"Another Fine Mess" of Play Pretty Productions

website by
Play Pretty Productions

"Another Fine Mess"

- a Swing and String Band -
Thom Howard, Tom Verdot, Mike Dulak
(left to right)

Another Fine Mess
573-443-3697

Email to
thomh @ centurytel.net

Schedule (on Thom's Page)

Listen to Music Samples

Performance Photos

Printable Promo sheet

Two band members hustling for gigs. (Third band member not pictured, presumed slacking.)

   "Another Fine Mess" combines three of mid-Missouri's most versatile and experienced old-timey swing players to bring you a hopping bit of fun. Mike Dulak fronts the band and plays a solid guitar to boot. Tom Verdot channels the hot club sounds of Grapelli and Venuti, and Thom Howard's guitar and mandolin range from gypsy to jazz and back again. The group debuted at First Night Columbia, 2008, making a big sound under the moniker "Mammals of Swing." The band quickly decided to keep the sound, but drop the name, and "Another Fine Mess" was born (or reincarnated, or at least perpetuated. Lists of rejected names available for a reasonable fee.)

Sound clips to come very soon!

Here's some more actual info about the actual people involved...
   Thom Howard and Tom Verdot, utilizing guitar and violin, and a smattering of vintage banjos and mandolins, have performed for years as "The T(h)oms", playing swing concerts and dances, living history events and traditional American fiddle music for dances, re-enactments, and historic commemoration events. They've taken their music to Brussels for a concert of early swing fiddle at the national Musical Instruments Museum, and played for "heads of state" (which is to say that they've played for events hosted by governors of both Missouri Arkansas.)
   Tom Verdot's inventive sparkling lead fiddle (by the way, he's also a professional violin maker), accompanied by Thom Howard's energetic fingerstyle guitar forms the basis of their duo concerts, and they have performed around the US and in Europe as a duo and with the classic string band The Skirtlifters.
   Thom's workshopping with gypsy jazz expert Michael Horowitz sparked a whole new range of music for the duo, and a reacquaintance with Mike Dulak while sitting in with "The Bait Shop Boys" led to a 50% increase in personnel. ("Mind if we call you Tom to keep it clear?")
   Mike Dulak was formerly the front-man of the esteemed band "The Rank Sinatras," played fiddle and taunted the audience as a full-time member of "The Bait Shop Boys" and is also the maker of "Big Muddy Mandolins," the second generation of his "Mid-Missouri Mandolins" which are known across the country for their balance of quality construction, and affordability.

The T(h)oms first recording as a duo was on "Everybody's Got Love," a tribute album of music written by Lee Ruth, sales of which go to support KOPN, mid-Missouri's community radio station (the second oldest in the country!) In the summer of 2004 they gave the piece they recorded, "Smiling Bob's Bossa Nova," it's European debut while touring with the classic string band The Skirtlifters.

In the spring of 2005 they returned to Europe to present a duo concert of early jazz violin for the Museum of Musical Instruments in Brussels, Belgium.