THE RED STICK RAMBLERS

About the Artist

The Red Stick Ramblers are:

LINZAY YOUNG, Fiddle & Lead Vocals
CHAS JUSTUS, Guitar & Vocals
KEVIN WIMMER, Fiddle & Vocals
ERIC FREY, Bass & Vocals
GLENN FIELDS, Drums

The Red Stick Ramblers, a Baton Rouge-based quintet, connects such diverse music styles as traditional Cajun, western swing, blues, and old-school jazz. Founded almost a decade ago by LSU students Linzay Young, Glenn Fields, and Chas Justus, the group quickly developed a following around the Gulf Coast region thanks to their energetic live shows, and the 2002 release of their self-titled debut album based around their tagline “the great Cajun hope.” The Ramblers’ sophomore album Bring It on Down, dedicated to artists like Bob Wills and Johnny Cash, prompted The New Orleans Times-Picayne to tout them for proffering “a potent brew that swings so hard that it’s almost sick, and rocks like crazy.”

After revamping the Ramblers’ lineup to include Kevin Wimmer and Eric Frey, the group made their entrance into the recording realm in 2004 with Right Key, Wrong Keyhole. The group’s fourth album Made in the Shade presents a mix of originals and classic covers with the high-octane energy that could only come from a band accustomed to keeping dance-floors jumping for hours at a time. 

A native of Eunice, Louisiana, Linzay Young has been honing his fiddling skills since the age of 12 when he began attending informal jam sessions. He studied music at Louisiana State University.

A Memphis, Tennessee native with a voracious appetite for music, Chas Justus attributes his versatility to varied musical influences, including BB King, Django Reinhardt, and Doc Watson. He picked up the guitar in high school and soon after moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he was introduced to the style of the great gypsy jazz guitarists and firey bluegrass flat-picking which he combines with his blues and jazz roots.

A New York City native, Kevin Wimmer began his musical career at the age of three under the tutelage of his mother, a world-renowned violin teacher whose students at Julliard and the Peabody Conservatory focus on classical repertoires. He continued his formal study, eventually earning a degree in world music from Wesleyan University. In 1984, Mr. Wimmer accepted an invitation from legendary Cajun fiddler Dewey Balfa to move to Louisiana and study at the feet of the master. He has dedicated his considerable talents to mastering the Balfa fiddle style ever since.

A native of Clay, Alabama, Eric Frey began his musical education at the age of eight learning how to play the upright bass from his father, an avid bluegrass musician. He honed his skills in the local bluegrass scene while grounding his musicianship in formal training, studying under the tutelage of Cleveland Eaton, legendary bassist of the Count Basie Orchestra. He received a degree in music technology from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. In 2003, Mr. Frey left his hometown to join up with the Red Stick Ramblers.

A veteran of the Baton Rouge music scene, Glenn Fields has a reputation as a solid, versatile drummer, earning him work with many successful groups, including the Racines, the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band, and the Bluerunners. An avid music collector, Mr. Fields draws inspiration from the diverse sounds of his wide-ranging library, including jazz and blues, as well as punk and rock. His dynamic, driving rhythms are at the heart of the Rambler sound, and he counts Ray Charles' country records as one of the main influences on his own style.

Past Performances

January 6, 2009

This Baton Rouge–based quintet connects traditional Cajun, western swing, blues, and old-school jazz to create a diverse musical style.

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September 5, 2006

This group delights audiences with danceable rhythms and strong, elegant melodies created by mixing Cajun fiddle tunes, Western swing, and traditional jazz of the 1920s and 1930s.

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