Mac Arnold & Plate Full O' Blues

Mac Arnold’s first band included James Brown on piano. Mac moved to Chicago and Muddy Waters hired him on the spot. He toured and recorded with the Muddy Waters Band and recorded LPs with Otis Spann and John Lee Hooker. Mac moved to Los Angeles and produced Soul Train with his friend Don Cornelius. He even played bass on the Sanford & Son television show when he wasn't playing bass for Otis Redding and B.B. King. He retired from show business to be an organic farmer. Mac is back with his own band and a "plate full" of CDs, building a new foundation in blues, soul and funk. The Band Austin Brashier – guitar & vocals Austin Brashier, guitar slinger and vocalist, has been exposed to music his whole life being from a very musical family. But it was the exposure of guitar monsters like Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Albert King that sent him spiraling through the tunnel of Blues. Not wasting any time, he took his band on the road after high school, released a CD, and had the privilege of opening for or playing with many Blues greats such as B.B. King, Koko Taylor, Tinsley Ellis, Derek Trucks, and Nappy Brown. When he was not on the road, Austin was backing up many Blues artists traveling through town such as Eddie Kirkland, Phil Guy and the list goes on. Max Hightower – harmonica, and any other instrument he chooses to play Max was born and raised in the Upstate of South Carolina. At age 12, he bought his first Blues cassette tape Muddy Mississippi Live by Muddy Waters. The new and mysterious sound of the music had such an immediate impact on him that in no time he was banging around on his Grandmother’s Silvertone guitar. However, it was the Harmonica that became his instrument of choice. He found that there was something almost spiritual about having an instrument that close to his voice, giving every breath meaning. That little 10 hole harp led him down the path of composing his own songs, playing the piano, bass, guitar, singing, teaching and producing. As one of the founding members of Plate Full O’ Blues, he now tours the USA, Canada and Europe. He has even shared the stage with some of the very legends that fueled his passion for the music, like Hubert Sumlin, Willie Smith, Bob Margolin, Eddie Shaw and Leon Everette to name a few. Rick Latham – drums Rick Latham is among the rare breed of drummers that easily fits and moves within many musical styles and performing situations. Considered by many as a Guru of Contemporary Drumming, Rick literally “wrote the book” when he penned his classic Advanced Funk Studies which Modern Drummer Magazine names among “The Top 25 Drum Books Ever Published”. This book, along with his Contemporary Drumset Techniques has shaped modern drumming, as we now know it. Rick earned his Bachelor Degree of Music from East Carolina University, where he studied with Harold Jones. He was then granted a Full Scholarship - Teaching Assistantship to The University of North Texas, while working on his Masters in Percussion. The Southern born “Stickman” recently relocating back to his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, has spent the past three decades as a member of the vibrant Los Angeles Music Scene, performing, touring and recorded with artists from all genres, such as QUINCY JONES, THE EDGAR WINTER BAND, JUICE NEWTON, CHUCK RAINEY, B.B. KING, DAVID FRIEDMAN, RICK DERRINGER, NEAL SCHON and PAT TRAVERS. His versatility has also been highlighted in television themes, jingles and motion picture soundtracks including FAST FORWARD, GONE IN 60 SECONDS, DAREDEVIL and SPIDERMAN. Along with performing with Mac Arnold, Rick stays busy as a much in demand session drummer, teaching privately and performing drum clinics and masterclasses around the globe. For Rick, “It’s All About The Groove.” ​Mike Frost - bass A native of Queens, New York, Frost studied under jazz legends Pat Martino and Jaco Pastorius. More than a band leader and bass player, he is a composer, studio musician, educator, recording engineer and designer. If bass is the backbone of music, Mike Frost is the heart and soul. Frost is clearly all about that bass. He is an authentic crossover musician with a deep melodic pocket and soulful, creative solo approach, transitioning seamlessly from jazz standards to Blues to funk to rock-n-roll, incorporating a unique and imaginative interpretation to his compositions. Mike has recorded and performed with a long list of high-profile musicians including Jesse Colin Young, Donald Vega, Wycliffe Gordon, Jorma Kaukonen, Jimmy Bruno, New York Voices, Delfeayo Marsalis, Greg Osby, Gregg Bissonette, Tommy Igoe, Chester Thompson, Esteban, The Gypsy Kings, David Mann, Manolo Badrena, John Miceli, and Jules Radino ( BOC).