RJ's Rhythm Rockers

About RJ's Rhythm Rockers

Drummer RJ Spangler has been on the Detroit music seen for many years, in fact he earned his first Motor City Music Award in 1982 with a band he co-founded called the Sun Messengers. After 17 years as a Messenger, RJ went on to running the band for Detroit blues master Johnnie Bassett, whom was not well known at the time. The combination of RJ's work and Mr. Bassett's incredible talent took them across America and Europe many times. Along the way, RJ has played with Martha & the Van Dellas, The Drifters, Earl King, Larry McCray, Johnny Adams, Eddie Bo, Andre Williams, Nathaniel Mayer, Robert Penn, Eddie & Jimmy Burns, Pinetop Perkins, Ron Levy, Shirley King, Eddie Bo, James Carter, Catfish Hodge and many more! Today he is a WC Handy award nominated drummer, a record producer and manager/drummer for Alberta Adams, Joe Weaver, the Motor City R&B Pioneers and the Odessa Harris Group. RJ is on over 30 nationally available CDs.

Mr. Spangler backs Alberta, Joe & the R&B Pioneers with his band, the Rhythm Rockers. In addition to backing these wonderful artists, the Rhythm Rockers also work as a self contained group featuring Paul Carey on guitar. Paul and RJ's association goes back 35 years (15 in the Sun Messengers). Paul is a veteran player who has backed Hubert Sumlin, Fenton Robinson, Sonny Rhoades, Pinetop Perkins, Earl King, Garfield Angove, Chicago Pete, Willie D. Warren and he is Musical Director for Sir Mack Rice. Paul is an assured, seasoned & swinging blues guitarist.

The latest addition to the Rhythm Rockers is bassist Al Rude, who returns to the Detroit area after several years in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where he worked with Albert Castillia as well as his own group, the Swinging Johnson's. Al is best known around Detroit for playing bass with the Butler Twins, Kenny Parker and Chris Natho as well as leading his own group, the Groove Shakers. Al is also a very experienced engineer (Alberta Adams, Kenny Parker, Mark Falconberry,et al). Recently Al has added singing the blues to his repertoire.

Fronting the Rhythm Rockers are two talented guys: Joe Piccolo (sax) and Martin Simmons (piano/sax/flute). Both of these guys are strong singers. Joe also is a prolific songwriter and he can belt out the blues all night long. He has blown his sax with Garfield Angove, Robert Penn, Zoom and Chicago Pete. Hailing from Ann Arbor, Martin is a veteran that brings a great soul edge to the band. His credits include musical direction for Martha & the Vandellas, as well as gigs with the Contours and the Platters and leading his own groups. Musically the Rhythm Rockers are into lots of swinging 40/50 Jump style blues and R&B like Wynonnie Harris, Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner. Also some New Orleans type R&B and some funky old Chicago blues. This spring RJ and the Rhythm Rockers went into the studio for Detroit's No Cover label to start work on their debut CD, to be released this fall. They also can be heard backing the Motor City R&B Pioneers debut CD on the Blue Suit label (www.blue-suit.com).