Scoville Blues

Somebody in Australia is a fan of the Bucks County-based band Scoville Blues.
Not just any somebody, either, but a representative of the Melbourne-based digital music distribution company Valleyarm, which touts itself as the “leading digital distributor in the Asia-Pacific region.”
? The company is compiling a blues collection, “Absolute NY Blues,” and Scoville Blues — a group of baby boomers that only formed three years ago — will be among the acts included. The set is scheduled to launch Aug. 13.
“I don’t know how it all happened, but it’s sweet,” says lead vocalist Dave Piersig of Yardley. “They found our website and picked our original tune. At first we thought it was one of those con jobs and wasn’t totally legitimate, but we checked them out and saw they’re a powerhouse in the digital world.”
The company selected Scoville’s first — and, at the time, only available — original song, “You’re Not the Same Anymore.” The track was part of the seven-song set the fledgling band performed opening for Dave Mason at the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood in 2008. The band put the entire set on YouTube, which led to Valleyarm’s discovery of “You’re Not the Same Anymore.”
Scoville will celebrate its inclusion on the project — as well as showcase tracks from its own upcoming debut album — when it headlines the Shady Brook Concert Series at 6 tonight at Shady Brook Farm in Yardley.
Piersig, 62, sees the band’s recent success as proof that you’re never too old to pursue your dreams. The owner of Bensalem hair salon Mane Expression sang in karaoke bars for years before deciding he wanted to sing in an actual band.
The chemistry with his band mates — guitarist Blue Jay Slim of Richboro, harmonica and saxophone player Dave Badgley of Langhorne, drummer Jim Bowman of Feasterville and bassist Ken Githens of Glendora, N.J. — was immediate. The gig opening for Mason came just six months after Scoville had formed. Since then, the band has co-headlined with the popular jazz-fusion group Spyro Gyra and has worked on its upcoming album with Grammy-nominated producer Jim Salamone at Cambridge Sound Studios in Newtown. Salamone is a former neighbor of Piersig’s and one of his clients at the salon.
“When I first started doing this, a guy asked me, ‘why are you trying to get into a band at your age?’” Piersig says. “But the only limits we put on ourselves are self-limits. I’m a dreamer; I’m going for it.
“For a band that’s three years old to be around the acts we have is crazy, like walking in a dream. That’s my message to baby boomers: Get out and make it happen. You need a passion in your life to make it worth living.”
Scoville Blues headlines the Shady Brook Concert series at 6 tonight at Shady Brook Farm, 931 Stony Hill Road in Yardley. Admission: free. - PhillyBurbs

Somebody in Australia is a fan of the Bucks County-based band Scoville Blues.
Not just any somebody, either, but a representative of the Melbourne-based digital music distribution company Valleyarm, which touts itself as the “leading digital distributor in the Asia-Pacific region.”
? The company is compiling a blues collection, “Absolute NY Blues,” and Scoville Blues — a group of baby boomers that only formed three years ago — will be among the acts included. The set is scheduled to launch Aug. 13.
“I don’t know how it all happened, but it’s sweet,” says lead vocalist Dave Piersig of Yardley. “They found our website and picked our original tune. At first we thought it was one of those con jobs and wasn’t totally legitimate, but we checked them out and saw they’re a powerhouse in the digital world.”
The company selected Scoville’s first — and, at the time, only available — original song, “You’re Not the Same Anymore.” The track was part of the seven-song set the fledgling band performed opening for Dave Mason at the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood in 2008. The band put the entire set on YouTube, which led to Valleyarm’s discovery of “You’re Not the Same Anymore.”
Scoville will celebrate its inclusion on the project — as well as showcase tracks from its own upcoming debut album — when it headlines the Shady Brook Concert Series at 6 tonight at Shady Brook Farm in Yardley.
Piersig, 62, sees the band’s recent success as proof that you’re never too old to pursue your dreams. The owner of Bensalem hair salon Mane Expression sang in karaoke bars for years before deciding he wanted to sing in an actual band.
The chemistry with his band mates — guitarist Blue Jay Slim of Richboro, harmonica and saxophone player Dave Badgley of Langhorne, drummer Jim Bowman of Feasterville and bassist Ken Githens of Glendora, N.J. — was immediate. The gig opening for Mason came just six months after Scoville had formed. Since then, the band has co-headlined with the popular jazz-fusion group Spyro Gyra and has worked on its upcoming album with Grammy-nominated producer Jim Salamone at Cambridge Sound Studios in Newtown. Salamone is a former neighbor of Piersig’s and one of his clients at the salon.
“When I first started doing this, a guy asked me, ‘why are you trying to get into a band at your age?’” Piersig says. “But the only limits we put on ourselves are self-limits. I’m a dreamer; I’m going for it.
“For a band that’s three years old to be around the acts we have is crazy, like walking in a dream. That’s my message to baby boomers: Get out and make it happen. You need a passion in your life to make it worth living.”
Scoville Blues headlines the Shady Brook Concert series at 6 tonight at Shady Brook Farm, 931 Stony Hill Road in Yardley. Admission: free. - PhillyBurbs

You might not think putting together a Blues band would make you one of the most popular musical acts in Bucks County.

That has been the case, however, for Yardley vocalist Dave Piersig and the Scoville Blues band. Soon after forming the group in 2008, the band opened for Dave Mason at the Scottish Rite Theater in Collingswood.

Piersig posted the entire set on YouTube, though little did he know then, the video would lead to inclusion on a Blues compilation CD half a world away.

From its appearance alongside Mason, the group’s popularity took off, said Piersig, who also plays the Blues harp. Based in Bucks County, the band has been playing bars, restaurants and festivals in the Philadelphia/ Tri-State region for the past four years.

