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I toured for awhile with Jonathan Edwards and then landed a gig with
Natalie Cole. After a year and a half of touring the country with Natalie I
joined the John Hall Band. It consisted of John Hall (he wrote Still The One
and Dance With Me), Bob Leinbach, Eric Parker, and myself. We recorded two
albums on the EMI America label. Bonnie Raitt, who, despite her successes,
found herself without a recording contract, used us as her band when she
toured the east coast. We toured nationally opening for Bob Seger and the
like. Despite our successes, we found ourselves without a recording
contract. Bewildered and exhausted, we called it quits.
I went from gig to gig for awhile and then hooked up with Joe Cocker.
That job took me overseas where I discovered that Joe, whom I, along with
the rest of America, had regarded as somewhat over, is still a serious
international star. Eric Parker, the drummer from the John Hall Band, was on
that gig with me. Our sound, as a rhythm section, was by now rather crunchy.
It was Eric who suggested that we try writing some of our own songs.
Although I had written a few songs, it hadn't occurred to me to focus on
composing. Eric and I started writing songs together.They actually seemed
pretty good. We kept at it after our stint with Cocker was through.
In the early 1990's Jon Pousette-Dart called Eric and me to suggest we do
some reunion dates so we rounded up John Curtis and got to it. The response
was encouraging. We played around the northeast for a few years. Despite our
successes and the fact that we had the Devil Incarnate for a manager, we
found ourselves without a recording contract. Bewildered and exhausted, we
called it quits.
Eric Parker and I formed the Low Sun Dogs, a good little band that played
around New York. We played our own songs! Woohoo! But seeing as how the band
lived in New York and I lived in Boston, it just got too hard. Bewildered
and exhausted, we called it quits.
In 1999 I met David Brown, a guitarist whose résumé as a sideman closely
matched mine in that it was comprised of a list of big
shots including a 12-year
stint with Billy Joel. We hit it off and recorded a CD called SIDEMEN which
we sold at gigs in New England for the next three years. We played with many great drummers but the lead off hitter turned out to be Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention fame. The trio Troy, Mattacks & Brown continued to perform in clubs around the North Shore of Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. In 2005 we recorded Troy, Mattacks & Brown Live at Captain Carlo's in Gloucester MA. The CD enjoyed some regional airplay.
In 2004 I started performing solo/acoustic dates. In 2006 I released my debut solo album, Just When I Thought I Was Done, which was added to the regular daily rotation at WUMB, the premier folk station in New England. I was featured in such venerable folk venues as Passim and the Tupelo Music Hall. My solo career path in New England culminated in June 2006 when I opened for Don McLean at the Lebanon Music House in Lebanon NH to a sold out theater. The gig went very well.
For various personal reasons I moved back to Southern California where I was born and raised. In 2007 I was an Orange County Music Awards nominee in the Best Male Acoustic Performance category. I continue to perform as a solo/acoustic artist. I also hire out as a freelance bassist and am forming a new trio with guitarist Bob Hawkins.
Bewildered and exhausted? Yes. But I'm still here.
"Troy, Mattacks, and Brown are a super-group of super-sidemen, guys who have been in the musical trenches for decades, building up monster resumes and working in the shadows of the big shots..." Full Article
"Impressive... an eclectic effort that further reveals [John Troy's] musical dexterity..." Full Review
"Troy’s voice sounds a little like James Taylor’s, and he likewise shares a laidback musical style as he explores different musical textures and influences..." Full Review
"Troy, Mattacks & Brown individually could rightfully boast pedigrees that scream: 'been there, done that.' Instead, these three talented vets simply let the music do the talking on their incredibly recorded cd, Live At Captain Carlo's. Fun, rockin', and above all, smartly played, this disc deserves the Repeat button on your cd player. Live music just doesn't get any better!
- Barnes Newberry, Host, Highway 61 Revisited (Folk Radio WUMB)
SOLO CD: "John Troy’s musical vision is grand and there are many nice touches and nuances... well conceived... fully realized... effective." Full Review
TRIO CD: "A trio of rock music veterans like John Troy, Dave Mattacks, and David Brown should make a live recording of every one of their shows...." Full Review
"Joyce Andersen's CD features topnotch talent..." Full Article
"This is a world-class band," says Joyce Andersen, "I just love all these guys. " So will music fans for sure..." Full Article
"What an enjoyable album from two underappreciated figures who have worked in the trenches for years..." Full Article
"Troy was so strong on bass that he moved the song forward with his nimble but surefooted playing... this impeccable bass player also had a strong vocal that rose and smoothly rode over the vibe..."
Full Article
I was an original member of the Pousette-Dart Band which flourished
throughout the 1970's. Jon Pousette-Dart and I started out as an acoustic
duo in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We soon added John Curtis (guitar, banjo,
mandolin), played as an acoustic trio for a time and then went through a
succession of drummers (Bob Weiner, Alison Cook, Jeff Teague, Michael Dawe,
Jean-Dominique Sifantus). We recorded four albums on the Capitol label. In
1980, despite our successes, we found ourselves without a recording
contract. We were at the height of our musical prowess but were unable to
gain a national audience. Bewildered and exhausted, we called it quits.
NEW:
"It was a pleasure to have John Troy as our opening act for the SOLD OUT Don McLean concert at the Lebanon Opera House. Within minutes, John had the crowd in the palm of his hand, which is not easy to do with a room full of fans waiting to hear "American Pie". I watched the crowd during John's performance as he brought them through a range of emotions. Rarely does an opening act make as big an impression on an audience. John moved them to laugh, smile and touched more than a heart or two. They also raced out to buy his CD and to talk with John. John Troy is a true professional musician. I highly recommend him!" - Jim Roach, JJR Productions
