photo: jon cohan

“Homemade rock ‘n’ roll with a dose of rattlesnake venom and gospel-drenched howling.” - All Things Considered

Michael Tarbox’s songs have what one fan calls “a spiky backwoods sound.” Many are rough-hewn, some are written with a sense of hard-won perspective, others are improbable and extravagant. Tarbox pulls them together with a guitar sound that’s tough as Texas barbed-wire.

Tarbox’s early musical experiences include playing bass in rock bands and working as a street musician in Spain and France. He later immersed himself in pre-war blues and gospel music while driving a taxi to put himself through school. These, and many other influences, led him to form The Tarbox Ramblers. The band released several well-received albums on The Rounder label.

Michael Tarbox’s solo releases include My Primitive Joy, Works and Days and Paler Suns, with songs by heroes like Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, and The Mississippi Sheiks.

SHOWS

FRI 12/20 - Tarbox Ramblers, Charles River Museum, Waltham MA

SUN 2/16 (afternoon) - Myrtle, Providence RI. w/ Martin, Morrell, Fredette

SAT 3/29 - Tarbox Ramblers @ Sally O’Brien’s, Somerville MA

THU 4/10 - Solo Show, Charles River Museum of Industry, Waltham MA

SAT 4/12 - Tarbox Ramblers @ The Fallout Shelter, Norwood MA

SAT 4/26 - Solo House Concert, Warren RI

FRI 5/9 - Tarbox Ramblers @ The Bull Run, Shirley MA

SAT 12/6 - Solo Show, Studio 33 Live, Bellows Falls VT