Mike Guldin and Rollin’ & Tumblin’

MIKE GULDIN BIO:

Mike Guldin first picked up the guitar at age 15 and since then has honed his craft playing in roadhouses, clubs and bars, and Festivals and Theaters for over 45 years. Influenced by blues legends Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Albert Collins, The Three Kings (BB, Albert and Freddie), Guldin is also inspired by contemporary artists including The Allman Bros, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, and The Rolling Stones. R&B/Soul icons Sam & Dave, Booker T and The MG’s, Reverend Al Green and The Memphis Stax and High Tone Records grooves are also a heavy influence, along with the Southern fried Muscle Shoals sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Outlaws and a slew of country and crossover artists like Delbert McClinton and Lee Roy Parnell. It is little wonder that stinging guitar and soulful vocals are second nature for Guldin. When combined with the raucous backing sounds of his band, “Rollin’ & Tumblin’,” all of these inspirations come to life into blues they have branded “Good Ole Butt-Shakin’ Music”!

Guldin and The Tumblers are two-time finalists in the International Blues Challenge, an annual event sponsored by The Blues Foundation and held each year in Memphis, TN. Band members are Mike Guildin, guitar and vocals; Tim Hooper, keyboards and vocals; CJ Clark, bass and vocals; and Jeremy Jaffe, drums. A journeyman of the blues, Guldin has opened for and shared billing with a wide range of artists including Sam Moore, Delbert McClinton, Levon Helm, EG Kight, Tab Benoit, Tommy Castro, Teresa James, The Nighthawks, Little Milton, Shemekia Copeland, Debbie Davies, Saffire The Uppity Blues Women, Michael Hill and his Blues Mob, John Sebastian and Jimmy Vivino.

Guldin’s debut album, Caught Between The Blues and a Heartache, was released in 2003. Roadhouse Rhythm (2005), featured special guests EG Kight, Tommy Castro, Delbert McClinton's horns (Terry Townson and Don Wise), Denise NeJame and James Pennebaker. The late Tom Hyslop declared, “It all sounds good, and fun is at a premium!” in his Blues Revue magazine review. In 2019, Mike and The Tumblers’ Live at The Sellersville Theater was released.

Now, almost twenty years later, Guldin will release his latest opus, Tumblin’, in partnership with Bill Sharrow (Black Cat Studio, Spring Mount, Pa.), on Blue Heart Records. The collection of 13 diverse originals is all penned by Guldin; Sharrow; prominent metro Philadelphia area musicians Mikey Jr., Roger Girke, Will Hodgson, Craig Thatcher, and Kevin Vannoy. Special guests include Kevin McKendree, James Pennebaker, Lewis Stephens, Kevin Vannoy and Luis Mora.


THE TUMBLERS BIO:

CJ Clark Bass and Vocals: CJ was always fascinated with music for as long as he could remember. From Classical to Country-from Jazz to R&B & Gospel, he enjoyed and embraced it all. In 1956, he pestered 2 of his uncles into teaching him Blues on the guitar. Later, he picked up piano from his mother and his paternal grandmother and made his first ‘musical dollar’ in 1961. In 1963 he joined a ‘Do-Wop’ singing group and later became part of local Philly bands as a vocalist/organist. He attended Berklee College of Music very briefly (summer program) but left to make much needed cash. CJ switched to bass in ’69 and played locally and on the road with various R&B bands. He toured with Chuck Jackson and worked as a songwriter with Philly International Records and was one of the ‘Philly-Sound’ (MFSB/Sal Soul Orchestra) session bassists. He toured with Billy Paul, with Esther Satterfield, the Mighty O’Jays and Sister Sledge. In’82 CJ left the business until ’84, when he rediscovered his love for playing and joined Nancy & The White Boys, later to be known as ‘The Right Boys’, now called ‘Right Back’. After reconnecting with his Blues roots CJ joined Rollin' and Tumblin' in 1994 until the present.

Tim Hooper Keyboards and Vocals: Tim has been playing keyboards and guitar for over 50 years, and still thinks he's getting better. Classically trained (by his mother!), and with a degree in Music Theory and Composition, Tim found the funk at an early age, and once his chops allowed, followed his muse from that point on. He's played with a number of different bands over the years, but has been a part of Rollin' & Tumblin' for the last 25 years and counting.

Jeremy Jaffe Drums and Vocals: Jeremy’s experience drumming in the Philadelphia area dates back over 40 years and began with deep roots in classic rock, R & B, funk and fusion.  Starting in the early 1980’s he performed around Philly with Nancy and the Whiteboys-later known as the Rightboys and most recently, Rightback-where he teamed up with Tumblers Tim Hooper and CJ Clark. Jeremy has Tim and CJ to thank for his introduction to Mike Guldin and the blues. With MG and Rollin and Tumblin, Jeremy had the opportunity to venture into a new genre and occasional early stints with the Tumblers and later, touring as the drummer for EG Kight’s northern band followed.  With her band he has opened for and/or shared the stage with many well- known acts including Delbert McClinton, Little Feat, Ann Rabson, the Nighthawks and Bobby Blue Bland and has performed at venues from Charlotte, North Carolina to Rockford, Maine and multiple festivals including the Chenango, Billtown and North Atlantic Blues Festivals.