Ollabelle

Ollabelle formed on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. They began playing at a corner bar on East 9th Street and Avenue C called 9-C, now known as Banjo Jim's. The band began playing for tips and drinks in this low-key, funky listening room frequented by up and coming blues and Americana musicians. By 2004, they had issued their first of two critically acclaimed albums on Columbia/ Sony Music. The group includes Amy Helm, the daughter of legendary band drummer and vocalist Levon Helm; Fiona McBain on vocals and acoustic guitar; Byron Isaacs on vocals and bass; Tony Leone on vocals and drums; Glenn Patscha on vocals and keyboards, and Jimi Zhivago on vocals and electric guitars, dobro and mandolin. The group draws its inspiration from all genres of American roots/vernacular music, including gospel, blues, country, and bluegrass. Their self-titled debut album was loaded with traditional songs, including Bessie Jones' "Before This Time," "Soul of a Man," "Elijah Rock," "Jesus on the Mainline," and others, but their debut does include some originals and one Jagger/Richards composition, "I Am Waiting." What began as a side project for all the musicians involved led to a deal with Columbia/ Sony Music and their debut was produced by fellow roots musician T Bone Burnett. This got the band airplay, exposure, and bookings at festivals and theaters around the U.S. and Canada. The band also had the chance to tour right out of the gate with such names as Diana Krall, Ryan Adams, and Buddy Miller. Helm was raised in a musical family, being the daughter of a legendary band drummer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. She sang with blues bands throughout her teens in upstate New York, prior to her moving to Brooklyn. Byron Isaacs worked with a variety of bands around New York City while continuing to write his own songs. Keyboardist Glenn Patscha worked in New Orleans with several rock groups before moving to New York City. Drummer Tony Leone worked with a variety of jazz combos around New York City prior to forming Ollabelle with the others, and vocalist and guitarist Fiona McBain moved to New York from Sydney, Australia and was starting to earn accolades at 9-C as a solo singer/songwriter. The band released a follow-up to their 2004 debut, Riverside Battle Songs, in 2006 on the Verve/Forecast label, which contained more expertly rendered traditional songs. Riverside Battle Songs was produced by New York City-based multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, who worked in Bob Dylan's touring band for many years. Ollabelle's second album showcases more of their original compositions, molded in the style of their influences, which includes everyone from Ola Belle Reed and Sister Rosetta Tharp to Muddy Waters. McBain described Riverside Battle Songs as "a collection of songs of hard times, loss, compassion and hope." The band regrouped without guitarist Jimi Zhivago for that Verve/ Forecast album, on which they offer up their modernized take on Reed's bluegrass standard "High on a Mountain." In 2008, the band released a live album independently, as a quintet. They continue to tour and record.
— Richard Skelly , All Music Guide