The band was formed after Matt Douglass and Sam Nitzberg collaborated on an EP in 2013, "Grayest Hits."
Looking for a better performance vehicle for their catalog
of originals, they recruited Davis Shingleton and Pat Sheridan to pitch
in on mandolin, bass and vocals. After a year of performing and
stretching out some arrangements, both Davis and Pat left to pursue
other musical avenues, but not before recording some tracks for The Old
Part of Town's first CD, released in the Fall of 2015. Matt and Sam's
longtime musical pals Steve Raskin (drums) and Marc Wexler (mandolin)
joined up with John Seay on bass early in 2015, solidifying the new
TOPOT lineup, with guitarist Kurt Hammond joining the fray in the
summer.
Matt Douglass - Singer/Songwriter, Lead, Slide, and Resonator Guitars, Mandolin, Lap Steel
Before teaming up with Sam to found The Old Part of Town, Matt
released two roots rock/Americana albums: No Stone Unturned (2002),
and Big Lucky (2008), which garnered Honorable Mention for Best Album in
the Mid-Atlantic Music Monthly. Matt long has been writing songs that
range from slow confessional country ballads to stories with a
rock-n-roll soundtrack. His guitar playing style is influenced by
everything from early folk masters to Ry Cooder to Anders Osborne.
Matt's
musical beginnings were with a touring country-rock band, focusing on
the musical styles of Gram Parsons, EmmyLou Harris and Rodney Crowell,
and sharing the stage with Vassar Clements, Pure Prairie League, Michael
Murphey, and Commander Cody. After that were stints in everything from a
British Invasion rock band, to a reggae rock band (The Charm City
Reactors) to an American rock n' soul band, before going solo for 10
years. In 2011 he placed two songs on the soundtrack to Plank Road
Pictures' "Sins Of The Father." www.cdbaby.com/artist/mattdouglass http://www.reverbnation.com/mattdouglass
Sam Nitzberg - Singer/Songwriter, 6- and 12-string Guitars, Harmonica, Ukulele
In the late 1970's, after spending several years busking in
different parts of the United States and Europe, playing folk and
bluegrass, Sam moved back to his hometown of Baltimore. He soon founded
The Charm City Reactors, an electric and eclectic outfit which reflected
his widening musical tastes and which was a staple in the burgeoning
Baltimore alternative music scene for 5 years. The next decade found him
as lead singer with a new wave cover band The Sway, before leaving to
form The Odds in order to provide another vehicle for his own songs.
Now Sam has returned to his musical roots: acoustic folk and melodic,
well-crafted songwriting. https://soundcloud.com/sam-nitzberg http://samnitzblog.blogspot.com http://www.reactorsmlc.org
John Seay - Bass, Vocals
The fossil record reveals that John Seay apparently started
playing guitar and bass and writing songs in the early ‘60s, and began
recording/producing his and others’ music shortly thereafter. And
continues to this day. In addition to his 9 solo CD’s, John has produced
studio projects for Eliot Bronson, Sarah Pinsker, Spice, The Art of
Meaning, Neal Phillips, Georgie Jessup, and Steve Key, to name a few.
Besides performing solo and with The Old Part of Town, he sits in with
an ever-evolving handful of local bands and artists, and is a founding
member of the notorious Baltimore vocal trio, Three If By Sea. http://www.myspace.com/johnseayproductions
Steve Raskin - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Steve first
discovered his love of drums and music when banging on pots and pans
and anything else around the house at a very early age. He played
professionally throughout college and pursued music full time for a few
years after graduation before embarking on a separate non-musical
career. During that time he also performed and/or recorded a wide
variety of music with many successful Baltimore based bands including
Total Eclipse, The Charm City Reactors, Two Legs, The Polkats,
Sonia/Disappear Fear, The Barn Burners, The Scott Cunningham Blues Band,
Big Dog Blues Band, The Mark Brine Band, Gypsy Dawg and Dawgone. Now,
he's come full circle, playing again with Matt and Sam, his pals from
The Reactors days.
Kurt Hammond - Electric Guitar
Back in the '70s, Kurt majored in guitar in college, playing with
JHU hippy band Ocean Rose, only to find that there was in fact no guitar
major. Ooops. Immediately upon graduation, he answered an ad in the
paper which launched a 3-year stint with Baltimore soul stalwarts London
Fog. The '80s found Kurt in Boston, studying jazz guitar (still working
on that) and playing in all manner of variety bands. Then, back in
Baltimore, he had a 16-year run with country band Stillwater. He
currently teaches guitar at his home in Pikesville, MD., does fill-in
work and studio sessions, and also plays with his R&B combo The Soul Magnets.
Marc Wexler - Mandolin, Backing Vocals
Man of Mystery. East Coast, West Coast, who knows where he'll be? Catch him when you can.