The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Summer fun
Library 'tuning up' for annual SummerFest
By Jackie Smith, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: June 26, 2008
Local folks can dance the afternoon away when the "rhythm & blues-powered vehicle," The Terraplanes shift into gear July 26 as part of Chelsea's annual SummerFest event.
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The group, which typically performs in the Detroit and Ann Arbor areas, will be coming to Chelsea for the first time.
"We like to involve as many people as possible and spread the word about our music," said band founder Jerry Mack.
He says their music is a mix of styles oriented around blues, rock 'n' roll, uptown swing, soul and R&B, and influenced by artists such as T-Bone Walker, Albert King, James Brown and Willie Dixon.
"Blues is the root of much of the contemporary music we listen to today," Mack said. "It's a very pure and raw form of musical expression."
The Terraplanes' hourlong set will contain mostly classic covers and original songs from their three CDs, "Rockin" with the Fish," "Well Tuned" and "Peak Performance," as well as a few unrecorded tunes.
Though the group was formed in 1993, the present collection of members has been together over two years and all of them are veterans of the Southeastern Michigan music scene.
It was not a convergence of bands that started The Terraplanes, Mack says, but members were found more through his own networking or in the occasional jam session.
Having been with several bands in the area over the past two decades, Mack plays the guitar, sings and has various percussion duties.
Band members are experienced guitarist and vocalist Dave Fero, drummer Mike Adams, bassist Al Kalaf, saxophone specialist James Morse and keyboardist Jim Merte.
The Terraplanes will bring more than 100 years of combined musical experience to their SummerFest performance. They are scheduled to wrap up a three-hour block of country and blues music, which begins that Saturday at 1 p.m. on the McKune Memorial Library stage.
The other two performances include the talents of artist Elizabeth Royce and her band Cowgirl Cabaret, and blues great Big Daddy Fox.
Mack has always looked forward to performing live.
"It's sort like an adrenaline rush to see people enjoying the music," he said. "When you get people moving, it's very gratifying."
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