The Rusty Doves
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The Rusty Doves

Band Americana Bluegrass

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""Rusty Doves create a style all its own""

Jan. 17, 2008
UTICA — A heap of knee-slapping bluegrass and a syncopated mix of 1920s ragtime jazz bounced off the freshly painted walls of the Tramontane Café, 1105 Lincoln Ave. during its first open mike night Sunday.

That clever, unexpected mix from the Rusty Doves, a duo made up of Alyssa Stock and Jerry Dischiavo, brought patrons to their feet for some impromptu jigging.
“One of the biggest compliments you can get as a musician is people dancing,” Stock said later.

The compliments took other forms as well. The audience offered applause and cheers as Stock be-bopped beats and sounds almost perfectly resembling a saxophone.

Similar reaction followed as Dischiavo wielded the stand-up bass like a dance partner — with agility, command and a steady rhythmic excitement that became contagious.

‘Things just fell into place’
“I played string bass in the high school orchestra, but hadn’t picked it up in years,” Dischiavo said, adding that a friend loaned him a bass in September, and the pairing became natural again. About a month later, he ran into Stock, a mandolin player with a love of bluegrass and Irish music. Dischiavo, formerly of the reggae band The Hot Steppers, eagerly combined his musical talents with Stock’s.

“It’s been two years since The Hot Steppers, and I’ve been waiting really for anyone to come along,” he said. “It couldn’t have worked out any better – things just fell into place.”

Musically, things seem to have fallen in place, as well. The duo has arranged several alternative songs, R&B songs and even jazz standards to fit their unique blend of “new grass,” as they call it.

“I think we’ll do more of taking other types of music and making it our own style,” Dischiavo said, adding that they’ve recorded new grass versions of Radiohead tunes, Bill Withers’s “Ain’t No Sunshine” and even the Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun.”
“Hey, we’re doing things like ‘The Erie Canal,’ too,” he added.

Influenced by region, history
“The combination of instruments is really versatile,” Stock added. “I’m surprised how far out of our genre we can stretch.”

The pair also is creating original music, they said, with many of the songs having been influenced by growing up in the Mohawk Valley.

“There’s so much history that has affected us growing up,” Stock said, adding the pair’s name, Rusty Doves, represents the region, sometimes called the Rust Belt.

“The originals are more from our backgrounds, and have a lot of emotion.”
Stock specifically points to a song called “Hollow Hills,” which speaks directly to the area’s rise and fall.

The duo has performed various local venues since forming in late October, and has plans to perform at various festivals throughout the summer months. They will play at 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at Cafe Domenico, 2011 Genesee St., Utica.

Until then, check out their music at www.myspace.com/rustydoves.
- Utica Observer Dispatch


Discography

Hollow Hills - EP - May 2009

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Bio

The Rusty Doves perform a wide variety of American music, including selections from the worlds of bluegrass, swing and pop, as well as their own original material. Both members have distinctly different musical backgrounds. Alyssa Stock, on mandolin and lead vocals, brings her experience in bluegrass, folk and old-time jazz music. On upright bass, we have Mr. Jerry Dee, the deep heartbeat of the band. His previous music experiences include both classical training on the bass and longer tenures in reggae, funk, rock and jazz-fusion bands. Jerry's style has been described as playing the bass "like a dance partner- with agility, command and a steady rhythmic excitement that became contagious."

Although the Doves draw heavily on American traditional music, their approach is unique in the modern twist that flows throughout their concerts. As well as covering bluegrass standards such as Shady Grove, The Cuckoo and Darlin' Corey, they also cover artists as diverse as Bill Withers, Radiohead, The Shins, George Gershwin, Leonard Cohen, The Animals and even Metallica.

Playing a diverse range of venues has helped hone their music to fit many events and many audiences. The Doves are as comfortable playing to a rowdy bar scene or coffeehouse as they are to an audience of hushed concert goers. In whatever circumstances, the music always grabs listeners' attention and usually their affection as well!

With their unique instrumentation and fresh energy and approach, the Rusty Doves have a constantly growing fan base willing to testify to a great series of shows.

To view more info, visit:

www.myspace.com/rustydoves