The Bone Tones
The Bone Tones, a Cajun dance band, hail from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, an unlikely spot, perhaps, for a band that plays the French music of southwest Louisiana. The Bone Tones use diatonic button accordion, twin fiddles, steel guitar, bass, guitar, drums, triangle and French vocals to produce an authentic Cajun sound.The members of the band have played different styles of traditional music with other groups and individually for many years and have long shared an interest in Cajun music . Performers traveling through the region to play for festivals and workshops - musicians such as Dewey Balfa, Tracy Schwarz, D.L. Menard, Charlie Terr, and others - helped stir up this interest. Trips to record shops and to Louisiana provided more inspiration. Since 1987 The Bone Tones have played to the ever-increasing crowd of Cajun music and dance enthusiasts at dance halls, festivals and taverns in the Upper Midwest.
High-energy dance music, including two-steps, waltzes and blues, makes up The Bone Tones repertoire. The music is a synthesis of many musical styles and influences reflecting the unique cultural history of over 200 years in French Louisiana. Blues, country, and honky-tonk, together with the traditional sounds of the fiddle, accordion, and French vocals, have been incorporated into Cajun music to produce its distinctive sound. The Bone Tones derive their inspiration from this tradition. The band name is a play on words - from "Bon ton rouler" (as in "Laissez les bons temps rouler") and the name of Gary's old band, "The Dry Bone Road Gang."
The Players:
Gary Powell: accordion, guitar and vocals
Gary hails from downstate Illinois and has performed music since he was 9 years old. His main instrument is the diatonic button accordion but he also plays fiddle and a rock-solid rhythm guitar. He previously played in the "Dry Bone Road Gang."Eric Mohring: fiddle and vocals
Eric grew up on the banks of the Mississippi in south Minneapolis. Before he started playing music that originated at the other end of the river, he kept himself busy playing mandolin and fiddle for bluegrass bands, string bands and square dances. He most recently played with the Chicago-based string band, "The Laketown Buskers." When not playing music he works as a geologist. He has participated in Augusta Cajun Week as an instructor.Doug Lohman: bass, guitar and vocals
Native to Minneapolis, Doug has played everything from Peter, Paul&Mary to Country-rock to bluegrass. For five years he played bass with the Twin Cities-based bluegrass band, "Stoney Lonesome." When not performing he can be found behind the mixing board of his own sound company or flipping eggs and cakes at the restaurant owned by his wife and him.Paul Loughridge: drums and triangle
Paul comes to us from South Bend, IN, New York and Chicago. He is a dynamo on the drums and triangle. Paul's background is in jazz and rock and he occasionally returns to South Bend to lead the alumni pep band at Notre Dame football games.Maurine McCort - guitar, vocals
Maurine is the newest member of the Bone Tones and she brings her great
love of Cajun music to the group along with her strong vocals and steady
guitar work. She is an accomplished teacher of Cajun two-step, waltz
and jitterbug as well as various Zydeco styles. Her frequent trips to Louisiana
keep her in touch with this vibrant style of dance.
The Bone Tones have released four recordings of Cajun music.
- Cajun Dance Tonight (Marimac 6020) - 1990 - cassette only
- Queue de Tortue (BTR1) - 1992 - CD and cassette
- Chez' n 'Onc Bob (BTR2) - 1995 - CD and Cassette
- Live Recordings: 1996-1998 (BTR3) - 1995 - CD only
- Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-time Music Festival, Zimmerman, MN
- Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival, Marquette, MI
- Wheatland Music Organization Dance Camp, Remus, MI
- Wheatland Traditional Music Festival, Remus, MI
- Rochester Repertoire Theater Concert Series, Rochester, MN
- Ft. Ridgley Rendezvous, MN
- Summerfolk, A Red House Records Event
- Big Island Rendezvous, Helmer Myre State Park, MN
- Winnipeg Folk Festival, Winnipeg, Canada
- Two Harbors Folk Festival, Two Harbors, MN
- Shawano Old-time Arts and Crafts Fair, Shawano, WI
- Mississippi River Revival Festival, St. Paul, MN
- St. Paul Folk Festival, St. Paul, MN
- Bastille Day Celebration, Milwaukee, WI
- Bliss Fest, Bliss, MI
- South Dakota Friends of Old-time Music
- Midsummer in the Northwoods Bluegrass Festival, Manitowish Waters, WI
- Cedar Cultural Centre, Minneapolis, MN
- Sidmouth International Festival, Sidmouth, England
- KSJN Morning Show, 99.5 FM, St. Paul, MN
The Bone Tones
3024 11th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55407-1606
Doug Lohman, Business Manager,
612-721-8026
E-mail: douglohman@aol.com