Montbleau - Background

Background

Although he received his first guitar at age nine, it was not until attending college at Villanova University that he seriously began to focus on his playing and songwriting. After college, Montbleau began playing on his own at the House of Blues in Boston, where he started working in 1999. Eventually, Montbleau began performing his original music on-stage at the House of Blues and other Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston area coffee shops, folk and music venues, developing a local fan base. He occasionally performed his music with a percussion player, under the duo name "Palabra", before building what would become the Ryan Montbleau Band.

Montbleau eventually joined up with Matt Giannaros (acoustic upright bass, electric bass, backing vocals) Laurence Scudder (viola, backing vocals), Jason Cohen (piano, organ, clavinet, Moog synthesizer) and James Cohen (drums). In 2006, the group released its first collective album, One Fine Color. A sixth member, Yahuba Garcia Torres (percussion, backing vocals) toured frequently with the band. In February, 2011, the band announced the departure of viola player, Laurence Scudder, and also the addition of guitarist Lyle Brewer. The Ryan Montbleau Band plays upwards of 200 gigs per year.

Montbleau has opened solo/acoustic for John P. Hammond, Melissa Ferrick, Ani DiFranco, Martin Sexton, and Rodrigo y Gabriela. His band has also become a regular act included in the line-up at the Gathering of the Vibes music festival in Connecticut. In the spring of 2010, the Ryan Montbleau Band toured with Martin Sexton, as his backing band and opening band. Before departing for that tour, Sexton produced the band's latest album, Heavy On the Vine, recorded at Camp Street Studios in Cambridge, Massachusetts.