JOHNNY CARLEVALE

Who Is Johnny Carlevale

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Who is Johnny Carlevale?

 

  Johnny Carlevale has perfromed hundreds of live shows in his career from coast to coast of the United States, Canada and Europe!  Johnny Carlevale has become a fixture on the New England rhythm and roots or rockabilly scene and in someway shape or form will be found taking part in most the New England area's top rhythm and roots or rockabilly shows! 

 

2002-2003 - Johnny started his music career by fronting and being the main song-writer of a Providence, Rhode Island based roots band called The Young Ones.  The Young Ones were a meld of Jump Blues, Rhythm & Blues, Rockabilly, Country, Boogie Woogie, and just some straight up American Rock N' Roll.  As quoted by Providence Phoenix columnist Bob Gulla, "The Young Ones striking fusion of rockabilly, jump blues, country, and boogie-woogie sucks in and spews out more than fifty years of rock n' roll tradition" !

 

  The band picked up steam very early and was given a major break when they opened up for North East rockabilly greats, The Raging Teens at Jake's Bar & Grille in Providence, Rhode Island.  Kevin Patey, frontman from The Raging Teens, saw something in The Young Ones and essentially put them under his wing and broke them into a major market such as Boston.  From that, The Young Ones were able to  reach out to audiences all across the North East.  Unfortunately like all good things, The Young Ones came to an end in July of 2003.

 

2003-2005 - Shortly after the demise of The Young Ones, Johnny Carlevale began playing rhythm guitar in a Boston based rockabilly racket called Dana Stewart & The Old Howards who was fronted by Dana Stewart of Boston, Massachusetts' legendary rockabilly racket, The Racketeers.  Dana Stewart & The Old Howards managed much success and  have shared the stage with legendary surf guitarist Dick Dale, Southern Culture On The Skids, legendary finger-pickin' guitarist Sean Mencher and had taken part in the largest rockabilly festival in the world, Green Bay Wisconsin's "Rockin' 50's Fest II" at Onieda Casino.

 

  As quoted by Sean Mencher "The Old Howards sound is refreshing and very authentic!  What a great sounding band!"

 

  And also quoted by Basim from StarVox.net's online band reviews "Wanna know who really were breath taking? Dana Stewart & the Old Howards.  
   This was a loud rockabilly racket done well. Dana Stewart’s punchy drumming and lead vocals made us all shout along. Guitarist Jeff Herring’s approach to soloing really harkened to the classic solos of old, the kind that make you wince once they’ve reached their peak. It was a cross between the variety of Wayne Hancock and energy of Chuck Berry.  This is a band that needs to be seen live, they’ll make you pull your hair out and blow your lungs. Watch your livers!"


2004 - Always having a passion for traditional R&B, Johnny Carlevale began singing and playing rhythm guitar once again in a red hot R&B racket called Johnny Carlevale & The Broken Rhythm Boys.  Heavily influenced by Independant Recording Label artists from the early to late 1950's, the band formed in August of 2004 and  had shared the stage with The Sean Mencher Combo, The Raging Teens, Rhythm Bound, Deke Dickerson & The Ecco-Fonics and where featured on Viva Las Vegas 8 and The Red Hot & Blue Festival.

 

  Michelle Terranova, host of Connecticut's rockabilly radio show Go Kat GO! is quoted as saying "Nothin' needs fixin' with these boys!  After years of playing in top notch bands, Johnny Carlevale steps out and takes the reigns as the frontman of this raw, energy-packed quintet of seasoned musicians.  They mix traditional rockabilly, R&B and jump blues...complete with a renowned sax player, for a sound reminiscent of the true pioneers of the genre."

 

  And The Raging Teens frontman Kevin Patey is quoted as saying  "Johnny Carlevale and His Broken Rhtymn Boys are the MOST!  Authentic style Jump Blues, in the vein of Jimmy Suttons Four Charms.  Johnny sounds like a Big Blues Howler like the late, great Big Joe Turner!  I just dig it!!!"

 

2005 - Johnny began gaining national recognition for the work he'd done with The Broken Rhythm Boys.  As a result, Chaz Mathews,  a Rockabilly Monthly columnist, issued an interview with him in the June, 2005 issue.

 

  The Broken Rhythm Boys line-up changed dramatically in 2005!  On board was Amazing Royal Crown's guitarist Greg Burgess, Amazing Royal Crown's bassist Jack Hanlon, drummer Jeremy Kroger, and horn player Dick "The Poet" Lourie.  The back-up band dropped The Broken Rhythm Boys name and appropriately adopted the name of All-Star Band.

 

  Johnny began strumming a rhythm guitar with Ace Brown & The Helldivers.  The Helldivers changed line-ups and became known as Ace Brown & His Ohio Valley Boys, a western swing and hillbilly bop outfit from Cleveland, Ohio!

 

  In October, Johnny released his "New England's Owen Jump, Swing, Rhythm & Blues" EP!

 

2006-present - Johnny formed Johnny Carlevale & The Rollin' Pins, a raw rockabilly racket hailing from New England, USA!  The band perfroms origanl material mixed with covers from the New England area rockabilly legends from the 1950's!

 

  "That Ain't No Way To Spend A Friday" was released.  That was Johnny's first full length album.

 

2007 - Johnny worked along side with his good friend Greg Burgess to help write the soundtrack to the Rocky Point Park film documentary "You Must Be This Tall".

 

2008 - JOHNNY CARLEVALE & THE ROLLIN' PINS released their first full-length record "That's Life".

 

2009-2010 - Johnny played rhythm guitar with THE PINBALL MILLIONAIRES.

 

2010-prestent - Johnny began fronting a rockabilly band called  THE JUKE JOINT RHYTHM ROCKERS

 
2012 - JOHNNY CARLEVALE & THE ROLLIN' PINS backed up New England Rockabilly legend's Ricky Coyne, Rick Bounty & Brehon Herlihy at The Midway Cafe for an event called The Legend's Of New England Rockabilly Showcase!
 
2013 - JOHNNY CARLEVALE & THE ROLLIN' PINS again backed up New England Rockabilly legend's Ricky Coyne, Rick Bounty, Brehon Herlihy and added Downbeats frontman Sonny Lane at The New England Shake-Up at The Legend's Of New England Rockabilly Showcase!
 
2012-2014 - Johnny played up-right bass with LEAH & HER J-WALKERS!
 
2013-present - Johnny began playing rhythm guitar with THE SKELETON BEATS, a rock n' roll band from Boston, Massachusetts!
 
Johnny Carlevale as an individual performer as been billed with the following 50's legends in some way shape or form...
 
Art Adams
Jimmy Cavello
Rayburn Anthony
Terry Noland
The Cleftones
Jerry Lee Lewis
Narvel Felts
Wanda Jackson
Glenn Honeycutt
Billy Adams
Joe Houston
Bobby Crown
Hardrock Gunter
Sonny Burgess
Al Urban
Roy Gaines
Ike Turner
The Crickets
Barbara Lynn
Teddy Riedel
Pat Cupp
Bob Will's Original Playboys
The Teenagers
Freddy Bell
The Bobbettes
Eddie "The Chief" Clearwater
Roc LaRue
Clarence "Frogman" Henry
Lew Williams
Ray Sharpe
Hank Thompson
Ricky Coyne
Rick Bounty
Brehon Herlihy
Janis Martin
Dale Hawkins
Bill Lee Riley
Glen Glenn
The Calvanes
Charlie Louvin
Link Wray
Joe Bennett & The Sparkletones
Bill Haley's Original Comets
Ace Cannon
Young Jesse
 
  Oh, and he likes long walks on the beach and pizza!