Zach Parrish & The Huckleberries

I was on my way to shoot Jackie Greene at the State Room in Salt Lake City and decided to grab a quick bite across the street at The Bayou. As luck would have it I seated directly in front of a three piece band that was setting up. There are no coincidences, it was destiny that I run into Zach Parrish and the Blueberries. I had just started to dig into my salad when the band started up. Now I have shot over 130 shows in the last year, including the likes of Dave Matthews, The Allman Brothers, The Doobies, Elvis Costello, M. Ward and on, so what I am getting at is that I think I have a pretty decerning ear, also being a musican with a background seated deeply in the blues I am no push over. Let me tell you thing now, Zaxh Parrish bowled me over and blew my mind within the first 5 minutes. HIs tone is perfect, his technique is refined and his voice powerful and passionate. Think Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Claption, you’ll get close. Once again I’ve ben stunned by a Wasatch front band, I love the blues and this I love this guy and cannot wait to see him in a larger venue where he can spread his wings and fly hard down his fret board.

Blues Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter Zach Parrish is an accomplished performer with a proven track record. A veteran of the club scene in and around his home town, Zach has also toured extensively as a solo performer playing bars, coffee houses, festivals, and street corners across North America and in Europe. He has opened for the likes of Charlie Musselwhite, Dave Van Ronk, Big Jack Johnson, John Mayall, John Hammond, and Michelle Shocked.

Born on the wrong side of the tracks and raised by a single mother on welfare, Zach dropped out of the eighth grade and was on the street at fifteen- rudderless, angry, and functionally illiterate. Then he discovered the healing power of the blues. Inspired by others who turned their hardships and heartbreak into transcendent music, Zach dreamed of one day walking in their footsteps, of rising above his own bitterness and despair, of telling his own story, and perhaps one day creating his own transcendent music.

Zach started playing semi-professionally in 1989. Since then he has played thousands of gigs, both as a bandleader and a solo artist. He’s worked with practically every musician involved in the Salt Lake City blues scene, and performing at almost every suitable venue in the Intermountain region. In 1999, Zach produced a low-budget demo CD intended to get the attention of booking agents and club owners. Ogden blues magnate Brad Wheeler convinced Zach to submit the recording to Blues Revue magazine and they responded very favorably. He made the blues his full-time job for the next three years, and has to date sold about 2,600 copies of the homemade disc.

In 2002, Zach relocated to Austin, Texas, the self-proclaimed “Live Music Capitol of the World.” Ironically, upon arrival in Austin Zach put the music business on hold, but he still performs once or twice a week on the hardscrabble Sixth Street blues scene, and he’ll be receiving a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Texas early next year!

Book the Zach Parrish Blues Band!
Zach lives to play the blues and that is obvious to everybody in the audience from the moment he takes the stage. He gives 100% every night and has a great time doing it. The Zach Parrish Blues Band appeals to practically everyone: young, old, hip, square, rockers, hippies, bikers, yuppies, blues purists and blues/rock lovers too. Also, their super- low overhead makes the Zach Parrish Blues Band one of the best entertainment values in the blues world.

Hello out there. I’ve been crazy about the blues for a long time. When my friends were listening to Metallica or Depeche Mode I was into BB King and Howlin’ Wolf. I started busking out in front of the Crossroads Mall in 1988, when I was seventeen. My first blues gig was at Burt’s Tiki Lounge in 1992. Since then I’ve done thousands of gigs: in and around Utah, in New York, in Texas, and in Europe. I was a pretty messed up kid and playing the blues saved my life. I still play out as much as I can and I love, love, love it! I’m old and fat now but my guitar playing and singing are better than ever- much better than they were eight years ago when I made the recordings that are on this myspace page. I have many more original tunes that will get recorded someday. If you dig the blues please come see me and be sure to say hello. If you are learning to play the blues, I will be happy to give you some pointers free of charge. Also, I am busking at the SLC farmer’s market almost every Saturday morning. It is a great scene! Cheers, Zach.

Band Members
Larry Alexander – Bass
BB Melanson – Drums & Vocals
Zach Parrish – Guitar & Vocals

Featuring:
Larry Alexander – Bass
Fred Marcin – Drums
Mark Cheney – Drums
Kenny Steckelberg – Upright bass on Barrelhouse Trio recording

The Huckleberries: Zach Parrish-guitar, vocals; BB Melanson- drums, bass, guitar, vocals; with Larry Alexander- bass; or Mark Cheney- drums; or Fred Marcin- drums.

Influences
Rev. Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Willie Dixon, Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, T Bone Walker, Freddy King

Upcoming Shows

Huckleberries @ The Bayou
SLC, Utah

Feb 5 2010
9:00P

Huckleberries @ The Owl Bar
Sundance, Utah

Feb 10 2010
8:00P

Zach Parrish Acoustic Blues Duo @ IAMA Concert (1st Unitarian Church)
SLC, Utah

Feb 12 2010
9:30P

Huckleberries @ The Green Pig
SLC, Utah

Feb 20 2010
9:30P

Huckleberries @ The Hog Wallow
Salt Lake City, Utah

Feb 24 2010
9:00P

Huckleberries @ Greenstreet
SLC, Utah

Feb 27 2010
9:30P

Huckleberries @ The Green Pig
SLC, Utah

Mar 24 2010
9:00P

Huckleberries @ Greenstreet
SLC, Utah

Apr 9 2010
9:30P

Huckleberries @ Brewskis
Ogden, Utah

May 1 2010
9:30P

Huckleberries @ The Hog Wallow
SLC, Utah

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 8:00 pm. It is filed under Live music reviews and tagged with Salt Lake City, The Bayou, Zach Parrish & The Huckleberries. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.