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Al "Albi" Manfredi
1942 - 2007
The Spellbinders: Over 45 Years of Rock 'n' Roll
Originally called Albi and The Spellbinders, the group started out as a British Invasion type band in the mid 60's. With front man, Albi Mann, the band went on the road to play New York's Peppermint Lounge and Trudi Heller's. After a short stint, The Spellbinders reformed in late '65. Patterned after Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears, we grew into a 12-piece horn band. In the early 70's Shanana's Rock Revival rage brought us much success as a 5-piece band. For the last couple of years, we have often had the pleasure of featuring Shanana's Lennie Baker on sax and vocals. Since Albi's departure in 1978, the band continues to play as a 4 to 5-piece ensemble. With only one member change in the last 32 years, the band still enjoys the successful run started with Albi way back in the 60's.
The band continues its classic rock tradition. Although we have strayed away from the early Doo-Wop material, we still maintain a few for posterity. The band now concentrates on tunes from the mid 50's through the late 80's. We exclude the 70's disco error of course. We are particularly partial to songs with a strong backbeat and fat vocals. As a classic rock band, The Spellbinders have enjoyed playing warm up for such headliners as: Mitch Ryder, Chubby Checker, Shirelles, Drifters, Happenings, Angels, and Ink Spots.
The Spellbinders consists of the following members in order of seniority:
Baby Ray Jordan - drums and vocals (since 1965)
Bruce (Rooster) Perry - keyboards, sax, and vocals (since 1971)
Pete (Neiman) Ewas - bass, keyboards, sound engineer, and vocals (since 1974)
Mike Murphy - guitar and vocals (since 2001)
The longevity of the band is probably due in large part to: respect we have for each others talent, respect we have for the material performed, and the loyal followers who keep us inspired.
If you have a lust for early and/or classic rock 'n roll, we would delight in the opportunity to share our renditions with you. Remember, "You'll never grow old with rock 'n roll." See you on the dance floor.
Copyright © 2006 The Spellbinders. All rights reserved. Site programming and design by Adam Perry