Tom Eaton & PICK 3
PICK 3 is a group of acoustic "pickers" and singers rendering fresh interpretations of Bluegrass, Celtic, Western Swing, Country, and Blues Music. Using mandolin, harmonica, guitar, banjo, and stand-up bass combined with strong vocals, they weave through a diverse and entertaining program sharing a genuine warmth, enthusiasm, and sensitivity.
Tom Eaton (guitar & vocals) of Gloucester, Massachusetts has brought his music to more than fifteen foreign countries, traveled through Europe, the Caribbean and the Americas performing and learning from the local musicians he met along the way. Tom studied music and voice at Colorado State University, and jazz with Chuck Wayne. He toured extensively with a variety of bluegrass bands from the Rocky Mountain region; first as a founding member of "Everybody & His Brother" and then went on to "Generic Bluegrass". After moving east Tom played with two acoustic string bands in the New York tri-state area ( Out To Lunch for 20 years! ...Tom's extended family). Tom's prowess on the fretboard has brought him into a variety of performance venues including television, radio, festivals, concerts, and recording projects.
Pat Conlon (mandolin, harmonica, & vocals) of West Gloucester, Massachusetts has been a performer on the local Cape Ann music scene for over thirty years. He has performed a wide variety of musical genres and styles including blues and rock with the local favorites, The Gumby Bros. and Megawatt Blues Crushers, swing music with Backyard Swing as well as bluegrass with Blue Horizon and Old Cold Tater, of which he was a founding member. Over the years he has been featured as a guest performer with such local luminaries as Chick Marston and Ellen Ford, Daisy Nell and Capt. Stan, Fozzie Hill, Fly Amero, and many others. He brings to PICK 3 his enthusiastic and tasteful mandolin, harmonica and vocal work.
Nick Aparo (bass) of Newburyport, Massachusetts did his undergraduate and graduate classical studies at Boston University with a major in performance on bass. He studied with Henry Portnoi & Edwin Barker (former and present principal bassists for the BSO), and studies currently with jazz pedagogue, Charlie Banacos. Nick performs these days playing classical, jazz, blues, and other styles with both big and small groups. These current musical activities include playing with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and his own swing groups and chamber ensembles. This energetic musician seems eager to play with PICK 3 and drives us all with his willingness to boldly venture in new directions.
Dana King, our local banjo wizard, started sitting in at the beginning of 2003 and has now become a steady member of the band. Dana has played the five-string banjo since the age of twelve. His style is deeply rooted in the Scruggs tradition influenced by early training in turn of century classical banjo. He has studied with progre ssive banjo masters Tony Trischka and Bill Keith and more recently hosted workshops with some of his mentors. Dana has toured and recorded as a member of Connecticut- based Traver Hollow and currently Massachusetts-based Old Cold Tater. They have played throughout the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands and Japan.
Starting in the fall of '02 we worked frequently with Nate Leath on fiddle. Nate is a joy to play with and he can be heard on our most recent CD release. Nate became busy with his studies and other music projects, and our working together tapered off in 2003.
Tom Eaton started PICK 3 in 1995. Over the years there have been many collaborations and a few changes among the core musicians, but always shared has been a mutual joy found in playing acoustic roots music. We hope you will come hear the band soon and even if you have only half the fun as the band, you are sure to have a good time.
Contact Pick 3 at tomeaton@pick3.org