Big Rick & The Bombers
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Big Rick & The Bombers

Band Blues R&B

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The best kept secret in music

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"Piedmont Blues Society"

Big Rick & The Bombers will go on to represent the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society at the International Blues Challenge in February 2007 in Memphis, TN, and will perform at the 21st Annual Carolina Blues Festival, scheduled for May 2007. As the highest placing North Carolina-based band, they will also perform at the Bull Durham Blues Festival, scheduled for September of 2007.

“This feels great, it’s fantastic,” Nunez said after winning his second Blues Challenge competition. “It’s a great honor to play here again, and an even greater honor to win.” Nunez’s previous Blues Challenge title came in August of 2002 with a different line-up of the Bombers, and with Nunez himself playing bass. “This is the first time I did a Piedmont Blues talent competition playing guitar,” he said.

Along with Nunez on lead guitar and vocals, the current Bombers line-up included Ruby Tunley on drums, Steve Chall on bass, Adrian Duke on Hammond B-3 organ, and Lynnette Barber on lead vocals. Barber is the only remaining member of the Bombers from their previous appearance in the Blues Challenge.
- Piedmont


"Piedmont 2002"

BIG RICK & THE BOMBERS WIN 2002 TALENT SHOWCASE

Raleigh-based Big Rick & The Bombers won the 16th Annual Piedmont Blues Preservation Society’s Talent Showcase, capping a two-day competition Saturday and Sunday, August 10th and 11th at Chumley’s in High Point.

Greensboro’s Kings & Peaches finished second, and Winston-Salem’s Peter May placed third in the Talent Showcase that featured 14 bands from across North Carolina.

As winners of the Talent Showcase, Big Rick & The Bombers will represent the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society at the International Blues Challenge, scheduled for February 2003, in Memphis. They will receive a travel allowance from the PBPS and transportation courtesy of Smith Stokes Chrysler Dodge Jeep Chevrolet in Reidsville.

The band will also receive paid bookings at the 17th Annual Carolina “Lite” Blues Festival in May of 2003, The Rhinoceros Club in Greensboro, Mojo’s in Charlotte, and Coaches Sports Bar and Grille in Fayetteville. Also, three hours of studio time at Gowithit Publishing in Greensboro will be awarded to the group.

Big Rick & The Bombers is truly a multi-cultural blues band. Bandleader/bassist/vocalist Rick Nunez is from Puerto Rico, guitarist Mark VanMourek is from Holland, and drummer Simone Adorni is from Italy.

Rounding out the band is vocalist Lynette Barber, originally from Columbia, NC and keyboardist Fred Westbrook, originally from Sunbury, PA.

When asked what placing first in the Talent Showcase meant to his band, Rick Nunez said, “It just means that hard work pays off. We do this for the love of it."

Guitarist Mark VanMourek added, “For me, the timing is right. I’ve got my own album out now (entitled Passages).”

“But I’m just glad we could do this for the big man,” he added, gesturing towards Nunez. “Rick has a big heart; he’s a good guy.”

Second place finishers Kings & Peaches featured a dual guitar attack of Charlley Ward and Jimmy Foster. Joe Dean played drums and Paul Sedlick was on bass.

Kings & Peaches will get the nod to play next September’s Bull Durham Blues Festival in Durham, NC (Big Rick & The Bombers previously played the festival as the winner of the now-defunct Triangle Blues Society’s talent contest).

The group also receives a paid booking at Ritchy’s Uptown Restaurant and Bar in Greensboro, as well as cash and prizes.

Solo artist Peter May, who placed third, accompanied himself on acoustic guitar and acoustic slide guitar. As the highest placing acoustic act, May will receive a paid booking at M’Coul’s Public House in Greensboro. In addition to cash and prizes, May will also open for Big Rick & The Bombers at Mojo’s in Charlotte.

The final round, which was held Sunday night, consisted of the aforementioned three performers as well as acoustic blues duo Scratch & Sniff from Greensboro, consisting of Alan Steele on guitar and vocals and Paul Londraville on harmonica; Mill House, from Oak Ridge, NC, consisting of Matt Hill on guitar and vocals, Jonathon McMillan on drums, John Sumner on bass and Rick Sanderford on harmonica; and Pajama Don from Thomasville, NC, consisting of Don Harrington on bass and vocals, Elisabeth Harrington on flute and Jim Suiter on guitar.

The Talent Showcase was an exclusive presentation of the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society; a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to keeping the blues alive. For more information, call (336) 275-4944 or visit their web site at www.piedmontblues.org.
- Piedmont


Discography

1999 Ces't La Vie
2000 Midnight Train
2002 Too Much Money
2003 Love Will
2005 Guilty.. As Charged

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Bio

We are a R&B, Soul, Blues, Funk, Band we also throw in some beach and Rock, we cater to the crowd what ever makes them happy is what we provide.

Ricardo "Big Rick" Nunez, Lead Guitar/ Lead Vocals
I have been performing since 1970s, I started singing in Latin bands in Brooklyn NY with my cousins, around 1977 I began performing with a church group called (Jimmy Jenkins & The Flames of Harmony) I have sat in with The Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Northern Air's, The Gospel Keynotes, and Shirley Ceaser, in the 1990s I was introduced to the blues, and the greatest bass player I have ever heard,
Mr. Johnny B. Gayden, bass player for Albert Collins, I immediately went out and brought a bass Guitar and started playing 28 days later I was on stage in a little club in upstate NY playing bass and singing lead, for those who know this is not an easy task, before the the very first song ended the owner came running up to the stage with his calendar offering us every Friday & Saturday in the month, needles to say we were alright we had a lot of practicing to do, we continued to play there until we felt ready to go out and perform at lager venues, we played at The Metro in Saratoga NY, City Limits in Albany NY, Le-Sons in Schenectady NY, The Blues Hall in Clifton Park Ny, and then we started performing at festivals in Central Park, that's where a couple of Bikers saw our performance and were amazed, they booked us at shows all over NY opening for major acts like, ZZ Top, 38 Special, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, and in 1995 I performed with the incomparable BB King. Since moving to NC I have had the pleasure of performing with or on the same stage with, Buddy Guy, Shamekia Copland, Robert Cray, Rosie Leddett, Deborah Coleman, Walter 'Wolfman' Washington, Tommy Castro, Herbie Mann, Bob Margolin, Louisiana Redd, Roomful of Blues, and many others. I have been playing Lead Guitar for around three years now and my goal is to be the best I can be, not the best in the world or even NC just the best that I can be.