roger salloom salloom roger Official Bio :Roger Salloom

Roger Salloom started his life and career Intrigued with Nashville, Roger spent sev- in Worcester where he first studied banjo eral years with artists including Guy at 13 years old. He was influenced then Clark, Rodney Crowell and Richard Dob- by Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Geoff Muldaur, bins all of whom were a support team for Woody Guthrie, Sonny Boy Williamson, each other all the time honing their writ- Jimmy Reed, and the singing brakeman, ing skills. Jimmy Rodgers and the Kingston Trio. Roger returned to San Francisco where At 19 he was opening for Jose Feliciano. he was sponsored as a songwriter by the In 1975, he immortalized the town in what former manager of Creedence Clearwater the New York Times called, “his own ver- Revival, Jake Rohrer, and CCR’s former sion of Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run,’ called bass player, Stu Cook. ‘Gotta Get Out of Worcester.’ “ Roger left California and settled into Roger went to Indiana University in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1980 to Bloomington in 1966. He chose his major raise his children as a single father. In by walking around the campus trying to 1983 he released a recording on the local feel the “vibes” of the various buildings. label, Yellow Plum Records, a recording There and in San Francisco he found his which became a Billboard Top Album Pick poetic self and started to truly take his and garnered heavy airplay on some of the song writing seriously. most influential stations in the northeast, the exclusive area of its release. It was He migrated his Bloomington band to San bio chosen as Charles Laquidara’s Big Mat- Francisco in 1967 playing the Avalon, Fill- tress Song of the Week on Boston’s radio more and Carousel Ballrooms with Sal- giant WBCN. loom, Sinclair and Mother Bear. During that time he played with Santana, Van He continued to play with greats including Morrison, BB King, Procol Harum and The Band (6 times), John Prine (2 times), many other greats. Jerry Jeff Walker, Rick Danko, The Bode- ans, Joan Armatrading, Leon Russell, Jon- In 1968, he signed his first recording athan Edwards and many others. deal with Chess Records’ subsidiary, Cadet Concept. Salloom, Sinclair and Mother Presently every year Roger performs at Bear received rave reviews and was #1 the Pines Theater in Northampton. It is on the charts of the top FM rock stations the largest outdoor free concert of the year in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Boston. It has in Western Mass. Thousands of residents since become collectible 30 years later. of the area have grown up listening to Before long Marshall Chess, Roger's music. This concert is celebrating Roger's champion at the its 22nd year. label, went off to be the He has performed with Van Morrison, San- president of the Rolling tana, Cheech and Chong, Doc Watson, Stones’ new record label. NRBQ, Maria Muldaur, Jonathan The band broke up, but Edwards, Paul Butterfield and many not before Roger Salloom others. and Robin Sinclair recorded Roger is still playing, writing and singing again with Chess in Nash- better than ever. “It baffles me that I am ville in 1971 using the still getting better!” Grammy nominated group Area Code 615. In his spare time, Roger and his son,

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Salem also co-created the nationally syn- “My wife was a catalyst for me. Without dicated newspaper piece, “Leold” and it her I would likely have not done any- was chosen for an animated television thing. It’s the same old story....talented show to be executively produced by Mike guy gets lost and someone saves him, but Scully, executive producer of The Simp- will music lovers be grateful?” sons. “Recently a president of a new small Chris Sautter, winner at the New York record company exclaimed that I was not International Independent Film Festival just a good songwriter but a ‘great song- for best political documentary, has com- writer’ and he ‘loved the music.’ He asked pleted a film about Roger titled, “So Glad my manager not to show the music to I Made It, The Saga of Roger Salloom, anyone for two weeks while he wrapped America’s Best Unknown Songwriter.” up some other business. But after two weeks he said he wouldn’t sign me “One thing I know is that I am a decent because he did not know how to promote songwriter and my songs can be good my music. Well, I don’t get that, though I for some people. I also know that hardly am lucky to have escaped his grasp!” anyone knows about me. But that does not stop me from being a decent song- “Some people call my music Americana, writer.” while others try to find a label for it and can’t. They find it strange that my music “I have been my own worst enemy for is somewhat uncategorizable. What’s so years. At times, I have tried to ignore bio strange about that? The real music listen- my music because it brought me pain and ers simply like good music, they are not in exposure, and I thought it was hopeless love with a category.” anyway. But deep in my thoughts I always had the fantasy that I would do one “Anyway, I will maybe make something of more tour. But first I realized I had to myself and maybe not. But for those of go back to that gorilla in the middle of you not in the music business, this might my living room and have a face-to-face sound as if it is unfair... if I am good friendly talk...maybe not so friendly.” why won’t it get noticed. Well, that is not always the way it goes.” “I record because I love hearing the play- backs when the band has created some- “See you somewhere, in my dream or thing exhilarating. And I love the song yours.” and myself when I have written a good song. Sometimes I need to love myself, you know.” “Why do I do it? Well, partly because I am able to do it. And it makes me come alive. I guess, in general, I also love truth and beauty.”

