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Slow Traffic cultivates interaction with the audience and music manifested through humor, improvisation, and a natural blend of vocals and harmony. Joe is West Virginian; started singin’ and playin’ live when he was 13 years old. Those days, hillbilly roadhouses weren’t concerned about band members’ age, especially when accompanied by a chaperon of equal or greater years. Joe farmed the rock/country music circuit in Appalachia, Mid Ohio Valley, and Steel Country playing and singing…until heading to Santa Monica, California, where his brother was discharged from the military after the Viet Nam War. LA was friendly turf, and music was everywhere. Bernadette grew up in basically the same part of the country. Steubenville Ohio; different holler. Bernadette began singing in Catholic Church and School; also played the clarinet and trombone. Her father, a stern WWII vet, faithfully stood by her in her quest for music, and Bernadette harvested great support from him and her large family. She moved with her folks to Los Angeles, California in 1975. Met Joe.

Sweet Bernadette strikes a somewhat subtle, yet profound presence on stage with Joe. She has a remarkable voice; a curry-combed mixture of rock blended with the effortless inflections and charm of great female county singers. To Joe’s consternation, Bern likes to sing on key, steer clear of bad notes. This interaction, cured with Slow Traffic’s unique down home ability to quietly watch the grass grow, allows for the complex harmonies and counter melodies to develop and landscape the songs.

The Slow Traffic Sound – makin’ songs sound like Slow Traffic.