BIOGRAPHY
Rho & The Nomads is a collection of veteran NYC musicians with a love for groovy world rhythms. The group covers world, reggae, & soul classics and creates original music within these genres.
Rho: Lead Vocals, SongWriter, Guitarist
Rho began his musical education with classical violin at the age of 3. Thereafter, he studied jazz and symphonic drums, jazz bass, and is a self taught guitarist and percussionist. He has been composing and performing original music for 18 years. Rho has experience performing reggae, soul, and world music in NYC and Boston in a number of bands including Malabar & Dreadrocks.
Andy Bassford: Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Andy Bassford has played guitar with Jamaican artists ranging from the Abyssinians to Zap Pow. He was the Studio One house guitarist for 18 years and appears on hundreds of albums. In addition to Rho and the Nomads, he also plays with Jamaican jazz artist Monty Alexander and bass legend Derrick Barnett.
Carl Reinlib: Trombone
Carl has been playing guitar his whole life However, upon taking up the Trombone, he set as a goal to make it a household word. In addition to his musical exploits with such greats as Jaki Byard, Ken MacIntyre, Johnny Colon, Jay Black and the Americans, he has performed Trombone solos with the Napa Valley Symphony and the Purchase Orchestra. He also has his own seven piece jazz group, the Carl Reinlib Septet. He is also a composer and arranger and has recorded with Marc Wagnon, D-Jetx and the Apollo Stompers. Shout out to the love of his life Naoko.
Rob Miller: Saxophone
Rob AKA Robophone has played in a variety of bands from Ska to Jam to Punk / Funk to covers. During college he sang lead, wrote, and rapped in a power punk funk 4-piece named Spank in Rochester, NY. He also played tenor sax, sang leads and rapped in a national cover, party band named, Nik and the Nice Guys. He had the good fortune to perform all over the country, at several Super Bowls, and at the winter olympics in Calgary, Alberta. He has shared the stage with Kool and the Gang, The Brian Setzer Orchestra and the Doobie Brothers.
Tim "Zamboni": Bass Guitar & Backup Vocals
Tim Zamboni is a lifelong musician, from singing in church as a youth to leading funk bands and slappin dat bass as a big person. For him, it's clear that funk is the primordial slime of the universe, and he pays his due homage to the One on the One, getting down and funkin around most days of the week, both as a lifestyle and onstage. You can find more about him and Celestial Funk on Instagram @ZamboniFunk.
Karl Wright: Drums & Backup Vocals
Born in, the West Indies, Jamaica, Karl Wright grew up in a small beautiful town you may have heard of call Montego Bay! While growing up in Montego Bay, at an early age, Karlstudied Reggae and Jazz music. Nicknamed "Metronome" by his colleagues, Karl is one of the most prolific "Stickman" drummer in the industry today. As a "Stickman", Karl has created a series of techniques to electrify any genre of music he is supporting.
Karl's career spans for more than 3 decades performing with various artists which includes Monty Alexander, Maxi Priest, Yellow Man, Rita Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh Celebration Band, C&C Music Factory, Ray, Goodman and Brown, The Manhattans, Martha Reeves, Ernest Ranglin, El General, Stuntman, Eek-A-Mouse, Marcia Griffiths, Nahki, Judy Mowatt, Beres Hammond, Culture, Aubrey Adam Jazz Band and a roster of renowned Jazz, R&B and Reggae Artist. Today, Karl is the Chief Engineer of TIGHTWORKS PRODUCTION 101 street recording studio located in Queens, New York.
Nick Balaban: Keys, Songwriter, & Backup Vocals
Nick Balaban has made music for lots of children's tv, including Blue's Clues, Blue's Room, Word World, Bubble Guppies, PBS Kids, and Peg + Cat. Recorded and/or gigged with: Ray Charles, Patti LaBelle, Macy Gray, The Persuasions, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Toni Braxton, Randy Travis, John Boutté, India.Arie, Percy Sledge, Culture, Sugar Minott, John Zorn's Cobra, Alton Ellis, Barrington Levy, G.R.A.S.S., Souljahs, J. Walter Hawkes, Kevin Batchelor, Rob Garcia, Bradley Jones, Entrain, The Grateful Dread, and others
John Benedetti: Trumpet & Flugelhorn
John Benedetti, a dynamic Trumpet and Flugelhorn player with over 17 years performing around the world, brings an entertaining energy to the stage. From high,solid lead chops to melodic, interactive improvisation, John's diversity brings a wide range of possibilities to the music. John is a native from Seattle, Washington and fast becoming a regular in the NYC music scene.