Last Mile Ramblers

THE EARLY DAYS OF THE LAST MILE RAMBLERS WERE SPEARHEADED AND INSPIRED BY STEVE KEITH, A NEW HAMPSHIRE NATIVE WHO SETTLED IN SANTA FE, NM AROUND 1970.  HIS UNABASHED ENTHUSIASM AND PROFICIENCY IN CLAWHAMMER AND THREE FINGER STYLES OF 5-STRING BANJO PLAYING, AND SINGING LED THE GROUP THROUGH THE EARLY ’70,S AT CLAUDE’S BAR ON CANYON ROAD. THE GROUP,CONSISTING OF 2 TO 5 MUSICIANS DEPENDING ON WHO SHOWED UP, PLAYED FOR DRINKS AND TIPS. OTHER EARLY MEMBERS INCLUDED GEORGE BULLFROG (BOURQUE) ON GUITAR, SPOOK (NATHANIEL) JAMES ON BASS, AND VARIOUS PEOPLE PLAYING MANDOLIN, WASHBOARD, SPOONS, WASHTUB,ETC.

PHASE TWO BEGAN IN 1973, AT A ROADHOUSE CALLED THE GOLDEN INN, IN GOLDEN NM, A GHOST TOWN ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTH OF SANTA FE. AT THIS TIME THE GROUP WAS JOINED BY CHARLIE RELLENO (JOBES) ON DRUMS, J.B. (JUNIOR) BROWN ON ELECTRIC LEAD GUITAR, AND LATER, DON GALE ON PEDAL STEEL GUITAR AND BANJO, TO REPLACE STEVE KEITH, WHO HAD LEFT THE GROUP TO TOUR WITH MASON WILLIAMS, WHO WAS COMBINING A ROOTS COUNTRY BAND WITH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS.

AT THIS JUNCTURE THE REMAINING MEMBERS SHARED THE HELM SINGING LEAD AND BRINGING IN NEW MATERIAL. BY THIS TIME THE GROUP WAS ADDING TRADITIONAL COUNTRY AND WESTERN SWING, ALONG WITH THE BLUEGRASS, ETC.
IT SHOULD BE SAID, AT THIS POINT, THAT THE LAST MILE RAMBLERS WERE A BUNCH OF ‘60’S/70’S COUNTER CULTURE YOUTHS, WHO GREW UP WITH THE BEATLES, STONES, DYLAN, ZAPPA, ETC., WHO WERE TRULY INSPIRED BY GRAM PARSONS, MERLE HAGGARD, GEORGE JONES, ERNEST TUBB, RAY PRICE, BOB WILLS, HANK WILLIAMS, LEFTY FRIZZEL, ETC. THE CROWDS FILLING THE GOLDEN INN TO THE RAFTERS EVERY SUNDAY AFTERNOON WERE HIPPIES, BIKERS, COWBOYS, HISPANICS, AND REGULAR PEOPLE (WHATEVER THAT MEANS).

THIS WAS SOMETHING NEW IN THE MID SEVENTIES. A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL.

AT THIS TIME THE AUSTIN, TEXAS SCENE WAS ALSO COMING TOGETHER, LED BY WILLIE, WAYLON AND JERRY JEFF WALKER. ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL HAD ALSO JUST MOVED THERE.

LMR TOURED TEXAS TO PROMOTE THE 1ST SINGLE RECORD, THE HURRIER I GO, THE BEHINDER I GET B/W COME A LITTLE CLOSER, SUNG BY GEORGE AND J.B. RESPECTIVELY.

IT GOT AIRPLAY ON KOKE-FM, PROBABLY THE FIRST ALTCOUNTRY RADIO STATION, AND THE GROUP WAS EMBRACED BY THE COUNTRY FANS IN AUSTIN.

AFTER THE TOUR DON LEFT THE GROUP AND STEVE KEITH REJOINED, AND THE ALBUM,  “WHILE THEY LAST” WAS COMPLETED AND RELEASED IN NOV. ’74.

