Greetings, Friends and Fans of Rick & The All-Star Ramblers. I am announcing that Rick & The All-Star Ramblers Western Swing Band is coming to the end of the trail. In short, as I approach 80 years of age and after 61 years as a singer, songwriter, bandleader and recording artist, I am retiring as a band leader and performing artist.
On October 22nd, the Ramblers released our final CD, “God Bless The Mighty Pickle,” at a gala, sold-out performance in Juniper Hall at The Hotel Vermont with Special Musical Guests, The Blue Gardenias, Coco Kallis, Jon Gailmor, Jimmy Pitman and Grant Heywood (all the way down from New Brunswick, Canada). And our surprise star? “The Chief,” the coach formerly known as “The Mighty Pickle,” all the way up from The Congress of Country Music Museum in Philadelphia, Mississippi.
WATCH THE “GOD BLESS THE MIGHTY PICKLE” CD RELEASE VIDEO
An Announcement from Rick Norcross, Bandleader of Vermont’s premier western swing band, Rick & The All-Star Ramblers
Greetings, Friends and Fans of Rick & The All-Star Ramblers. It was my goal to record one last, and the absolute bestest of all, Rick & All-Star Ramblers Western Swing Band album to go out on a high note. The concept of the album was to pay tribute to our tour bus of 22 years, “The Mighty Pickle.” After, I sold “The Mighty Pickle,” in 2019, she underwent a masterful and massive restoration in Ocala, Florida under the auspices of Dave Wright and his wife Boots, who then donated the coach to Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music Museum. As part of the restoration of “The Chief,” Dave Wright installed the decorative wooden pickle from the interior of our bus, to the inside of The Chief’s baggage room door.
On October 22, 2023, we released “God Bless The Mighty Pickle,” at a gala, sold-out performance in Juniper Hall at The Hotel Vermont with Special Musical Guests, The Blue Gardenias, Coco Kallis, Jon Gailmor, Jimmy Pitman and Grant Heywood (down from New Brunswick, Canada). And our surprise star? “The Chief,” the coach formerly known as “The Mighty Pickle,” all the way up from Philadelphia, Mississippi.
For the CD release party of “God Bless The Mighty Pickle,” Dave Wright brought “The Chief” up to Burlington from the Congress of Country Music Museum in Philadelphia, Mississippi to help celebrate the release of our last and bestest Ramblers album. Thank YOU again to Dave Wright, Marty Stuart and The Congress of Country Music Museum. Hail To The Chief!
I am immensely proud and honored to have had the pleasure of working with a truly outstanding band for nearly 20 years. I will dearly miss the time we have spent together for so long, onstage and off. Here’s the stellar lineup of Rick & The All-Star Ramblers: Rick Norcross (hey, that’s me!) – Vocals/Rhythm Guitar • Taryn Noelle – Vocals • Charlie MacFadyen – Piano/Accordion/Lap Steel • Dono Schabner – Lead Guitar/Rhythm Guitar • Doug Reid – Fiddle • Dave Rowell – Vocals/Bass • Ian Koeller – Drums.
I must acknowledge Charlie MacFadyen, our co-producer and arranger of the instruments and vocals. Lane Gibson, often referred to as our honorary Rambler, was also co-producer of The Pickle Project as well as the engineer and recordist at his world-class facility in Charlotte, Vermont, Lane Gibson Recording & Mastering Studios, for every one of our albums since 2008.
We have one last Rick & The All-Star Ramblers project to deliver. Stay Tuned for “The Bestest Songs I Ever Wrote” as chosen by Ramblers Fans & Friends.
CONTACT US
Rick Norcross
[email protected]
(802) 864-6674
