Salmagundi

Salmagundi is a classic rock and soul band with a powerful horn section, performing cover songs and original material. We feature music created by legendary Memphis-soul and Motown artists during the '60 & '70s. Salmagundi mixes soulful R&B with guitar-driven Classic Rock to create a diverse selection of music that is familiar, upbeat and irresistible.

******** Salmagundi - Early History (1970-1984) ********

Salmagundi's roots can be traced back to 1970 at Markley Hall on the University of Michigan campus. Hours of jams and rehearsals in the music room and loading dock produced Salmagundi, a rock and roll band with a powerful horn section. After some well-publicized and memorable all-campus mixers, Salmagundi was in high demand at the local UM fraternities and sororities, performing several times nearly every weekend. The recordings "Prehysteria" and "Markley Madness" document the band during these early years.

Salmagundi (aka Gabriel & Kaleidoscope) played at hundreds of high school after-football game dances, homecomings and proms all over the mid-west. This included 41 proms in 100 days stretch in 1971. Frequently, we would play homecoming in the fall and the prom in the spring for the same high school.

Salmagundi played several memorable club dates including Mackinaw Jack's in Ann Arbor. We had a frequent gig at The Roostertail in Detroit on Sunday nights, where we alternated sets with other bands. One night, the other band was a brand new act in town called Alice Cooper.

Salmagundi had a magical night in January 1972 at the Coral Gables Club in E. Lansing. An overflow audience saw an energized performance of the Salmagundi Old Rock and Roll Set, which included singer Johnny C entering the club on his motorcycle. Captured on tape, the live recording, "Coral Gables Sock Hop" captures all the energy and excitement of the evening and early Salmagundi at its best.

Salmagundi played at many free concerts and summer music festivals all over the midwest. In August 1973 Salmagundi opening a festival at MSU that included Bob Seger, the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead.

Salmagundi added social club dances, weddings, festivals and fairs to our gig schedule starting in 1976. This new audience opened the door to a more diversified selection of music including the development of a Big Band Set featuring the show-stopper, Glenn Miller's In The Mood.

Salmagundi continued to perform regularly until 1984 when we retired from performing for several years to spend time with our families and kids. The core of the band remained intact and occasional jams showed that there was still some magic left.

******** Today's Salmagundi (1999-2014) ********

In 1999, Salmagundi reunited at a recording studio and produced an excellent CD "Stuck In The '60s". Salmagundi resumed live public performances with a critically-acclaimed reunion concert at the 2002 Ann Arbor Art Fair. Six of the seven original members participated and it was a truly memorable event.

Several original members are still performing with Salmagundi. Retirement and relocation have brought new faces to the band, but Salmagundi has remained true to our roots and vision. As our target audience changed, Salmagundi shifted to festivals, outdoor music series, art fairs, car shows and special events.

Ann Arbor hosts the longest-running music festival in the country every year. The nearly month-long Ann Arbor Summer Festival hosts indoor concerts, but also hosts a free outdoor site, Top of the Park. The TOP stage features live bands and since 2004, Salmagundi has been a frequent participant.

Big House Big Heart - In 2007, Salmagundi became the first rock band to perform in Michigan Stadium when they performed at the UM hospital fundraiser: Big House Big Heart. Over 11,000 exhausted runners enjoyed Salmagundi's performance, as they finished their run at the 50-yard line. The only dancers were the UM cheerleaders.

Salmagundi continues to entertain thousands every year. We perform several shows, festivals and concerts every summer. These include Ypsilanti Heritage Festival, Ypsilanti Crossroads Festival, Ann Arbor Summer Festival Top of the Park, Ann Arbor Art Fair, The Yellow Barn, Dexter, Chelsea and other Music in the Park Festivals.

The Summer 2015 calender includes stops at festivals in Ann Arbor, Dexter and Chelsea.  The Summer also includes a 1971-version reunion concert in Fremont, California in July. 

We are looking forward to making 2015 another great year.

Thanks for checking us out. See you at the shows!

Karl