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APPEARED ON STAGE WITH AWARDS Santana Van Morrison “So Glad I Made It: BB King The Saga of Roger Procol Harum Salloom, Jose Feliciano America’s Best Unknown Guy Clark Songwriter.” Rodney Crowell Richard Dobbins Best Documentary The Band Spudfest Music & Film Festival John Prine Teton Valley / Jackson Hole, events Jerry Jeff Walker Wyoming Rick Danko The Bodeans The Providence Award Joan Armatrading Rhode Island International Film Leon Russell Festival Jonathan Edwards Cheech and Chong Honorable Mention Doc Watson Best Documentary NRBQ New York International Maria Muldaur Independent Film & Video Festival Paul Butterfield Honorable Mention Best Documentary CLUBS / VENUES Independent Film & Video Festival Las Vegas Roger Salloom has performed over 1,500 shows at every major club or live venue in the Northeast and nationally!

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“Roger Salloom is a superb story teller Songwriter.’ The film, directed by Chris with a good sense of rhythm and a great Sautter, is more than just a backwards sense of timing, and the music is incred- look at the ups and downs of the ibly infectious.” music business. It’s an exploration of - Rolling Stone Magazine what success actually means in a life - whether it’s measured by stadiums or “He’s still writing tunes which worm true friendships. A chronic self-depreca- into your heart.” tor, he’d be the first to point out that - Brian Goslow, Worcester Phoenix you can’t come back from somewhere you’ve never been. And that right there “For every singer-songwriter that might be one clue to his obscurity. manages to flirt with the spotlight, Salloom doesn’t have the ego of a there are too many who get lost in the star. He’s good natured, laid back and madness we call rock ‘n’ roll. Salloom more inclined to laugh than rail against has been described as ‘America’s best his misfortune. His voice is the most unknown songwriter’ and whilst many extraordinary thing. It has something of will dispute that claim, there’s no deny- Bob Dylan’s rasp in it, but it’s warmer, ing that the man is a gifted artist in with a richness all its own. His singing the folk-pop style and if you can imagine casts a spell - your attention is immedi- quotes a hybrid of Dylan and McCartney, then ately riveted to its smooth, honeyed tex- you might come close to imagining the ture. It’s the “radio-worthy” sound that music of Roger Salloom.” defined many ‘70s singers from Gerry - Kevin Mathews, Fufkin Rafferty to Neil Diamond. It’s painful to hear him judge his past. “The first album by Salloom has to be We can all look back at things we one of the most important albums of the regret in our lives (except Nobodygirl, year.” she’s too young). Salloom comes across - Rob Baker, Chicago Tribune as a warm, well-adjusted human being, “It’s hard not to like him and his which is success of another kind. band, The Stragglers. A prince among - Kristy Eldredge, GloriousNoise.com the Valley’s musicians.” “Roger Salloom knows how to throw - John Stifler, Daily a party. Salloom’s songs can be ballads, “The question of rockabilly, swing or classic Americana. why some people Great stories....dancing barefoot to time- make it while others less music. ‘So Glad I Made It’ ... a tune - often equally tal- both wistful and celebratory. It encap- ented - don’t, is at the sulates Salloom’s warmth and vulner- center of the fine doc- ability. Salloom’s music comes from the umentary ‘So Glad I heart, with an honesty and directness Made It: The Saga of often lacking in today’s Top 40.” Roger Salloom, Amer- - Daily Hampshire Gazette, Reviewing Roger’s live show ica’s Best Unknown

