ERIC: Epic Righteous Invincible Combo

ERIC, the Epic Righteous Invincible Combo, is performing Friday, June 14 at The Grove Spot (3324 Virginia Street). Showtime is 8 to 11 pm

The Group consists of, from left to right above:
Eric Wagner-vocals & acoustic guitar
Fred Hsia-electric guitar
Bob "Bebob" Grabowski-upright bass
Bobby Thomas Jr.-percussion
Original Songs composed by Eric Wagner performed by Miami Jazz Masters

Eric Wagner is Coconut Grove-based composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, known locally for his work with the string band "Solar Dogs."

Fred Hsia is a Berklee educated finger-style jazz guitarist in the tradition of Wes Montgomery, but with modern tonal palate reminiscent of John Abercrombie and John Scofield."I'm old and have played a long time," is how Fred describes himself.

Robert C. Grabowski is an educator, author, bassist, Jazz historian, composer, arranger, audio engineer, and visual artist and has held the position of Adjunct Professor in Jazz Studies at Florida International University for over twenty three years. During the year he teaches jazz history to approximately fifteen hundred students every year. He has also written the text for the course, The Evolution of Jazz In America, now published as an etext by Pearson Publishing. He has produced the FIU Jazz Festival for ten years, featuring such artists as David Sanborn and Maynard Ferguson. He co-wrote and produced four National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters grants featuring Clark Terry, Nat Adderley, Louis Bellson, and Dr. Billy Taylor. He is an active writer and musician, having recorded six cds of his own work. The latest, Deepest Blue, won rave reviews from the Miami Herald.  He has recorded live at the Kennedy Center with Alan Harris, and in the studio with Melton Mustafa, Ira Sullivan, Phil Strange, Larry Marshall, and many others. He holds a MMEd with emphasis in Jazz Studies from FIU (‘90), with graduate work at FSU and UM as well. His BM was from UM in Composition and Conducting. His major professors have included Dennis Kam, Lucas Drew, John Boda, Fredrick Fennell, and Dick Dunscomb. He is a radio personality, having hosted Monday Night Jazz on WLRN, the NPR affiliate for South Florida for over two years and had a regular show on WTMI for nine years. . His teaching outside FIU includes being an Artist in Residence for Arts in America in 2006, teaching Jazz History at various MDC Campus, lecturing in Jazz History for the New World School of the Arts, and was chosen as a Artist in Residence for the Thelonius Monk Institute and taught Jazz Composition and Arranging Techniques at NWSA as part of that program.

Bobby Thomas, Jr. is the sole innovator of Be-Bop and freestyle hand drumming.Self-taught, Robert Thomas, Jr. creates the most unique approach to percussive instruments in music today, combining traditional playing styles of many lands and many instruments, both ancient and contemporary.Known worldwide for his work with Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter, founders of the group Weather Report, he converses melodically,harmonically, and rhythmically by incorporating the use of cymbals, cowbells, and skins in a systematic concept.Half Bahamian, a native of Florida, born in Miami Beach, he has shared the bandstand with David Sanborn, Stan Getz, Herbie Mann, Monty Alexander, and his friend Jaco Pastorius.Thomas, a two time Grammy Nominee, and world traveler, is an avid collector of bizarre string and wind instruments, who brings forth authentic earthy rawness to the senses, making him a one-man global resource center of Universal proportions.