THE MELODY MAKERS

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Antique Melody Show's saloon croon ballyhoo all centers around the smoke and honey vocals of Marilyn Brown. No stranger to the Richmond music scene, Marilyn has more than 20 years of professional stage singing experience, most notably with Spectrum, a Richmond-based multi-genre big band and The Continentals, a high-powered swing band. 

Marilyn co-founded AMS with Artie Mayer who anchors the band on guitar. Artie's brand of playing is anything but traditional, often blending roots jazz rhythms with Americana campfire crunch - a tonal quality you can hear in his songwriting and musical arrangements. Artie made his Richmond debut after founding Rumble Seat Revival a Richmond-based Tin Pan Alley band in 2013. 

Allen Cole is the boss on clarinet. He is also arguably the hardest working horn player in all of Richmond. Allen performs on a regular basis throughout the calendar year on both clarinet and saxophone in several bands including Spectrum (for over 30 years), My Son the Doctor, Elbe-Musikanten Polka Band, Swing Shift, Richmond Clarinet Choir, the Richmond Pops Band and Rumble Seat Revival. And when Allen isn't playing music, he's teaching it. He also happens to be a church Choir Director for more years than he can remember.

On violin is the versatile Kassia Arbabi. Her musical tastes encompass a variety of styles, most noteably classical, world music, klezmer and jazz. You're likley to find "Kas" in several bands including My Son the Doctor, The Vulgar Bulgars and the Breakfast Cabaret Orchestra. 

On keyboards and trombone is the multi-talented Andy McCarty who brings his own brand of iconic saloon-esque flavor to the mix. If you catch us live you'll almost always get to hear Andy entertaining the audience with a few select ragtime pieces. Andy is a true throwback to early popular American music.

AMS is lucky to have the eclectic thump and vibe of Carter Blough on the upright bass since 2019.  If you're a fan you can catch Carter around town with Django Tango, Hotel X and the Breakfast Cabaret Orchestra.  

Jonathan Greenberg occasionally jumps into the lineup as our trumpeter.  It's an honor to have him play with AMS when he's not playing with the Jazz Warriors or other notable musical projects in and around RVA.