Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams

All Music Guide:

Playing an utterly unique blend of rock & roll, folk, and quirky Americana, Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams have been called "the hillbilly Pink Floyd," which is an apt description, particularly if you throw in elements of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Band, Neil Diamond, and maybe even some Frank Zappa as well. Lead singer and main songwriter Joziah Longo (guitar and harmonica) and multi-instrumentalists Tink Lloyd (accordion, cello, flute) and Sharkey McEwan (guitar, mandolin, and backing vocals) had worked previously together in the hard rock outfit the Ancestors in the late '80s and early '90s and got a close, hard look at the pressures and insanities of the major-label music machines. The trio walked away from it all and settled in the Sleepy Hollow area of the Hudson River Valley in New York, where, enlisting percussionist and drummer Tony Zuzulo in 1998, they were reborn as Gandalf Murphy (there is no one named Gandalf or Murphy in the band). The group developed a quirky, versatile, and good-humored show that worked as well in small folk clubs as it did on large festival stages, and has built a large and loyal fan following. In recent years the Circus has added Chen Longo as a bassist (Chen is the son of Joziah and Tink, who are husband and wife). Fiercely independent, the group runs its own label, High Noon Records, and has released a pair of studio albums, 1998's A Good Thief Tips His Hat and 2004's double-disc Flapjacks from the Sky, as well as the concert albums Live at the Town Crier (2001) and A Night at the Puppet House (2003).

Wikipedia:

Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams is a Hudson Valley New York based band, which was founded in Sleepy Hollow in 1998. The band's music is a form of Folk rock and is sometimes described as "Hillbilly Pink Floyd," or "Punk Classical Hillbilly Floyd." Their latest album, The Great Unravel, was released nationally in the United States on August 5, 2008, and internationally on August 8, 2008.

"Playing an utterly unique blend of rock & roll, folk, and quirky Americana, Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams have been called "the hillbilly Pink Floyd," which is an apt description, particularly if you throw in elements of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Band, Neil Diamond, and maybe even some Frank Zappa as well." - Pandora Radio

The band regularly plays the major folk music venues, coffeehouses and music festivals in the Northeastern, and East North Central United States often to sold out crowds. They also tour in other regions of the United States, including California and Florida. In August 2008 they made their first appearance outside of North America, at the Rhythm Festival in England. Their reception there was so enthusiastic that they were invited back for the 2009 festival, as well as several other UK festivals in the summer of 2009.

The flavor of the band is best captured by a live concert, or by one of their live recordings. The band is noted for the dedication and support shown by their fans. Some fans travel hundreds of miles to attend concerts. A high point of the year for many fans are the Grand Slambovian Hillbilly Pirate Balls, annual costumed events held in London and New York in the run-up to Halloween.

Members

The band's current lineup is:

In past lineups Joziah and Tink's twin sons, Chen and Orien Longo, have played keyboards and bass with the band. Both left the band to attend college - Chen in September 2009 and Orien in September 2010. They still play with the band on special occasions, such as the annual Extraterrestrial Hillbilly Pirate Balls.

Band history

In the late 1980s and early 1990s Joziah, Tink, and Sharkey were members of a progressive rock band called The Ancestors, which released 3 albums.

Tracks on Brigadoon were produced by Eddie Kramer.

Other members of The Ancestors included Bob Muller (of the Trey Gunn Band), and Alistair Farrant.

The Ancestors had some degree of success but the band broke up in 1995, and they took a hiatus from the music industry. During that hiatus Joziah and Tink took courses in computer graphic design and video production at the Westchester Arts Workshop and met Tony, who was one of their instructors. In 1998 they formed The Circus and added Tony when they discovered that he had been a bar band drummer.