Fretwork

Artist Information

Biography

Back together again! East Coast guitar virtuoso Steve Creter and his old friend John Christopher have decided to collaborate again along with the help of another mutual friend Jeff Shoop, and the collaboration has resulted in the group “Fretwork”, featuring Steve Creter.

Fretwork will be performing an eclectic fusion of many styles of tasteful music. Aiming to get away from the “in your face” style of music, this project is a more laid back, feel good type of music featuring Steve’s outstanding guitar playing. In some people’s eyes it would be called a form of Jazz. You may call it what you want but it is something for everyone to enjoy without getting blasted off your seat.

Steve Creter - Guitar

Steve has been playing guitar since he was 9 years old and has evolved thru the many changes in styles of music over the years. Playing in Southern/Country rock bands in the 70’s and 80’s to the Blues scene in the 90’s thru the millennium, and now on to the Jazz community. Throughout all the bands, players and clubs one thing has remained constant… the man can still play the guitar. That’s all he wants to do - play. Steve is an guitar instructor for the Lebanon Valley College Music Dept. and is an endorser for National Resophonic Guitars.

John Christopher – Bass

John teamed up with Steve during the Blues days in the 90’s and stayed with him for 10 years. John then played with some friends who formed the band Not Quite Einstein and also currently still plays with Dave Kelly in Machine Gun Kelly. When the opportunity to get back together with Steve presented itself, it had to be done. “Steve is always thinking outside the box, and presents a musical challenge that any musician would welcome.”

Jeff Shoop – Drums, Percussion

Jeff has been a staple with Steve for many years, and he has teamed up with John before to work as Steve’s rhythm section. Jeff is such a versatile musician/drummer he can fit into many styles of music and be right at home.

Rich "Raggs" Ranaglia- Horns

Rich has been a major player on horns in Central PA for many years. His style of play and the quality of his work has made him in high demand for many musicians and many groups. His work on the different saxophones and flute have been a great addition to the sound Fretwork produces.

Instrumentation

Steve Creter Guitar, vocals
John Christopher Bass
Jeff Shoop, Drums and percussion
Rich Ranaglia Baritone, Tenor, Alto and Soprano Saxophones and Flute

Discography

Steve Creter and the Pirates of the Road- Back to the Delta

Audio

• Sample Music
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Video

Fretwork Live

Photo Gallery

Press

• Steve Creter [+ Show ]
  

  Creter, Steve Published: April 1998 Story: Catherine Scharnberger Photo: Carrie C. Biagio If...Creter, Steve
  Published: April 1998
  Story: Catherine Scharnberger
  Photo: Carrie C. Biagio
  
  If you're in the mood for some "swamp music," check out the next performance by the Steve Creter Band. That's how Creter defines his group's sound, a mixture of country, Delta blues and Southern rock.
  
  "Most of the music that we do is deeply rooted in what I would call 'country blues,'" he explains. The Palmyra-based band covers artists including John Fogerty, Muddy Waters and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The group members are also working on their debut CD of original material, which they hope to have completed by Christmas.
  
  The band formed over a year ago and has been together with its current lineup for several months. Joining Creter on stage are John Christopher on bass and backup vocals and Jeff Shoop on drums and backup vocals. Creter covers guitar, vocals, Dobro, acoustic slide and harmonica.
  
  Creter has been playing guitar for over 30 years and says during that time, he's learned to appreciate certain venues. "I prefer small clubs. They're more intimate," he remarks. "You can do more of a story-teller kind of show, where you can play an original song and explain why it was written. It's just a nicer feel." Interaction with the audience is important to the band, he says, but not in a physical way. "If you're really a music listener, come see us. We're not a hype kind of band. We try to play music that's more to be listened to. We all sit down when we play. We try not to lay on the smoke and mirrors. We emphasize the music and the content."
  
  Creter says several aspects make his band unique, including their instruments. "We use a lot of slide guitar work. I do electric slide, Dobro slide and acoustic slide," he notes. The band also uses electronic drums rather than acoustic, for a reason. "That allows us to control the volume. We're not a volume band, and we don't play loud. You can come listen to us and have a good time and we're not going to blow you off your chair."
  

• Steve Creter II [+ Show ]
  

  Creter, Steve Published: November 2002 Story: Ashley M. Groff Photo: press photo Steve Crete...Creter, Steve
  Published: November 2002
  Story: Ashley M. Groff
  Photo: press photo
  
  Steve Creter is a model guitar player. The Palmyra native was recently chosen to appear on the pages of the National Reso-Phonic Guitar Inc. product catalog, due to hit the streets after the holidays. A song from his 2001 album will be included on the catalog's compilation CD. "It's an extreme honor to be included with some of the best slide guitarists from the past and present," cites Creter.
  
  Locally, Creter captivates audiences with his Mississippi-Delta blues/bluegrass/country guitar-playing style. Joined by The Pirates of the Road, Bob Grimwood on bass and Jeff Shoop on drums, Creter plays mostly original music. "We have a weird instrumentation," he explains. "It seems like ever since 'O Brother Where Art Thou?' people are really interested in more roots-type music, and in the show I play everything from a metal-bodied reso-phonic guitar to the banjo, plus electric and acoustic." Creter says he was blown away by the positive reception from the crowd during his recent concert with Robert Cray at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg.
  
  Creter began plucking at 10, and recalls performing in a band as a teenager at school dances. In the early 1970s, he was washed away by the acoustic tidal wave of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and formed an acoustic duo with a friend. He says following that, his father, an avid lap steel guitar player, inspired his current music interest. He founded the band Southbound, which played the area through 1982. Today, Creter owns two studios and gives guitar lessons. "The way I look at it - especially what I do on resonator guitars - through teaching and performing, I'm preserving an art form," he relates. "Those guitars were invented in 1926 and very popular through 1934, then lost their popularity because amplifiers came along."
  
  The trio is looking to play overseas in ports of call such as England, Holland, and Germany. "... Blues artists over there really love that music," says Creter. Creter indicates that he is also working on his next album.
  

Setlist

Set List is customized to each performance, but here is a sample of the many songs we can and do perform. Many of the songs we perform are original material. We could easily do an entire show of original material.

Songlist

Stormy Monday
Little Wing
Old Love
Still Got The Blues
Ain’t Got No Woman
Oye Como Va
Apache
The Night the Blues Came to Town (S. Creter)
Ain’t No Sunshine
Sleepwalk
On Broadway
September Song
End of Summer (S.Creter)
By Myself (S. Creter)
Peter Frampton Song
Perfidia
Walk Don’t Run
Pipeline
A 7 Jam (S. Creter)
Steppin’ Up ( S. Creter)
Tears in Heaven
Georgia on My Mind
Steve’s Boogie in A m (S. Creter)
My Favorite Mistake
Sunny
Hotel California
One of These Nights
Josie
Spaghetti West (S. Creter)
The In Crowd
Misty
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
Spooky
Midnight At The Oasis
Riviera Paradise
Layla
Low Rider
Warm Humid Night (S. Creter)
Night Star (S.Creter)
New Daze (S.Creter)
Summer Song
Samba Pa Ti
Black Magic Woman
Santeria

We have many more originals that we don't know the names to, only Steve Creter does! We just know when he calls out a particular number which original song he wants!

Basic Requirements

Calendar