The Cluckeneers
The Cluckeneers are AC Bushnell-fiddle, Bill Parsons-guitar and Richard Pertz-banjo.
AC first met Richard Pertz in 1964 although Pertz had seen AC play the fiddle a year earlier at Allan Block’s sandal shop in New York City (see AC’s bio for more on this). Pertz’s parents ran a summer camp in upstate New York and AC hired on as a dish washer for the summer of 1964. AC brought his fiddle and spent a musical summer playing with Pertz (who also played mandolin) and guitarist, Lester Lenoff. He also played with Peter Anson who played banjo. AC continued to play with Pertz and his wife Cophelia over the years.
AC first met guitarist Bill Parsons in 1968 when he was renting a room from his friend Andy Lippman’s mother. One day Parsons moved into the room across the hall and AC heard him playing guitar. It didn’t take long for them to start playing together. Parsons and AC used to have jam sessions with other musicians in New York as well. Parsons later moved to North Carolina where he lived in Chatham county. Many great nights of music graced his homestead which was dubbed, “ The Apex Acres”. In 1974 AC formed the State Line String Band with Parsons and cello player Michael Kott. Kott played country cello, commonly plucking the strings like a string bass. His hallmark was his inventive and sweeping bass lines as well as his wild energy. Kott appears to be living in New Mexico currently. AC last saw him about 15 years ago driving off on his motorcycle into a storm.
In 1993 Pertz and Parsons joined AC to form the Cluckeneers. They recorded two CD’s which are no longer available, including “Cluckin’ Around”. In 1999 The Cluckeneers played a show at the Skylight Exchange in Chapel Hill, NC which was recorded. It was released as “The Hen Has Landed” and is still available—click here to hear samples from the CD.
One of the strengths of the Cluckeneers is their willingness to explore and try new material. The Cluckeneers play on AC’s CD/DVD release “Dancing on the Water” released in 2007. It was the Cluckeneers, for example, who first worked out the Michael Hurley songs “Water Train” and “The Tea Song”. AC feels that both of them go where no other songs have gone before.
February 24th, 2008 at 10:27 am
AC rocks!