Truck Driver Bingo primarily plays raw blues and out jazz, with a sprinkling of rock classics. While our primary motivation for making this music is to get people to listen, it’s not unusual for them to get up and dance as well. The band consists of Cheryl Wolfram on vocals and guitar; Jim Nichols on bass; Hank Cupp on drums; and Frank Galante on guitar and vocals. All four band members are seasoned musicians and are committed to musical excellence and a polished performance. We like making people happy!
Just who are Truck Driver Bingo? Hank Cupp has been a drummer since his early teens, through college, and all his adult life. There have been many genres, including Jazz, Big Bands, Blues, Rock and Roll and even Concert and Theater Orchestras. “I just love making music with other people. It feeds my soul. There is nothing like the feeling of being part of a musical ensemble.” Frank Galante has been singing and playing guitar practically all his life (which means for more decades than he cares to admit). He started his musical journey as a regular player at many of the most happening clubs in New York City and has since performed everywhere from the Great Lakes to the Caribbean, to Amsterdam. When not playing the blues or jazzing out, he performs on classical guitar, lute and Baroque guitar, having studied with some of the world’s most noted performers and teachers. As he says: “Music is my reason for being”. Jim Nichols, a lifelong resident of west Michigan, has played bass in several local bands through the years, including the Nite Crawlers, Redeye, the Blue Rooster Band and most recently Bad Manners. He enjoys listening to almost any kind of music, as long as it is well done. He has found playing with Truck Driver Bingo a challenging and satisfying experience; his decades of playing rock standards bringing an essential element of groove to the band’s sound. Jim is a true lover of music. Cheryl Wolfram first picked up the guitar in the third grade, and by the eighth grade chose the 12 string guitar as her instrument of choice. During her Blues Rock years, 2000 to 2010, she and her band released three CDs. Her vocal ability, phrasing, and writing style earned the band enthusiastic reviews. She has lived in Manistee County for 30 years, the last 19 in Brethren. She has been a member of the female pop trios Peace, Love Music and Babe Ruthless. Currently she is a member of Truck Driver Bingo and the trio The Funtastix. Cheryl also performs as a solo singer-guitarist throughout our Northern Michigan area. She can be found singing at pubs, tasting rooms, farmer’s markets, and occasionally busking on the street.
That’s it. Three old guys and one old gal still at it. In performance, the band is super tight and operates at an energy level that belies our age. We have been a regular fixture at a number of venues in west Michigan: among them being the Gull Landing and the Village Pub in Pentwater; North Channel Brewery, Manistee; Woody’s in Bitely and the Chase Creek Smokehouse in Chase. We push out some smokin’ Blues and test the edges of jazz fusion and improvised music. It makes for a dynamic mix in live performance.