Piersig is accompanied almost entirely by Bucks County bluesmen including Jay "Blue Jay Slim" Pinkus (lead guitar and vocals), of Richboro, Jim Bowman (drums), of Feasterville, Dave "Bags" Badgley (harp, sax, vocals), of Langhorne, and Kenny Githens (bass), of Glendora, N.J.

With scorching guitar, dynamic harmonica, passionate vocals and a driving rhythm section, Scoville Blues is a band you won’t want to miss.

“I think that’s the reason for our popularity,” said Piersig, basing his conclusion on Scoville’s CD sales, website hits and the crowds that come out to see the band perform live. “We bring a whole different sound.”

The Blues circuit has brought the band to places all over the Delaware Valley and beyond. They've played the Lehigh River Blues Jam twice (2008 and 2009), the Bensalem Fall Festival, the Olde Kings Blues Jam in Swedesboro, the Vietnam Vets Memorial Festival in Falls Township and a few benefit concerts for bluesmen Lonnie Shields and Georgie Bonds.

Other highlights include opening up for Chris Cain at the Hill Theatre in Paulsboro in 2008. In June, 2009, the band played at the Fourth Annual "Taste of Philadelphia Festival" at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia.

The following year, Scoville Blues made appearances at the State Street Blues Stroll in Media and the Riverfront Blues Festival in Wilmington.

Also in 2010, fans saw the group’s first appearance at the Burlington Blues & Jazz Festival where the band co-headlined with Spyro Gyra. Looking for acts to add to their weekend lineup, directors of the festival had contacted Piersig.

Before signing Scoville to do Burlington, however, the promoter first wanted to see the group in a live performance. As luck would have it, the band was opening for Blues great Walter Trout in April, 2010 back at the Scottish Rite.

“We owned both performances we played [at the Scottish Rite],” said Piersig. “He [the promoter] booked us in the hallway.”

The band has turned in more recent performances at the Washington Crossing Inn and at the Heritage Wine Festival in Mullica Hill, and has a busy summer schedule ahead of it including an appearance at SummerFest June 2 in Newtown. They're back at the Crossing Inn — where they play 10 to 12 times a year — this Saturday, May 5, for Cinco de Mayo.

Scoville’s popularity has reached as far away as Australia. Last year, Melbourne-based digital music distribution company Valleyarm discovered the group’s original song “You’re Not the Same” on that YouTube set uploaded by Piersig in 2008 and decided to add it to a Blues compilation CD entitled “Absolute NY Blues.”

With two albums already on the books, the Bucks County bluesmen have a third in production set for release later this year. - Journal Register Property

You might not think putting together a Blues band would make you one of the most popular musical acts in Bucks County.

That has been the case, however, for Yardley vocalist Dave Piersig and the Scoville Blues band. Soon after forming the group in 2008, the band opened for Dave Mason at the Scottish Rite Theater in Collingswood.

Piersig posted the entire set on YouTube, though little did he know then, the video would lead to inclusion on a Blues compilation CD half a world away.

From its appearance alongside Mason, the group’s popularity took off, said Piersig, who also plays the Blues harp. Based in Bucks County, the band has been playing bars, restaurants and festivals in the Philadelphia/ Tri-State region for the past four years.

Piersig is accompanied almost entirely by Bucks County bluesmen including Jay "Blue Jay Slim" Pinkus (lead guitar and vocals), of Richboro, Jim Bowman (drums), of Feasterville, Dave "Bags" Badgley (harp, sax, vocals), of Langhorne, and Kenny Githens (bass), of Glendora, N.J.

With scorching guitar, dynamic harmonica, passionate vocals and a driving rhythm section, Scoville Blues is a band you won’t want to miss.

“I think that’s the reason for our popularity,” said Piersig, basing his conclusion on Scoville’s CD sales, website hits and the crowds that come out to see the band perform live. “We bring a whole different sound.”

The Blues circuit has brought the band to places all over the Delaware Valley and beyond. They've played the Lehigh River Blues Jam twice (2008 and 2009), the Bensalem Fall Festival, the Olde Kings Blues Jam in Swedesboro, the Vietnam Vets Memorial Festival in Falls Township and a few benefit concerts for bluesmen Lonnie Shields and Georgie Bonds.

Other highlights include opening up for Chris Cain at the Hill Theatre in Paulsboro in 2008. In June, 2009, the band played at the Fourth Annual "Taste of Philadelphia Festival" at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia.

The following year, Scoville Blues made appearances at the State Street Blues Stroll in Media and the Riverfront Blues Festival in Wilmington.

Also in 2010, fans saw the group’s first appearance at the Burlington Blues & Jazz Festival where the band co-headlined with Spyro Gyra. Looking for acts to add to their weekend lineup, directors of the festival had contacted Piersig.

Before signing Scoville to do Burlington, however, the promoter first wanted to see the group in a live performance. As luck would have it, the band was opening for Blues great Walter Trout in April, 2010 back at the Scottish Rite.

“We owned both performances we played [at the Scottish Rite],” said Piersig. “He [the promoter] booked us in the hallway.”

The band has turned in more recent performances at the Washington Crossing Inn and at the Heritage Wine Festival in Mullica Hill, and has a busy summer schedule ahead of it including an appearance at SummerFest June 2 in Newtown. They're back at the Crossing Inn — where they play 10 to 12 times a year — this Saturday, May 5, for Cinco de Mayo.

Scoville’s popularity has reached as far away as Australia. Last year, Melbourne-based digital music distribution company Valleyarm discovered the group’s original song “You’re Not the Same” on that YouTube set uploaded by Piersig in 2008 and decided to add it to a Blues compilation CD entitled “Absolute NY Blues.”

With two albums already on the books, the Bucks County bluesmen have a third in production set for release later this year. - Journal Register Property