For me and a lot of my pals, the best band to come out of our area in the ‘80s was The Silver King Band. A trio of talented folks – St. Petey Twig on barrelhouse piano, Flo Mingo on washboard, and Rock Bottom on harmonica. They were an R&B show. They were a vaudeville show. They were outrageous and hilarious. And the musicianship was always first-rate.
All good things pass and The Silver Kings split in 1985 as the touring caused rifts among the trio. Flo stayed in Europe, married and started a family. Rock returned to Tanpa Bay and was a major force in blues music here – and continued to tour. Twig changed his name to Barry Cuda and moved to Key West, where he became the house pianist at Sloppy Joe’s, the landmark bar.
Barry Cuda in Key West
Twig, AKA Barry Cuda, returns on Saturday, Feb. 15 as one of the headliners of our annual Boogie Woogie Blues Piano Stomp. He’ll be sharing the stage – and the two pianos – with Victor Wainwright, Rob Rio, Liz Pennock and Dr. Blues.
Each player will get their own 20-minute set and will duet with other players and come out for the big finale. Two cameras, aimed at the keyboards, will capture that action and project it onto the screen on stage. The Stomp has been a must-see show for our audiences for more than 10 years.
For tickets and more information about Feb. 15th’s Boogie Woogie Blues Piano Stomp, you can call our box office at 727-822-3590 or follow this link for on-line tickets and info.
As for the Silver Kings, both Rock and Flo died much too young. Barry however, is going strong – 10,000 Key West gigs later. He has done well, owning houses in the Keys and in France and raising a daughter. But hasn’t played much in Tampa Bay.
“If you move to Key West, you are putting your career on cement blocks,” Barry joked. “I tell people if you want to hear me, come to Key West.”
But for one-night-only Barry is bringing his Key West vibe and his boogie woogie and roots piano style to our stage. Don’t miss it.
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