MixedgreenZ...
It takes all kinds of Mixed greenZ... to make a good salad. We certainly are all kindz.
Cameron -- "Cam"
Cameron Alworth: Lead Vocals, Acoustic guitar, song smith. (and a RoxTar says Johhny-roxtar)
Cameron migrated south to the triangle area back in early 2005. Originally hailing from Highland Lakes New Jersey, he is our token yankee transplant.. but you would never know it talking to him. A warm, kind and adaptable soul is he.
Cameron is our rock.. the catalyst in our chemistry. His solid approach to finger picked rhythm guitar forms the canvas on which we paint our music. A testament to his drive and talent is that he has been playing guitar a scant 6 years! Trial by fire seasons all things green, and Cameron is no exception. Two years of full time playing with the music experience, Jibe-A-Guan, helped forge his natural talents.
Cameron brings a library of written material to the stage. His original songs are like 'old friends', inspirational to the rest of the 'GreenZ... Perhaps one of his most understated talents is to synthesize songs on the fly, prime examples are our first spontaneous collaborations, "Burn the Sky" and "Loosee Goosee".
Dana -- "Thumper"
Dana Fitz-Simons is our pulse, our wiggle-master who moves our hearts & feet...Thumper!
A Raleigh native, she began her journey to mastery of percussion in the sixth grade under the direction of Jimmy Burns, "one totally cool dude!" An avid participant in the Performing Arts curriculum at Enloe High School (one of the first GT Magnet schools in NC) she continued her musical training in the Concert Band, Jazz Band and Pit Orchestra. Starting as Snare Sergeant, she rose through Enloe's award winning Marching Band to become the first female Drumline Captain. Outside of school, Rich Hargrove was her drum instructor for several years, introducing her to "the set." A tour through All-State Band and then a stint as one of the percussionist at Governor's School East finished her early years with a "take no prisoners" approach to music.
A love of eclectia flows through her: a foundation of Frank Zappa, some Grateful Phish, Apricot Jam, Poi Dog Pondering, Jane's Addiction, P-Funk, Tartan Amoebas, a topping of North Mississippi Allstars, sprinkled with oddities like Steven Reich.
The early bands include "Oxymoron," "Krakatoa" and "Pataka Blue" (with T. Strickland). A recent 2 year adventure with the "Adam Anderson Project" leaves her here in the field of MixedGreenZ, and we are blessed! (more)
Jon Christie -- "Crispy"
A young man with an old soul, Jon was born in Johannesburg, then raised outside of Philly.
Another early starter, Jon picked up the guitar in 8th grade.
Jon loves his day job as a High School math and music teacher in Chapel Hill.
"I studied math and jazz at Carolina, so I couldn't ask for a better profession at this point in my life."
Jon's many influences & styles have opened new pathways for Mixed GreenZ.. especially harder funky edges.
We are discovering new balances between gestaltic, flowing music and managed arrangements to be both fun a challenging.
CongaRob -- "Slappin' Skinz without the sinz"
CongaRob got his first drum set in 1982 for his 14th birthday. Rob and his two older brothers instantly started a rock & roll band named Second Generation. While attending college in 1991, Rob traded his drum set for a pair of congas. Ever since, he has specialized in hand percussion focused around the congas. Study of African and Latin music gives him the rhythm base to play with almost any type of music over the years including Jazz, Reggae, Blues, Old Time, Zydeco, Blue Grass and good old fashion Rock & Roll. Conga Rob brings 25 years of professional drumming experience to Mixed Greenz's kitchen.
Patrick -- "PatMan" our paragon of loquacity
Patrick Fitz-Simons: 4 & 5 string fretted and fretless bass, engineering, general wizardry...Groove Troll
PatMan has been honing his ears since he was a baby. Surrounded by music as an infant, first on the block with his own stereo (a Juliette from Roses - first album? hmmm.. Steve Miller Band, ?The Joker?), Blessed to have wonderful friends with exceptional music libraries (Greg, Perry, Pete -you know who you are!), you can say the battery is charged with eclectic tuneage.
Influenced by a diverse list of artists including: Bach, Dave Brubeck, Paul McCartney, Victor Wooten, Phil Lesh, Stanley Clark, Tony Levin, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Les Claypool, Mike Gordon and recently Danyel Morgan (to name a few), helped flavor 23 years of cookin' up bass grooves for bunches of bands: Vacant Eyes, Mercury Theatre of Air, No Badges, Runnin' Late, Pataka Blue, The Adam Anderson Project, DriPDRiT and now Mixed Greenz.
A seasoned entertainment industry professional of 15 years, IATSE local 417 card holder, he has been exposed to the deep valleys of professional show business and worn multiple hats; Lead Sound Engineer, Electrician, Lighting Designer / Operator and Stage Hand... (the list goes on).
A ?Man who Tinkers?, Patman has been technically inclined for life. Easily described as a ?Jack of all trades and master of few?. He blends a working knowledge of physics & electronics into his daily life, building and repairing "things": computers, instruments, cars, motorcycles, web sites, salads and GROOVES... again..the list goes on.
Translating his inner Live Sound Reinforcement machine into a Studio Recording and Mastering engine has indeed been a challenge, but we think the results of our demo show that Patman is making strides... (and finds writing about himself in 3rd person to be strange beyond belief!)
See ya at the Show!
(more?...)
Frequent Guest Players
We get by with a little help from our Friendz!
Marty Bauer
Marty brings her soulful voice to the plate with a wide range of flavors. A natural affinity for harmony.. delicious!
oh.. and she plays keyboards too!
She appears all over the recent demo recordings...
You may catch her appearing with us at triangle area performances.
Rick -- "Noodles"
A diligent miner of jams, Rick always seems to be able to divine rich veins of "stream of melodious" ore. Rick is one of the first core players with Mixed Greenz. You will find his touch in"Burn the Sky" unfortunately we have not been able to create music together for some time, as he has had to take a journy into his personal health. We hope that some day he will be able to sit in with us and show us the rabbit hole again... Miss you brother!