Danny
Sorentino Guitar / harmonica / vocals Danny was
born and raised in San Francisco California in the mid 1950’s
and came of age during the psychedelic 60’s in a blue collar
working class neighborhood where drinking beer, smoking
cigarettes and reefer was as normal as playing basketball at the
school yard. He found his greatest joy was listening to the
music he heard on FM radio stations KMPX and KSAN with their
freeform format that went from Howling Wolf to Jefferson
Airplane and beyond. He spent all his extra money on records and
bus fare to go to Golden Gate Park to see the free concerts at
Speedway Meadows. He moved to Petaluma California in 1970 and it
was like moving to the moon – the country part of the moon.
Danny was on restriction much of the time and continued to
listen to records until he started playing guitar at the ripe
old age of 17. He wrote his first song in 1975 and it was not
very good.... so he has kept trying with varying levels of
success to this very day. Turn ons – The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The
Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Neil Young and Garage Rock. Turn offs
– music with no soul, Work and Death
Rob Ruiz
4 and 12 string bass/vocals. Rob’s
definition of rock and roll has always been “2 guitars, bass,
drums, and somebody screaming over it”. He was, and is still
inspired by The Beatles, Stones, Creedence Clearwater, Grand
Funk Railroad, Brownsville Station, Cheap Trick, AC/DC, ZZ Top,
and The Smithereens. He toured nationally in the late 70’s into
1981 with Rolls Rock, a Eureka, California-based rock and roll
trio. Rolls Rock opened shows for such acts as Van Halen, Rick
Springfield, Pablo Cruise, Journey, and Eddie Money before they
disbanded in Houston, Texas (a polite way to say they crashed
and burned out!). Rob met Danny when they shared the stage at
the infamous Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco while Dan was
singing for The Chills, and he was playing bass for The Bats. He
joined forces with The Chills and has been a Sorentino since
1985. Rob is a Park Ranger with Marin County Parks for nearly 30
years, gives public programs about coyotes and mountain lions,
collects rock memorabilia, and has rocked thousands of faces
with his bass from Juneau, Alaska to Birmingham, England!
Howard Vatcher
Lead guitar/vocals. Inspired by Clapton, Page and Hendrix,
Howard began playing guitar as a young student in Northern
California, his first paid gig being his own Junior High
graduation dance. He played in the rock bands Mister Science and
Stereotactics while studying music in college, opening for X,
Captain Beefheart and others. In this period he met Rob Ruiz,
who played bass for the rival band Rolls Rock. When Howard
relocated sometime later to the San Francisco area, Rob asked
him to join the Sorentinos, to their lasting regret. Howard
currently favors Telecaster guitars through Fender tube amps and
an ever-changing assortment of effects pedals, but he will
occasionally play Les Pauls and/or Marshall amps on a whim. He
and his twin brother Don have released several albums of their
own acclaimed music as the Vatcher Brothers.
Rory Judge
Drums. A veteran of the San Francisco Rock scene in the late
1970's and early 80's, Rory played with a wide variety of bands
from punk to polka including many shows at the famed Mabuhay
Gardens, the punk palace of the west. He can also be seen with
the jazz band "On the Air" and the Roots Rock Trio "The
GoldDiggers".Rory has performed with many local and national
jazz musicians including Howard Alden.His drum arsenal includes
modern and vintage drums and cymbals. When it comes to his set
up, like his drumming...less is more. "I don't like a lot of
drums, cymbals or fills on stage. I do like to roll the rock,
and make it swing"
Steve LeeLead
guitar/backing vocalsSteve Lee is a lifelong guitar player ever
since picking up a Mickey Mouse guitar as a toddler mimicking to
Elvis Presley. Guitar fascination continued from the earliest
Ventures hit singles only to be concreted when seeing The
Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.Early success as a "tweenie"
winning the grammar school talent show led to gigs at teen Ice
Cream Socials and Bar Mitzvahs. Through the years, Steve has
always been in bands playing the best of rock music from
Creedence Clearwater, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Crazy Horse
to Cream, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin to Jeff Beck, early Fleetwood
Mac, James Gang while continuing his education attending
Fillmore West and Winterland frequently as well as stints with
the high school Jazz, Stage, Concert and Pep bands. Original
music soon beckoned with Paradox (SF’s Fab Mab favorites),
Moscow (shown on MTV Basement Tapes) among others.After years
and years of playing somewhat progressive muso rock music, Steve
rediscovered his first love playing West Coast rock with The
Sorentinos since 1994. Joys included sitting in with JJ Cale and
working with John Lee Hooker. Life does indeed go on and is now
based in England sadly far away from the band, Steve continues
to participate in recording with Danny and playing live when
possible and with others. "I have played the Fillmore West same
night as Peter Green, that's it....finito."
|
(PST) |
Artist |
Song |
length |
2:00 |
The Sorentinos |
$100 Gig |
03:33 |
2:03 |
The Sorentinos |
The Little Bit Of Soul |
02:59 |
2:06 |
The Sorentinos |
Underground Radio |
02:52 |
2:09 |
The Sorentinos |
Fillmore West |
03:25 |
2:12 |
The Sorentinos |
Revolution |
02:57 |
2:15 |
The Sorentinos |
The Great Highway |
03:27 |
2:19 |
The Sorentinos |
San Francisco Sound |
05:29 |
2:24 |
The Sorentinos |
Summer Of Love |
04:31 |
2:29 |
The Sorentinos |
North Beach |
03:33 |
2:32 |
The Sorentinos |
El Sabor De Santana |
02:57 |
2:35 |
The Sorentinos |
Excelsior Kid |
03:01 |
2:38 |
The Sorentinos |
New San Francisco Bay Blues |
02:07 |
2:40 |
The Sorentinos |
Bossa Nova Blues |
03:10 |
2:44 |
The Sorentinos |
Bayshore Baptist Church |
03:19 |
2:47 |
The Sorentinos |
Blood Of The Lamb |
05:29 |
2:52 |
The Sorentinos |
Ashes Or Dust |
03:07 |
2:55 |
The Sorentinos |
Ace Of Spades |
03:23 |
2:59 |
The Sorentinos |
Anxiety |
03:24 |
3:02 |
The Sorentinos |
The Good Fight |
03:18 |
3:06 |
The Sorentinos |
Love And Peace Never Grow Old |
02:28 |
 
 |