Pineapple Skinners
In 1997 Tony Lombardo and Tom Dameron had dinner at Chez Lulu in Mountain Brook and at that dinner the legendary Pineapple Skinners came to life. Both men had a burning desire to play traditional jazz and thought that a five member acoustic band would be the perfect format to do so. Joining them were their friends Chuck King, Sam Ranelli Jr. and Mike Cogan. The group experimented with a number of styles of Dixieland Jazz and finally evolved as a group with their own distinctive and eclectic sound. The band plays all styles, but with just enough of a twist to be different. On their CD you can hear traditional jazz, big band tunes and even ukulele and lap steel.
The Band’s name cam from an episode of the Andy Griffith Show that finds Barney buying Thelma Lou a present...he picks her up a pineapple skinner. Tony should know because in the early 1990s he taught a course at UAB about the classic sitcom.
The members of the band are all unique individuals in their own right. Tony teaches at John Carroll High, Tom is an artist and Hospital Pharmacist at Carraway Methodist Medical Center, Chuck teaches music, performs and is a professional photographer, Mike works for DHL and repairs and restores instruments, and Sam works for EWTN. Tom and Tony deal with the business end of the group while Chuck and Mike are the real musical directors with Sam being the spiritual advisor. There is a brotherhood shared that transcends the music...they also enjoy and have fun together.
The band plays traditional gigs, but also has been hired for funerals, weddings and one divorce.
You can visit their website at http://www.pineappleskinners.com
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