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by “So Glad I Made It: The young sons, he could never bring himself to Larry Parnass for Saga of Roger Salloom, give up on music. The Daily America’s Best Unknown Except for his yearly free concerts at Look Hampshire Songwriter,’’ a documentary Park in Northampton, music might have Gazette about the career of remained the hidden heart of Salloom’s life, Northampton musician if not for his wife, Donna, who urged him to Roger Salloom, uses the riddle of commercial perform more. success, cagily, as an organizing device. And now, the nudge comes from Sautter, As filmmaker Chris Sautter sifts through an independent filmmaker and lawyer from the affable songwriter’s eventful life - so Washington, D.C., who had known Salloom in many thrills, so many setbacks - he slyly the 1960s, when both were attending Indiana exploits our scorecard culture. It enables him University. to straighten the win-loss columns in one Among those most interested in Sautter’s artist’s legacy. film is Salloom himself. He said this week Then the auditors, as it were, arrive. Why he’s honored the filmmaker’s request that wasn’t this son of Worcester able to cash in he wait to see the hour-and-a-half work on on his early promise? Salloom came close to the Academy’s big screen at 7 p.m. tonight. breaking through in 1968, when a psyche- The screening is a benefit for Academyarts, delic rock record he made with an esteemed a nonprofit entity that raises money for the Chicago label was named the year’s best by Academy of Music and for the Northampton the Chicago Tribune. Salloom made connec- Arts Council. press tions and followed advice. Big names bank- Salloom and Sautter will take questions rolled him. from the audience after the film is shown. But money and fame rode on by. Salloom Sautter’s first documentary, “The King of didn’t make it. At least not in the way suc- Steeltown,” the story of “hardball” politics cess is usually cast - as an either-or deal, in East Chicago, was named best political in which the victor gets celebrity, the loser documentary at the New York Independent anonymity. Film Festival in 2001. Sautter’s film, which gets its first local showing tonight, uses the genuineness and unpredictability of cinema verité to explain A fan’s project not just why Salloom never played The About a year ago, it occurred to Salloom Tonight Show but to cap- to ask Sautter once again why the filmmaker ture something more pro- was so interested in telling his story, roughly found. two decades after the songwriter had quit “So Glad I Made It” performing. celebrates Salloom’s love Sautter had gotten in touch with Salloom of music, his self-effacing after a Web search turned up the musician’s humor and his disarming website. He’d become curious about what honesty. It is a portrait of had happened to Salloom, long after the the way creativity can both musician seemed poised to become Indiana lighten and burden a soul. University’s most famous graduate. In the course of the docu- When pressed to justify his interest, Saut- mentary, much of it filmed ter told Salloom this, in an e-mail message: in Northampton in 2002, “The reason why some people value art is viewers come to under- that it somehow speaks to the joy and strug- stand that while Salloom gle that is inherent in all of life.” He then set his dream of fame aside stepped back a bit, saying he simply wanted decades ago to raise two to pay homage as a fan. “I’m just trying

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The Saga of Roger Salloom (continued)

by to make a good film about a soundtrack CD to accompany the film’s Larry Parnass someone whose music I like release. It contains examples of Salloom’s for a lot.” current music as well as a demo record he The Daily To be sure, this is a cut in 1976 and a recording of a show by his Hampshire movie that could have been Salloom’s band - Salloom, Sinclair and the Gazette made about scores of tal- Mother Bear - at the Avalon Ballroom in San ented musicians all over the Francisco. country, people with devoted but limited fol- Salloom is not haunted by questions about lowings. what could have been, to the distress of some In spirit, “So Glad I Made It” is a tribute to old friends, managers and bandmates. They all musicians who perform because it defines tell the filmmaker of times when Salloom who they are. It confers a blessing on a gen- seemed to hold back from closing a deal. As eration for whom music was a deeply liberat- he got close to scoring a breakthrough, Sal- ing force. loom would let it elude him. The film mixes scenes from Salloom’s life And yet the story makes clear Salloom today with trips back in time, using old invested many, many years in pursuit of photos and film, to moments when the musi- “making it.” Surely, there comes a time when cian seemed to be a rising star. It revisits a sane person lets go of a dream that doesn’t the San Francisco music world of the late seem to be his destiny. ’60s, when Salloom shared stages at the Fill- “I found him to be extraordinarily open more West and Avalon Ballroom with San- and honest in the course of this film, beyond tana, Love and Van Morrison. what I expected,” Sautter said from his office press As he makes his rounds in Northampton in Washington, D.C. in the film, including stops at WRSI-FM and That honesty is searing in a scene that the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Salloom comes comes late in the film. Sautter and his crew across as a man who loves every day of his follow Salloom to Woodstock, N.Y., for a life. visit with Marshall Chess, the record-indus- With its many pans of Northampton try executive who signed Salloom and his scenes, the film inventories the ordinary band to a contract in the 1960s. The album places that, today, make Salloom feel at Chess produced was well-received critically. home. His is an intimate world. Sautter Both men, who haven’t seen each other for tries to suggest in these images how much three decades, pose the inevitable question. the songwriter values - and Why didn’t Salloom make it? trusts - ordinary places and Salloom says it might have been because he experiences. lost Chess’ support soon after, when the pro- Naturally, music is every- ducer went to work for the Rolling Stones. where in the film. Salloom But it might also be, the musician ventures, performs in scenes in the that he just wasn’t not good enough. Valley recording studio run What lingers, after the credits roll, isn’t by Mark Alan Miller, in disappointment. It is the warmth of Sal- the WRSI studio and in an loom’s personality, the beauty of his music impromptu version of a song- and smile and the wonder of a man who in-progress. “We get Roger always knew what made him happy. at this house to play a song that he’s working on,” Saut- ter said. “It’s an interesting song - and kind of a gem - that is essentially unre- hearsed.” Sautter has been preparing

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