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Tom Ardolino
(July 2005 Issue)
The Magical Groove of NRBQ's Tom ArdolinoCheck the CD
collections of Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Bonnie Raitt, or
Paul
McCartney, and chances are you'll find copies of Tiddlywinks, Grooves In Orbit, and Peek-A-Boo
by
veteran popsters NRBQ. That kind of admiration would be
understandable if the Q was itself a household name. But
although
they've shared stage and studio with all of the above, today
NRBQ--formed in 1967 by pianist Terry Adams and
bassist Joey
Spampinato--remains one of the best-kept secrets in pop music.
But whether it's Tokyo or Toledo,
NRBQ still performs like it's day
one--enthusiastic, full of surprises, and capable of converting the
uninitiated on the spot.
Much of that energy stems from the grooving,
rock-steady rhythms of Tom Ardolino, the curly-haired dynamo who took
over for
drummer Tom Staley back in 1974 without any prior job
experience--musical or otherwise--and never left. Yet even
after
twenty-eight years, the New England-based Ardolino is as upbeat as ever
about the band's
prospects.
"We've got this upcoming VH1 live gig that features concerts by bands
who've been around for
thirty years or more--and they put us on first,"
says Ardolino. He's just back from a Vermont studio where the
band
(which also includes guitarist Johnny Spampinato, Joey's younger
brother) is working up new tracks for a
forthcoming album. "That oughta
help get our name out into the mainstream."
Julian Simons
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