THE NEXT FEW YEARS BROUGHT ABOUT MANY PERSONELL CHANGES, AND THE GROUP GOT STRONGER AS A RESULT.
GEORGE BULLFROG TOOK THE HELM AS LEADER.

SPOOK JAMES LEFT AND WAS REPLACED BY DAVED LEVINE, WHO PLAYED 5-STRING AMPLIFIED ACOUSTIC BASS. J.B. LEFT AND TOMMY FENTON, WITH A BACKGROUND IN BIG BAND JAZZ ARRANGING, TOOK OVER ELECTRIC LEAD GUITAR. SANDY MARES, AN OLD JUG BAND MATE OF GEORGES FROM OHIO JOINED ON VOCALS AND PIANO. STEVE WAS REPLACED BY WOODY VERMEIRE, AND THEN OLLIE O’SHEA ON FIDDLE AND VOCALS.  ORIGINAL  DRUMMER AND VOCALIST, CHARLIE RELLENO,WAS REPLACED BY WALDO LATOWSKY, AND LATER, PETE AMAHL, WHO THEN AS NOW IS IN DEMAND WHENEVER WELL KNOWN JAZZ PLAYERS  COME TO NM.

THE 2ND ALBUM “LMR” WAS DONE IN ‘78/’79 AND RELEASED IN NOV. ’79, DURING THE TIME JON POTRYKUS JOINED THE GROUP ON PEDAL STEEL GUITAR, AND VOCALS.

“LMR” SHOWCASED THE MANY INFLUENCES OF THE BAND, INCLUDING SONGS BY DJANGO REINHARDT, JERRY LEE LEWIS, THE STANLEY BROTHERS, BENNY GOODMAN,JIMMY MARTIN, BUZZ BUSBY, AND EARLY WESTERN SWING BANDS.
IT SHOULD BE ADDED HERE THAT THE LIVE MUSIC OF THE LAST MILE RAMBLERS WAS  POPULAR WITH THE BEST COUNTRY AND WESTERN DANCERS OF THE DAY, AND THEIR FOLLOWING OF DANCERS IS MAINLY WHAT SUSTAINED THEM THROUGOUT THE YEARS PLAYING THE HONKY TONKS.

THE NEXT FEW YEARS FOUND THEM PLAYING POPULAR CLUBS IN PLACES LIKE NEW YORK CITY AND KANSAS CITY, AS WELL AS THEIR BELOVED SOUTHWEST.
IN 1983 AFTER MORE PERSONELL CHANGES, AND REFUSAL TO PLAY TOP 40 COUNTRY,AND THE BAND AND THEIR FOLLOWING ENTERING INTO MIDDLE AGE, THE LAST MILE RAMBLERS ENTERED A 5 YEAR HIATUS.

IN 1988 THE BAND HELD A REUNION AT THE EL REY THEATER IN ALBUQUERQUE.
WHAT A TIME! THE BAND (GEORGE, TOMMY, OLLIE, DAVED, PETE, & JON) WERE JOINED WITH ABOUT A THOUSAND RABID FANS FROM YEARS PAST.

IN 1990 THE BAND STARTED PLAYING AGAIN ON A SEMI REGULAR BASIS, AND TO THIS DAY STILL PERFORM SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR.

IN JUNE OF 1998 THEY SHARED THE HEADLINE SPOT AND THEN ACCOMPANIED THEIR OLD BANDMATE JUNIOR BROWN AT THE NEWLY REVIVED FIESTA DE LA PRIMAVERA, IN CERRILLOS, NM, WHERE THE ORIGINAL BAND LIVED IN THE EARLY 70’S.  A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!

Note: End time not specified 

General Admission, $8
Students & Seniors(62+), $5

Advance Tickets are available in person at the KiMo or thru Ticketmaster.
Ticket sales on the Day-of-Show

Venue: KiMo Theatre

423 Central Ave. NW
Albuquerque, NM

Phone: (505) 768-3522