| Sonic Rock Orchestra is like several tribute bands rolled into one. Close your eyes and listen to SRO for that "You Are There" feeling. |
|
Sonic Rock Orchestra started coming together at a Labor Day party's
jam session. Sounds boring right? But it speaks to the heart of
what is central to the creation of great music. Musicians who come
together for the love of playing music, who play from the heart, who
pour out their souls into the music they play, they are the ones who
get it right. You'll find them at many a jam session.
Bob Ashmore (keyboards) and Bill Fox (bass, vocals) have been working in bands together (ShadowPlay, the Critters, and Pulse) since 1992 when Bill first arrived in Pennsylvania. When Pulse's guitar player retired to South Carolina, Bob and Bill cast their net for new musicians. Reaching into the past, Bob reconnected with old friend and band mate Billy Gombocz, a drummer/percussionist he worked with in the '70s. Still in need of other players, Billy reached into his past and tapped Rob Ballonoff (guitarist, vocalist) on the shoulder. It just happened to be Rob's Labor Day party. At yet another annual party/jam that the four attended, they had the opportunity to share the stage with Don McCord, who had previously worked with both Billy G and Rob Ballonoff. Don, who sings much of the lead vocals for the band also plays saxes and flute. That completed the core of the band. All the members of Sonic Rock Orchestra are of a like mind on material to cover. Nothing but the best concert music Rock can offer is what drives SRO. Presenting this music in mini tribute sets allows SRO to be a tribute band without limiting the scope of the music. Played from the heart in tribute to the music we love, SRO will give you that "I was there" feeling in the most satisfying way. |
|
Rob Ballonoff Rob is a full time musician based in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania area. He performs as a solo artist, in an acoustic duo: Rob & Marty, in a club Band: Nite Flyte, and a Progressive Rock band Sonic Rock Orchestra. He has had the opportunity to perform hundreds of shows over the last 30 years in PA, and NJ. His musical styles tend to fall more in the Rock genre, yet has been playing a diverse selection of music spanning the last 50 years of popularity including Classic Rock, New Rock, Progressive Rock, Country, Motown, Top 40, and a little Blues. |
|
Don McCord Don McCord has been an Eastern PA area musician for more than 3 decades. He grew up in Nashville where he studied music and composition at Peabody College before coming to the Lehigh Valley in 1980. He is an accomplished rock/blues singer, sax player and flutist. Despite his Nashville upbringing, his early years were highly influenced by such diverse bands as Jethro Tull, Yes, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Queen, Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago and 3 Dog Night. His college years opened those influences up to jazz, both modern and classic, and the blues. Over the years he has played in various duos and trios, and with bands such as Drew Williams Band, Stealin’ Home, Triplum and Byron F Grey. In the late '90s and early '00s he spent several years with a vocal jazz/pop trio called Off Center, traveling the world playing for both Norwegian and Holland America Cruise Lines. Currently he performs with High Noon, Red Dog, Schwubby Buzzer, and the Sonic Rock Orchestra, a lineup of projects that keeps him quite busy. |
|
Bob Ashmore Bob began his musical career in the coal regions of Pennsylvania with an accordion on his lap. He couldn't see over the top of the accordion well enough to read the music and was considered a bad student by his teacher, who eventually told him to go away. When the Beatles came to America in 1964, the accordion was replaced by an electric guitar when he and his friends started their first rock band. This band performed for over 10 years while the members went through junior high, high school and into college. Bob switched to keyboards during the bands mid-life as guitar players were plentiful but keyboard players were rare. In the meantime, he earned a B.A., M.A. (Music Theory/Composition) and teaching certification from Mansfield University in upstate PA. At graduation time, the music industry was in a downturn. Live music was replaced by DJs and music teachers were being laid off. Bob moved on to tech school for semiconductor technology, and later worked for AT&T Bell Laboratories for over 25 years with music as a hobby. With a background in music and electronics it was only natural that the synthesizer became his instrument of choice. Bob purchased one of the first Minimoogs off of the manufacturing line back in the early 1970s and eventually became a Kurzweil Workstation user/programmer. After many short term band projects, a 20 year project followed that ran from 1990 until 2010 under the names ShadowPlay and Pulse. The bands performed mostly larger venues like Music Fest, Crockodile Rock, Maingate, the Waterfront, Mixx, Bananna Joes, and outdoor shows as they were more concert band than fire house band. The material featured music by Yes, Genesis, Frank Zappa, ELP, Beatles, Doors, Deep Purple, Steely Dan, Santana, Moody Blues, Jethro Tull and other top shelf classic and progressive rock bands. This tradition now continues with the merger of two former bands of this caliber into Sonic Rock Orchestra. |
|
William Gombocz Drummer and percussionist William Gombocz originally wanted to play guitar, but took up the drums instead having been told that there is no guitar in a school band. An Army brat, it was in the "Entertainment Workshops" on Fort Bliss in Texas, that Billy first acquired experience playing popular music. As a teen Billy returned to Pennsylvania and was burning to play. He was given his first full drum set and began playing in a number of bands throughout junior high and high school. After high school, Billy joined the Marines, but after his tour went on to music school as a percussion major. During one of his trips home from school, Billy met Bob Ashmore. Both were anxious to form a band that would play the more challenging music of artists like Yes, Genesis, and Kansas, as well as write and record their own music. They formed "Messenger" and began playing the music they both enjoyed. Billy went on to other bands, playing the Pocono circuit in lounge acts, as well as Top 40 and Classic Rock bands to make ends meet. After an extended period away from the music scene, Billy's best friend, jazz drummer Gary Rissmiller became instrumental in encouraging him to play again. Reconnecting with Bob Ashmore, Billy met Bill Fox at a Labor Day party at Rob Ballonoff's house. This is where Billy, Bob, Bill, and Rob first jammed together, and the genesis of Sonic Rock Orchestra was formed. Once Don McCord joined the group, the solid core necessary to move forward was complete. The musical journey for Billy continues and for SRO, it has just begun. |
|
Bill Fox Bill plays bass, guitars, percussion, synthesizers, saxophone, and trombone and has performed in a veriety of ensembles; community concert bands, pit orchestras, and small ensembles covering Celtic, Folk, Rock, Jazz, Blues, Country, and electronic music. He regularly hosts two radio programs: Galactic Travels, an ambient/electronic space music program on WDIY, as well as Thought Radio, an electronic music, eclectic mix, and Progressive Rock program on WMUH. Bill is the creative director of the Soundscapes Concert Series, bringing electronic music performances to the Lehigh Valley from around the world. Bill currently plays with three other bands and an orchestra:
Since retiring from Lucent Technologies after 22 years as an electronics engineer, Bill has devoted his time to music and has built a healthy discography of CDs in the genres of electronic music and Progressive Rock. He came out of retirement and is now the Media Center Director at Allentown Central Catholic High School. |