Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of...

Playing an utterly unique blend of rock & roll, folk, and quirky Americana, Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams have been called "the hillbilly Pink Floyd," which is an apt description, particularly if you throw in elements of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Band, Neil Diamond, and maybe even some Frank Zappa as well. Lead singer and main songwriter Joziah Longo (guitar and harmonica) and multi-instrumentalists Tink Lloyd (accordion, cello, flute) and Sharkey McEwan (guitar, mandolin, and backing vocals) had worked previously together in the hard rock outfit the Ancestors in the late '80s and early '90s and got a close, hard look at the pressures and insanities of the major-label music machines. The trio walked away from it all and settled in the Sleepy Hollow area of the Hudson River Valley in New York, where, enlisting percussionist and drummer Tony Zuzulo in 1998, they were reborn as Gandalf Murphy (there is no one named Gandalf or Murphy in the band). The group developed a quirky, versatile, and good-humored show that worked as well in small folk clubs as it did on large festival stages, and has built a large and loyal fan following. In recent years the Circus has added Chen Longo as a bassist (Chen is the son of Joziah and Tink, who are husband and wife). Fiercely independent, the group runs its own label, High Noon Records, and has released a pair of studio albums, 1998's A Good Thief Tips His Hat and 2004's double-disc Flapjacks from the Sky, as well as the concert albums Live at the Town Crier (2001) and A Night at the Puppet House (2003). ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide