Torp Quotes:
I'm telling you, I'm getting use to the
blues: The Smokin' Torpedos
with Ron Teixeira on piano last night...boy, they blew us away!!
Heidi
Proprietor
Heidi’s Jazz Club
Congratz on the accomplishment and continued
success! I have been all over the country...originally from Cape Cod Mass
(was there when Boston was starting), lived in Southern New Hampshire (Dave Gerard/Savoy
Truffle fan), been to the West Coast (Sunset Strip/ LA scene) and you guys show
up and play great music. A lot of other bands just show up and play...you
guy take it that extra step - great blues = great time. Have been in this
area 15 years and with the loss of some of the better venues (Jani Lane's Sunset Strip on Orange Ave. to name one) it is
hard to find good music and a good venue. Have caught you at Lake Ridge
Winery, A Third Place, Cocoa Beach pier to name a few and lots of times it is
the music that makes the venue. Keep making the music and the fans will
come! (Kevin Costner - Field of Dreams).
Blues Regards,
Dave Tooher
Contented Torp
Fan
They put about 600 people in the Helen
Stairs Theatre in Sanford on Saturday for "An Evening of Blues,"
featuring Central Florida blues practitioners Smokin' Torpedoes, Shaun Rounds and "Beautiful" Bobby Blackmon.
The music was terrific, offering a nice
contrast between the precision of the Torps and the
fiery Buddy Guy-like solos of Blackmon, who is one of the area's unsung
treasures. Jeff Willey, of the Torps, wants to make
the show a quarterly event and I hope that the idea catches on.
Backstage, Blackmon and Leroy Cooper,
the Torps' sax man, were introduced for the first
time and soon realized that they both hailed from the same part of Texas.
Cooper, who played with Ray Charles for many, many years, is a man with many,
many stories. He moved here from California in the early days of Walt Disney
World and spent years working in those marvelous saxophone ensembles that used
to entertain folks on Main Street. Are those groups still around? (I know that
the Magic Kingdom still has a terrific marching band...)
Cooper, by the way, also played in the
quintet with the late, great drummer Panama Francis. If you can catch him with
the Torps, I'd recommend you do it.
Jim Abbott
Orlando Sentinel
Hello to the band. I caught your show at "Urban
Flats" last Saturday, I was sitting first seat at the bar. Have seen you
at Beach Shack several times and your newest addition is extremely impressive!
I'm sure he is a well known sax player with a lot of history! He was a real
pleasure to see perform. I am so very impressed with each member of the band.
Everyone brings something very special, and that is what is so wonderful about
your band! You guys are one of the best blues bands I have seen, and Bill at
the Shack gets allot of great talent. Hope to see you there soon.
Sincerely,
Ken Porter
Cocoa
This is a delayed reaction posting because of the fact that time
is not on my side... however, I would be TOTALLY remiss if I didn't shout it
from the rooftops that the TORPS were smokin' to high
heaven at Dexter's this past Thursday night. This smokin'
combination of Torps is by far the best I have ever
heard them and I'm glad I experienced the show. WOW!! You guys were
phenomenal!!! Can't
wait till next time.
Thanks,
Orange Blossom Blues Society
Zaida Zoller
President
Good food, GREAT, AWESOME, TOTALLY AWESOME Band and terrific
folks! Doesn’t get much better than
this!
Please all keep in touch!
Kindest,
Rainer (currently in Toronto)
Hey guys, just want to thank you for a great show last Friday at
the Art Festival. Everybody involved with the Art Fest and all the people that
came out that I talked to we're blown away. You guys picked up a whole lot of Smokin Torp fans over the
weekend. I just hope we can still fit em' all in at
the Beach Shack or Lou's. Once again thanks a whole bunch. We'll be talking to
you guys soon and hope to see you guys play even sooner.
Scott
Michaud
Entertainment
Director
Space Coast
Art Festival
I wanted to
thank you and rest of the “Torps” for a wonderful
evening of blues entertainment that you provided at our Christmas party. As usual, the band played great and everyone
enjoyed your style of music. I
especially appreciate the band members taking the time to mix with our
guests. You helped to make everyone feel
at ease.
Thanks
again for everything. We are now
searching for our next event that we can include live blues by the Torps.
Jim Smith
Vice
President & Business Development Manager
Stewart
Title Guaranty Company
You certainly can use Gayle and I as
references. I was stunningly surprised
by the party. It's one thing for my wife
to plan a gathering of friends, family and colleagues ... it's entirely
something else to step into such an event with
the live music and charismatic entertainment of blues from the Smokin' Torps. We're convinced the crowd of 50 thoroughly
enjoyed themselves; you made for a very memorable evening and 50th
birthday. We will be following the Torps as you appear throughout Central Florida. Best wishes and thanks.
David &
Gayle Dowell
Thanks for having
such a great band! Everyone had a terrific time and we look forward to seeing
you again soon. I requested everyone who attended the other night to call xxxx. It's a perfect venue for your band.
Norm Leduc
Founder,
Just a quick note to let you and the rest of the ST's know how
much my wife and I enjoyed hearing your music last weekend at the Beach Shack.
Perhaps you recall I asked for a Siegel-Schwall
number. You gave a great rendition of You Don't Love Me Like That, a SS
classic. Thanks. Anyway, both the covers and originals were terrific. Keep up
the good work. By the way, did you guys write I Hate It When You Drive? That
one could be a hit, given how many of us know someone personally who it applied
to! Hope to see you touring out west sometime!
Dan Buttry
Professor – University of Wyoming
Glad to hear you guys are stayin'
busy! You are really an awesome group; I only got to see you for a few
minutes at Zellie's due to a boring husband and
friend who wanted to go home early. I've kept up with you ever since and
hope to see ya'll at The Third Place on Oct. 20th.
Best of luck on your CD, I'll be one of the first to buy
one! Great music, professional attire, nice people! It was nice to
see your wives and families there to support you too!
Have a great end of the year!
Carol
Torp Fan