West Michigan Artists:
Frankfort
Betsy Baye & the Groove Engine
email: grooveengine@betsievalley.net
phone: 231.352.5220
song clips: Midnight Train 24 Hour Fool (about 30 sec each)
BETSY BAYE & the GROOVE ENGINE is a five-piece ensemble that has been performing in west Michigan since the late 90's. Betsy Baye is the high-energy front person for the group, with a powerful voice and physical presence that keeps the audience's attention. She grew up near Detroit, influenced by both Motown and the harder rock sounds of the 70's and 80's.
After moving to Northern Michigan in the early 90's, she started singing part-time with a local bar band. Soon outgrowing the constraints of part-time performances, she went on to a full-time position with a band playing mostly original material. In early 1999, a new group formed. Betsy Baye became the front person for a group of highly experienced and talented musicians. Groove Engine consists of Al Anderson on keyboards and tenor sax, John Giordano on guitar, Dale Swords on bass and Sam Jones on drums. This combination of musicians has over a century's worth of experience performing and entertaining on several different levels.
They play what they call "raw-industrial blues and rock". They are playing music by Allman Brothers, Joan Osborne, Santana, KoKo Taylor, Macy Gray and lots more. They are definitely a PERFORMANCE band.
They get semi-regular play on WMOM. They also get semi-regular play on WNMC and KROC. Betsy Baye & the Groove Engine were taped for AJ's Jazz and Variety Show out of Muskegon. They have also had great reviews from the West Michigan Blues Society and Grand Rapids Press.
Being "weekend warriors" does have it's advantages. When they show up for a gig, everyone's excited about playing. When you have five people on stage all playing and singing from the heart, it shows. Some bands get road-weary playing the same program night after night, and you can sense they're just going throught the motions. No matter how technically adept they are, if they lack that fire, the show just isn't going to have that special energy. For Betsy Baye & the Groove Engine, it's not a job, it's a celebration!
Read Felix Ybarra's review of their gig at Billy's on July 5,2002.
