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![]() Dana Lawrence; vocals, guitars, harp |
Dana was a world famous bartender in California before he gave in to his one true love, music. Dana has lived and played in Key West, Nashville, and San Francisco, and now makes Sarasota, Florida his home base. Dana's influences are old school crooners (Frank) and country legends (Willie, Cash) to modern poets like Ryan Adams, Tom Petty and Lyle Lovett. Also love the blues, from Son Volt to Robert Cray, blues is the cornerstone of everything we play. |
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Sanderson Poe; electric and stand up bass |
Sanderson was born in Oklahoma, picked up the bass in Alaska and trained in Belgium before heading to Sarasota, FL. |
![]() Thorson Moore; vocals, electric and acoustic guitar |
Thorson grew up in Hawaii and Sarasota and was a member of Funky Octahedra and Big Kahuna. When Thorson returned from a tour with Devon Allman's Honeytribe, Kettle was making a change from the original line-up and the match sent shockwaves through the Gulf Coast music scene. |
![]() Garrett Dawson; drums, percussion |
In a small wooded town in
northern New Jersey, Garrett Dawson was born into a family of musicians.
From the age of two Garrett had no problem hopping up on a stage, grabbing a
maraca, guiro or tambourine and shaking his thing. To the surprise of his
father and family he could actually keep time and play some interesting
patterns. Garrett loved going to his father’s and uncle’s shows and being a
sit in novelty act while grooving to blues, rockabilly, and 60s and 70s rock
n roll. At age 6 he got his first drum set, began studying and formed his
first band. Within a few years his band was playing talent shows, parties
and festivals around New Jersey and the surrounding areas. Garrett soon
became enthralled with hand percussion and the music of Africa after
witnessing several Salsa bands and African drum troops. Taking advantage of
his proximity to NYC Garrett’s father brought him to a drum class taught by
the master Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji. Truly inspired by the
teachings and the soul of this world-class drummer Garrett was never the
same. By age 13 he began studying under a family friend, renowned jazz
percussionist Armen Halburian, acclaimed for his work with Herbie Mann and
Cissy Houston and countless other big name artists. Throughout middle and
high school Garrett spent nearly every weekend jamming and gigging with his
friends or his father’s band, Time Piece. Garrett could be found playing
Psychedelic Rock n Roll, Hip Hop, Jazz, Funk, Reggae, Blues, Classic Rock,
and Country Music regularly. He religiously attended drum circles and
ensembles and was schooled in West African Rhythms, Rastafarian Nyabingi ,
Native American rhythms, Middle Eastern Doumbek and frame drum. During high
school Garrett attended William Patterson University’s summer jazz program
where he studied jazz theory and performance under the Jazz giants James
Williams, Frank Wess and John Riley. Shortly after graduating high school Garrett relocated to Florida and made a name for him self on the music scene. He became the youngest member of the Roots Reggae and Island Jazz group Dem tings, a horn driven groove institution that worked all over Florida and the south east. During this time Garrett received a full music scholarship to Manatee Community College, played in the symphonic wind ensemble and jazz band and graduated with an AA. Garrett was asked to fill the drum chair for the Tampa Bay based African Soukous band, Amandla Tunesmith and was the youngest member of this group by about 20 years. Amandala Tunesmith plays high energy African dance music from Zaire, the Congo, and Kenya, and is lead buy the fluid dancing and Swahili and Lingala vocals of Zakio Musatche and the beautiful guitar melodies of Vincent Simms. Amandla has played many large festivals and shared the stage with many big name world music acts such as the Refuge All Stars of Sierra Leone and the Grammy award wining Haitian super group Boukman Eysperians. Garrett kept busy the next few years playing many diverse styles such as Flamenco, Afro-Cuban, Latin Jazz, Salsa, Strait Ahead, Americana, Blue Grass, Folk, Classical, Ska, Swing, Fusion, R&B, Soca, Jam band, New Age, and Brazilian. He also worked in theatre orchestras, performed many solo percussion performances and wrote and produced cds and commercials. Garrett then became a member of the Latin/ Caribbean Funk band Big Night Out. Their Horn laden melodies and soulful Latin grooves enabled BNO to work many large festivals and venues. Big Night Out recorded 2 eps with Garrett on drum set and minor percussion and has backed up Haywood Gregory (Aretha Franklin/ Eddy Harris/ and many more) and has been on the same bill as America, Brave Combo, Alejandro Escovedo, and Mofro. Once again Garrett was the youngest member. Currently Garrett performs with the Garifuna Punta Rock super star Rolando “Ideal” Castillo and the Cultural Revolution. Punta Rock is a high energy Black Carib Indian dance music from Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. The Cultural Revolution is comprised of many amazing talents including the Belizean “Punta Rock Jewel” Nuru aka Day-Aan Ellis and the keyboard wizardry of Eugene “Katoose” Medina (Anthem/ Beres Hammond). Garrett has toured and recorded with Ideal and the Cultural Revolution and is featured on the DVD, Lo Mejor de la Punta Chapina. One of Garrett’s latest projects The Key Rats, is comprised of steel pan virtuoso Cort Farris, bass maestro Pedro Arevalo (Dickey Betts Band), and guitar styling of Danny Brock along with many other brilliant players. The Key Rats play Jazz influenced Soca, Calypso, Reggae, Delta Blues, swamp influenced Funk, Second Line, traditional spirituals, Afro Cuban, Latin jazz and hillbilly music. They have their own unique sound and style referred to as Siesta Creole or Swampamuffin. Garrett is also a member of Silas Duroucher and friends, which consists of Silas Durocher (composition, guitar, vocals), Bharat Chandra (principal clarinetist for the Florida West Coast Symphony), Sasha von Dassow (cellist for the Florida Orchestra and Musicians Out of the Box String Quartet), and John Miller (principal bassist for the Florida West Coast Symphony). The music synthesizes funk and rock n’ roll with classical, composed music. In June of 2008 the group recorded their first album under the direction of Grammy nominated producer (for his work with the Allman Brothers Band) Bud Snyder. Garrett has been fortunate enough to study with many great percussionists and drummers such as John Jenkins (DaveValentin, Dido Maronie), master percussionist Gumbi Ortiz (Al Di Meola), Dave Weckl, Billy Cobham, Senegalese/Guinean master percussionist Fode Moussa Camara, Steve Smith, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Pat Petrillo, Jason Gianni, Bobby Sanabria, among others. Garrett also has performed or recorded with talented and inspiring musicians and groups such as Groupo Salsa Mundo, Expanding Nebula Band, David Stolarz, the 504 Band, Pedro Arevalo and Friends, Turkey Bullion Mafia, Gadu Nunez, Marcony Star, Fermin Arzu , Pot Belly Original, Twinkle, Matt Gerhardt Ensemble, Jennifer Hartswick Band (trumpeter and vocalist for Trey Anastasio) Dickey Betts and Great Southern (Allman Bros founding member) Radio Free Carmela and the Transmitters, Thoorson Moore and Intergalactic Transmitter, Local Celebrity Band, Vine Street Rumba Band, members of Spyro Gyro, Jimmie Fadden of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Energy Nation, Shea Seger,, James Peterson( Blues Legend/Lucky Petersons father), Kristina Vinson, among many, many others. |
![]() Cort Farris; drums, steel pan, vocals |
Cort grew up in New Jersey and attended the Berklee College of Music. Cort has been a member of the Fe band and the Key Rats while in Florida. |
![]() Jimmie Fadden; vocals, drums, harp |
Jimmie is a founding member of the Nitty Gitty Dirt Band and plays with Kettle when he is not on the road. |