Bands

Hot Strings Cafe is a band that plays American music: country, blues, rock n roll, and originals.
From left: Bobby, Leigh Harrison, Carl Garbe, Sherrill Farkas.

The Back Porch Pickers are a Connecticut shore band. Usually three piece, sometimes with a drummer, the Pickers have played many venues in the Connecticut valley area. The tunes are a blend of country, blues, and originals.

From left, Bobby, John Brown, and Peter Magrane.

Smoky O is a classic country band featuring many Johnny Cash favorites. I met the band when we shared a billing at Desmond's Tavern in Manhattan in the fall of 2018. They did not have a lead guitarist at that time so I volunteered myself as a country picker. They called me to play a gig soon after. I have enjoyed playing with them since then.

From left: Mary, Steve, Danny, Matt, Bobby

BlueBird is a duo consisting of me and my longtime friend Leigh Harrison. We have performed at coffee houses, private parties, and cable TV around the New York & Connecticut areas. Our eclectic repertoire consists of Leigh's original songs, favorite country blues, old time jazzy songs, and a mixture of many other styles.

This picture was taken at a benefit to support breast cancer victims held in Connecticut on August 23, 2014. Subsequent benefits were known as BoobStock.

Blue Rhythm Sandwich was a 4-piece band based in NYC & CT that I started with Leigh Harrison. BRS played blues, rock, country, pop. RnB, rockabilly, and originals.

Desmond's Tavern, July 13, 2018, NYC.
From left: Me, Leigh, Lyall Croft (drums), Dave Gerstein (bass).

The Bokum Road Band was my good time jam band for about a decade. We played clubs and private parties around the Connecticut shoreline area. Bokum Road would play styles ranging from 60s rock 'n' roll to country rock to zydeco.

Sadly, not to play anymore due the passing of Dave O'Donnell, the driving force of the band.

This picture is from a show at The Sobieski Club in Deep River, Ct. for BoobStock, a benefit for breast cancel victims.

From left: Kevin Rich (keyboards, squeezebox, zydeco rubboard), Bobby Perfect (lead gtr); Dave O'Donnell (lead vocals, gtr); Bill (drums); Laura Corning (vocals, rhythm gtr); Hendee Braden (bass).

The Lonesome Valley Riders was a 3-piece (sometimes 4-piece) musical group that grew out of basement jam sessions. We played blues, rock 'n' roll, and country style tunes.

LVR was me (left) on guitar and vocals, Dave Hull (middle) on drums, and Carl Garbe (right) on bass and vocals.

Photo from August, 2014

The Night Owls were an ever-evolving association of players corraled by bandleader Pete Schaefer. I usually played lead guitar, but sometimes played bass guitar. Our primary venues were Manhattan and Queens bars. The Night Owls were a fun jam band no matter who was on the gig. From left to right: me on the Flying V, Leigh Harrison (vocals, percussion), Cricket Cohen (bass), Juanita Kelly (vocals, percussion), Pete Schaefer (guitar, vocals), Tito (congas). Hidden behind Leigh Harrison is Lee Tucker (drums).

This picture (circa 1998) was taken at The Red Lion in Greenwich Village, NYC.

Blue Fuse was one of my early blues projects. I played lead guitar. Clockwise from lower left: Beth West (bass & vocals), Bobby Perfect (lead guitar), Mike Lawrie (guitar), Mitch Suval (vocals), Jean-Pierre Laurent (drums). Blue Fuse played gigs in New York City.

Greenwich Village, 1990, in an alley outside our practice studio.

Jukebox Jamboree played a cool bunch of country, rock, and blues. Leigh Harrison played rhythm guitar and handled most of the vocals. I played lead guitar and did some singing.

Clockwise from left: Zebra (drums), Leigh Harrison (vocals & guitar), Bobby Perfect (lead guitar, vocals), Steve Zavak (bass, vocals). Jukebox Jamboree played around the tri-state area, including City Hall Park in NYC and at the World Trade Center plaza.

Photo circa 1988

Good Neighbors was my college band. We enjoyed playing songs by the Grateful Dead, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Poco, Beatles, and others. Our primary venues were fraternity parties around Brown University, Steak and Brew restaraunts, and private parties. We also had the honor of being the opening band for NRBQ on a number of occasions.

This picture was taken at a Brown Spring Weekend concert where we opened for NRBQ. From left: Dan O'Connell (flute, sax, bass), Bobby Perfect (bass, gtr, vocals), Marty Sullivan (drums, vocals), Bill Brink (lead gtr, vocals), John Egelhofer (vocals, gtr, piano).

Photo circa 1974