Meet The Band
VOCALS
BERNIE ZINCK – Bandleader/Vocals/Bass Bernie has been playing music since he was 8 years old. Primarily a guitarist, Bernie studied guitar at the prestigious Musicians Institute in Hollywood California. During his time in Hollywood, he had the opportunity to learn from such guitarists as Kirk Hammett ( Metallica ), Steve Vai, Joe Diorio, Tommy Tedesco, and Scott Henderson, just to name a few. After graduation, Bernie returned home to the Annapolis Valley and started a thriving private teaching career, which to date, spans over 20 years. In his teaching studio, Bernie offers instruction in guitar, bass, drums, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, theory and ear training. Over the years, Bernie has also played in many bands, from rock, to jazz, to folk, and more. He has also been the bassist/guitarist for some larger groups like "The Downtown Swing Band" and the "Acadia University Big Band". Aside from performing solo, Bernie currently has 3 musical projects on the go. The first being "The Melberns" with Bluesmobile bandmate Melissa Vidito, the second his blues/classic rock act "The Bernie Zinck Band", and the third as bandleader, vocalist and bassist for the 15 piece blues/funk/rock/soul/R&B dance band "Bluesmobile". As a songwriter and producer, Bernie has had his music featured on TV shows such as Sony/Lifetime's "The Lizzie Borden Chronicles" and NBC's hit show "Chicago Fire". You can download his music and contact Bernie about music lessons at his website!! www.berniezinck.com
MARK BEZANSON – Vocals Singer, songwriter, bassist, music teacher and really terrible basketball player, Mark Bezanson mixes jazz, blues, soul and funk influences to create a style that is as familiar as it is diverse . Mark splits his time playing with Noah Scanlan and Jerry Rodgers in The Idle Threats; a great Rock and Soul trio that can also deliver on a set or two of Jazz Standards, playing bass and singing for Jokers Right; the valleys best Classic Rock Band, and as a singer for the amazing 15 piece showband Bluesmobile. You might even catch him playing with party band The Melberns every once and awhile. In October of 2013 Mark Bezanson released his first CD of original material called Half Lies Half Truths. It’s on iTunes. Check it out.
DARRIN HARVEY - Vocals/Harmonica Darrin Harvey is a veteran broadcaster with over twenty years experience in both radio and TV. His radio career has been largely in the Annapolis Valley with the exception of his role as a producer/researcher on the syndicated blues show, The Blues Own. Darrin's first love is music and specifically live music. He frequents live music shows and festivals of all genres in and around Nova Scotia and across the country. East Coast Music Unplugged is Darrin's second series with Eastlink and his third role as TV host including his duties on The Fight Network series, Wrestling Reality. In his spare time Darrin studies guitar at The Bernie Zinck Music Studio, is the lead singer & harmonica player for The No Name Blues Band and makes up nicknames for the members of (and performs with) Bluesmobile.
SARAH POUND - Vocals Sarah Pound is a singer-songwriter, performer and music therapist and has been singing for as long as she can remember. Her main instruments are the piano, guitar, and trumpet, but she is most passionate about singing. She began writing poetry as a young girl and then songs as a teenager. Sarah has a Bachelor of Music Therapy degree from Acadia University (2008), where she specialized in classical vocal training, acoustic guitar, choral singing, world drumming, composition, jazz trumpet and poetry. After graduating, she recorded and released her first solo album, It's About Time (2009). Her second album, Capacity (2015), features many of the members of Bluesmobile, including Bernie Zinck (guitar), Tim Fisk (percussion), Matt Murley (sax), Doug Murley (trumpet), and Kory Bayer (bass). A third collaboration album, This Place (2016), was produced by Ruby Throated Records (NS), with other musicians, including the ECMA award winning group The Hupman Brothers Band. Sarah sings a wide variety of genres, from folk to country, bluegrass to blues. She has her own music therapy practice, called Silver Lining Music Therapy and offers her services throughout the Annapolis Valley, NS. Sarah is thrilled to be sharing her love of music in the vocal section of Bluesmobile. Check out Sarah's website at www.sarahpound.com!
MELISSA VIDITO - Vocals Melissa Vidito is a graduate of the Professional Vocal Program at Musicians Insitute in Hollywood California. She has taught private music lessons in the Annapolis Valley at The Bernard Zinck School of Music for almost 20 years. Although voice is her primary instrument Melissa also teaches guitar, ukelele and piano. Melissa has an interest in a great many artistic endeavours such as painting and creating art out of found beach treasures, but music and musical theater are her passion. Melissa was musical director for the community theatre group Edalene Theatre for 10 years having 20 shows under her belt including 2 of which she composed the score for. Melissa is also a seasoned performer having worked at The Halifax feast dinner theatre, centre stage theatre in Kentville and a ghost in the Valley Ghost walks. In 2016 melissa created Beacon Events which produced 3 dinner theater productions and hopes to create more in the near future. Currently Melissa is excited to be teaching at Andrea’s Music Studio and performing with the Annapolis Valley's 15 piece dance band, Bluesmobile.
