MIDDLE SPUNK CREEK BOYS
www.mscb.com

The Middle Spunk Creek Boys bluegrass band and Big Macs are both 34+ years old this year. Somehow, that seems more than appropriate. The band was formed in 1968 when Alan Jesperson and Ron Colby invaded C. J. (Craig) Anderson’s living room one day. Al had a guitar and mandolin, Ron and C.J. both had banjos. After a round of scissors, paper and stone, Al got to play guitar, and Ron the banjo. The loser, Craig, had to play the mandolin. (That tradition still holds true!)

After a few minutes of the relentlessly dedicated rehearsals that are still a hallmark of the band thirty-odd years later, the Boys got a gig at the famous 10 O’Clock Scholar Coffeehouse. You know, where Leo Kottke got his start. Actually, the gig was an open stage. But the band did play, and was even entertaining enough that the Boys were invited back again and again for real paying gigs.

Rudy Darling was the first newcomer to join the Iron Three, adding the sound of a fiddle to the group. Craig left to be a private detective, and was replaced on mandolin by the young John Bellville, who had to get permission from his home-room teacher. Steve Block joined on bass. John got caught skipping classes, and had to go back to school. Ron Colby departed, to be replaced by the famous Al "Lightning Fingers" Struthers. (His fingers never touched the same place twice....)

Steve Block moved on and Jerry Flynn took his place on the bass, learning (as Steve had) that, while a bass is easy to hide behind, you can’t run with it very fast. Then Peter Ostroushko joined so he could learn to play bluegrass mandolin, which took him roughly two weeks. After a spell, Peter quit for the glitzy life on the road with Dakota Dave Hull and others.

In 1976 the remaining Boys recorded their first album before anyone else could quit.This album had no name, and therefore is called "The Middle Spunk Creek Boys." After selling out in its vinyl form, it has been re-released in CD and cassette.

John Niemann joined, initially to play mandolin, although he is about one of the best fiddle players ever anywhere. Rudy moved to the California mountains to study wood ticks up close, and had to quit as the commuting back to Minnesota wasn’t too practical. Mark Briere joined to play mandolin so that John wouldn't have to. Then Al Struthers left and was replaced on the banjo by Pete Anderson.

John moved (temporarily) to Alaska. Mark and Pete also quit, to be replaced by John Bellville (who hadn’t learned his lesson the first time) on mandolin and fiddle, and Jim Tordoff on banjo. Andy Kozak bolted the Pocono Mountain String Band to bring his Dobro collection to the MSCB. John Bellville quit (for what he swears is the last time) to be replaced on mandolin and fiddle by Bruce Jaeger, who was still playing in the fading Buckacre. Jim Tordoff quit. Buckacre was raided for a final time for Barry St. Mane’s banjo; we had to take Barry with it. Then Barry briefly moved to Colorado. Tom Nechville filled in for a year or so until Barry decided he liked it here better and moved back. This was in 1993, when we recorded "I’m With the Band."

Andy left, and the multi-way-too-talented Mark Kreitzer joined, initially on fiddle. When Barry left, Mark switched to banjo, and the band has been happily four-piece ever since, although with the "Instrument-Henge" array of instruments that Mark stacks up on stage, it’s like having a six-piece band.

In 1998-1999 we recorded our third album, "No One Else," that features the current MSCB Four. Of the 13 songs, nine are originals (eight by Mark); we refer to this as "Mark’s Demo Album" when he’s not around. When he is around, we refer to it as "Mark’s Demo Album," just to show that we don’t sneak around behind anyone’s back.

In 2000 we released our fourth album "Table for One." It's been getting a nice reception, including more reviews than "No One Else."

In 2001 Jerry Flynn decided to retire from the band and, well, have a life of his own. The current bass player is Mark's brother Chuck Kreitzer, a classically-trained bassist. (But we'll knock that out of him!)

In 2002 we recorded our fifth album, a bluegrass Gospel collection named "A House of Gold."

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