Blue Love Monkey-continued

9 original songs about love, grief, truth, delusion, dread, hope & monkey business.
Plus Richard & Mimi & Mickey & Sylvia.
"Your Song" winner of the 2003 New Mexico Music Industry "best alternative rock" award.

- The Blue Love Monkey Band -
Rick Nafey - vocals, guitar, dulcimer
Jim Bracken - lead guitar, vocal
John Curtis - drums, percussion
Steve Lindsey - bass
Busy McCarroll - vocals
Sara K. - vocals
Steve Guilmet - piano
Dominick Costanzo - accordion, theremin

Produced by Baird Banner & Rick Nafey

Whether extolling the virtues of Thunderbird wine, projecting sonic landscapes of the Southwestern desert, serving up delta blues straight, no chaser, or melding The Jaynettes with William Blake, Blue Love Monkey gets you off the musical Interstate to roads less traveled on their first CD - A Crooked Mile.

Solid performances of 4 original songs and unique arrangements of 9 classics by diverse artists such as Fred Neil, Robert Johnson, The Cats and A Fiddle, Roy Acuff and Little Brother Montgomery.

A Crooked Mile re-unites Rick with long time musical partner Willy DeVille, who handled production.

The Blue Love Monkey Band
Jim Bracken - guitar
Bobby Glenn - bass,
John Curtis - drums
Busy McCarroll and Sara K. - vocals
Michael Polera - violin
Jeff Nelson - keys
Willy DeVille - harp, percussion

Blue Love Monkey is the performing identity of singer / songwriter Rick Nafey. Founded in the former mining town of Madrid, New Mexico, the band is a vehicle for Nafey's music, with a fluid roster of members geographically spread from east to west coast. Rick is a compelling performer and raconteur, engaging his audiences with banter and tall tales.
Raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Nafey began studying guitar and harmonica in the early '60's, listening to the folk and blues music of Reverend Gary Davis, Muddy Waters, The Holy Modal Rounders, Dave Van Ronk and John Lee Hooker. While in high school in the mid '60's, Rick joined with classmate Billy Borsey to form Billy & The Kids, a rock group in the Rolling Stones - Kinks vein.
As the decade progressed, Nafey broadened his influences, listening to R&B, jazz, country and folk music from many countries. He developed his guitar style, drawing from the genre crossing explorations of John Fahey and Sandy Bull. He began writing songs, inspired by the work of Fred Neil, Bob Dylan and Michael Hurley.
By the late '60's, Rick had a home studio based on a Revox tape recorder. Nafey, Borsey and various friends recorded a wildly eclectic collection of original material with influences ranging from The Incredible String Band to George Jones and Tammy Wynette. From these sessions grew a performing band - The Immaculate Conception.
In 1970, Borsey split for the UK pursuing a solo career and Rick, armed with new songs, formed a group named Stillwater (not the fictional band from the Russell Crowe film "Almost Famous"). The group evolved into a proto jam band and continued performing through 1972.
Nafey and Borsey were together again in 1973 as The Royal Pythons, performing original material as well as traditional folk and blues numbers. In '74, Borsey split again, this time for San Francisco, where he became Willy DeVille and formed Mink DeVille.
Rick traveled the country, moving from New York to Bolinas to Boston, performing solo. In 1981 he was back in Connecticut fronting The Mojomatics, a Chicago style blues band. Settling in New Mexico during the mid '80's he resumed performing as a solo act.
In 2000, Nafey and DeVille, both living in the Cerrillos Hills of New Mexico, renewed their musical partnership. Rick had some new songs. Recording sessions with Willy producing enlisted some of the best local musicians. The result was Blue Love Monkey. Nafey established Cracker Records to release 'A Crooked Mile', an eclectic mix of electric blues, country and folk.
Blue Love Monkey was back in the studio in 2002, this time a predominantly acoustic group. 'The Things That I Can't See' EP has Nafey exploring his musical roots.
Rick spent 2003 writing and recording with a rock band lineup of Blue Love Monkey. 'I Ain't Got Time to Die' showcases Nafey's talent as a songwriter and cross pollinator of musical styles.
'Kissin' Booth' the new Blue Love Monkey CD is currently in production, Nafey's most ambitious project yet, it is filled with original material performed with a further expanded roster of musicians, 'Kissin' Booth' is scheduled for release on Cracker Records summer 2005.

Oh WOW !!!
Reviewer: Martin71349@cs.com
I just love this cd. The sounds are great and the lyrics are unbelieveable and this is from a New Englander. I know these guys are from New Mexico but I love the sound.

Download available at: iTunes Music Store, BuyMusic, MusicNet, MusicMatch, DiscLogic, Napster, AudioLunchbox, Lindows, Music4Cents, Sony Connect, Etherstream, RuleRadio, QTRnote, EMEPE3, CatchMusic, Puretracks and Viztas "I Ain't Got Time to Die" CD available from CDBaby.com

Lyrics: I 've been around this town a time or two and I know the lies and I know what's true. Tell me good people what am I gonna do. Day I was born, I was bound to lose. You don't know, how lucky you've been. You don't know when God has been your friend. I've been ramblin most of my life. I've been gamblin' You know that's not right. Tell me good people if you get the news. Day I was born I was bound to lose. I'm so tired, but I just can't get to sleep. My thoughts are long. You know life's not cheap. You win, you lose, I don't care what they say. You get through life day by day Listen good people when you get the news. The day you're born, you're bound to lose. listen good people when you get the news day you're born you're bound to lose