RHYTHM SECTION
AL FITCH - Drum set Al was born in Kentville, NS, and began to study and play the drums when the band program was formed at Kings County Academy. Following his high school graduation, he spent a year studying drum set privately with Ed Jardine and classical percussion studies with Craig Reiner with the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, as well as playing with various college ensembles, dance bands and local Broadway musical theatre productions with Kipawo Showboat Theatre and Acadia University Theatre productions. He then enrolled at Acadia University, as a percussion major. Soon he was lured by full time employment, working on the local Maritime nightclub circuit, playing drum set, his preferred instrument. The circuit included dance clubs, hotel lounges and show bars, with backing singers, dancers, hypnotists and comedians. Since 1978 to the present, Al has performed and/or recorded with The Small Band, The Blomidon Consort, The Rhythm Method, Don Osborne(NS), The Centennial Dixieland Jazz Band, Kate Hammett-Vaughan (NS;BC), The John Tetrault Group (NS), The Swell Guys(NS), Mike Murley (NS;Ont.), Craig Wood (NS), Frank Leahy (Ont.), Jeff Goodspeed (NS), Lisa Lindo (NS), The Kim Bishop Ensemble (NS;NB), Patricia Leger (NB), The Big Valley Swing Orchestra, The Hupman Brothers(NS), Caleb Miles (NS), Jaime Junger (NS), Kim Doolittle (NS;Ont.), Jay and Tammy Roy (Texas;PEI), and he has performed and recorded for CBC Radio and Television. Al has continued drum studies throughout the years, having the opportunity to work with Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabyyr ( Duke Ellington; Dizzy Gillespie), John "JR" Robinson (Quincy Jones; Michael Jackson; Stevie Winwood, etc.), Peter Erskine(Weather Report; Steely Dan; Diana Krall), Omar Hakim (Sting; Madonna), Chuck Silverman (MIT-LA), and Dom Famularo (Director of Education Programs for Sabian Cymbals and Vic Firth Drumsticks. From 2005 to 2011, Al taught drum lessons at Kings Edgehill Private School in Windsor, NS. He has done several workshops and clinics in the public school system, as well as Acadia University Summer Jazz Camps and the Nova Scotia Honour Jazz Program. He now takes a limited amount of private drum students and is a registered Vic Firth-PDT (Private Drum Teacher) and endorser for the Vic Firth Drumstick Company. Al currently performs with The Kim Bishop Trio/Quartet, The Paul Barrett Quintet/Sextet, Split Decision, Bluesmobile and does sub work recording studio sessions.
JEFF HENNESSY - Keyboards Jeff Hennessy is a songwriter and keyboardist from Wolfville, NS. He studied music theory and composition at Acadia University and the University of British Columbia, and has a PhD in Musicology from the University of Toronto. He is a Professor of Music at Acadia University where he teaches music theory, musicology, ear training, and keyboard. He performs frequently across the region and can be seen locally playing with The Sundries and with Paul O'Brien. His alternative pop group The Muddle just released their debut album Still Waiting on a Fix. He is very excited to be playing keyboards with Bluesmobile.
PAUL BENTEAU - Guitar Paul started touring in 1974 with a show band called Exhibition. That group was noted for its show sets of Jesus Christ Super Star and the rock opera Tommy. After that he toured with various groups including Riser, Shine, and Prime Time playing many styles of music that covered everything from country to classic rock and beyond. He took a bit of a break in the middle of his touring schedule to attend Dalhousie University but after one year he realized that was not the direction he wanted to go musically and went back on tour. While on tour he had the good fortune to play opening spots for Nazareth, Doug and the Slugs, Sass Jordan, and The Terry Crawford band to name a few. After almost 25 years of being on the road Paul settled in the Annapolis Valley and enjoys playing music with the PM Blues Band and Bluesmobile. He also enjoys working in his 24 track studio as time permits. "It is an honour and a privilege to be part of such a talented and skilled group of musicians that is Bluesmobile."
TIM FISK - Percussion Tim has studied classical percussion at Dalhousie University, jazz drum set with Jerry Granelli and completed a B.A. Hons (Jazz Studies) from St. F.X. Tim continues to perform with valley based musicians and is happy to be adding some Latin percussion to Bluesmobile.