Christine Ohlman

The heart of Christine Ohlman has belonged to rock n' roll from just about the moment she could walk and talk. By the time she traveled from Boston to New York on an overnight train to make her first record at the age of 16, writing the "B" side on the way to the studio, she was already a veteran of the local coffeehouse circuit around New Haven, Connecticut. "The first guy who ever signed me flew down from New York City to hear the band; he signed us the same day," she says. "We were in the studio practically before we knew what hit us recording a version of Al Kooper's 'Wake Me, Shake Me.' The next thing we knew, we were on the charts and I was in heaven!"

Christine was a founding member of The Scratch Band, legendary throughout the Northeast for their incendiary and eclectic live shows, and her stark, piano-accompanied version of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want To Be With You" from their first LP was a turntable hit in the U.K. Beginning in September 1991, a portion of The Scratch Band reunited in the studios of NBC's Saturday Night Live with Christine joining guitarist/vocalist/musical director G.E. Smith and bassist Paul Ossola, both former Scratch Band members, in the SNL band. At one point, the 11-member group, featuring in its repertoire a heavy dose of Christine's favorite music—southern soul—took the stage (joined by Ry Cooder, Steve Cropper and Maceo Parker) as the house band for The Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Awards, a performance that was, in Ohlman's words, "just about the biggest flat-out thrill of my life. We were doing 'Tell Mama' and I looked around to catch Steve Cropper's eye only to spot Clarence Carter, who wrote the song, standing in the wings waiting to come on. I thought—well, it just doesn't get much better than this" (although she admits that the 2003 Central Park Summerstage Tribute To Janis Joplin, where she fronted both Big Brother & The Holding Company and the Kozmic Blues Band, and the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Tribute Concert, where she sang with George Harrison, among others, edge out everything for sheer historical vibe). While touring and recording with Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez' are the main focus, Ohlman continues to perform with the SNL Band, including an appearance with Al Green on the show's 25th Anniversary Special. She guests on two 2007 releases, Ian Hunter's Shrunken Heads (named one the Top 20 CDs of 2007 by the New York Daily News and Big Al Anderson's Pawn Shop Guitars, while Labor of Love: The Music Of Nick Lowe features her vocal collaboration with Marshall Crenshaw on Lowe's "Cruel To Be Kind." And her commitment to the blues runs deep, as her scorching duets with the legendary Eddie Kirkland on his CD's Where You Get Your Sugar and Lonely Street; her guest-shots with Charlie Musselwhite on his 2002 Grammy-nominated One Night In America; and her appearance on the Songs Of Willie Dixon (with Sonny Landreth & Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown) and 1998 Grammy nominee A Tribute To Howlin' Wolf (with Taj Mahal & Lucinda Williams) give statement.

Dedication to preserving the soul in rock n' roll has been the hallmark of Christine's work from the days of The Scratch Band through a stint with Christine Ohlman and The Soul Rockers to her present band Rebel Montez' (Cliff Goodwin-guitars, Michael Colbath-bass, Larry Donahue-drums; original guitarist Eric Fletcher passed away in May, 2006). Her earliest idols were Etta James, Ray Charles, and Jackie Wilson. "My mom taught me to love those artists," says Christine. "When she was growing up she used to frequent Cafe Society in New York City to hear Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Lena Horne. I just naturally picked up on blues and jazz through her. (Ohlman continues this fascination with musical tradition via her work as a music writer; she was an original editor of the All-Music Guide and edited legendary producer Andrew Loog Oldham's 2Stoned in 2002.) Then of course there was Elvis, and Jerry Lee, and the artists on Stax and Atlantic. At some point I also began to listen heavily to Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James. So my songwriting reflects influences old and new. I always tend to lean toward wild guitar bands—you know, the 'crazies'." Ohlman's four CDs with Rebel Montez (The Hard Way, Radio Queen, Wicked Time, and Strip, will be joined in 2008 by a new release tentatively titled The Deep End). No stranger to tragedy, Ohlman suffered, in addition to the loss of longtime musical collaborator Fletcher, the death of her mate and producer of more than 25 years, Doc Cavalier, in 2005 after a long illness. Following Cavalier's passing, she produced a memorial concert at legendary rock club Toad's Place in New Haven, Connecticut that featured 26 acts and nearly 100 musicians pivotal to the professional life she shared with him. "This is a time of reordering in my life," she said recently. "There are no words to describe the empty spaces left by these losses. I feel I honor the memory of Doc and Eric by creating, by writing, and by performing. It hasn't been easy by any means. But friends and fellow musicians have been extraordinary in their generosity and support. Michael, Larry and I look forward to the new record and to future collaborations."

With her trademark mile-high platinum beehive hairdo and enviable collection of sequins and rhinestones, Ohlman looks like a lady to be reckoned with, and when she opens her mouth to sing, the truth comes out. But underneath it all lurks a no-frills approach to music. In her own words—"I give it to an audience straight, which is the way I like it myself. Yes, I like to shout, and I like to croon, and I love to wail. I just need to get in the groove and rock---not think too much about it– tear it up or soothe it over. I've loved rock n' roll since I was a little girl, and I'll love it forever. It's my greatest kick and my greatest privilege to be able to get up on a stage and rip it apart. That's rock n' roll to me. I'm here to set your soul on fire."

Wildcat Productions
PO Box 422
Northford CT 06472
E-mail: info@christineohlman.net