographical locations and styles of American Rhythm and Blues music , as seen through the eyes of a modern indie pop-rock mutt. CAN the influences of Elvis Costello, Paul Westerburg, The Beatles , Beck, Rilo Kiley , Bruce Springsteen, Jack White, Jon Brion and The Monkees meet Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Sam Cooke , B.B. King, Otis Redding , Etta James, Buddy Guy , Big Mama Thorton and Stevie Ray Vaughn successfully?!?
Come find out Friday June 12th , at Courthouse Center for The Arts...presented by 75 Or Less Records , and Fairhaven Entertainment ! Courthouse Center for the Arts , W.Kingston RI