Ron Relaford - Mandolin
From day one, even as a child, I was fascinated by anything that made sound (musical and otherwise – even banjos). My family is Irish and my early exposure to music was mostly Irish and American folk music. Being music lovers, my parents refused to let me play bagpipes so, at 13, I bought my first guitar in England (where we lived at the time) for 5 Pounds sterling – about $14. That guitar ended up as a flower pot in my sister’s room but it started a long life of world-wide instrument acquisition that continues to this day. I have instruments from over 20 foreign countries, including the USA. I spent 8 years in college studying anthropology, math, literature, philosophy and music theory-composition. I also took a class in abnormal psychology which helps me to deal with my band-mates. At present, I support my musical habits by working my fingers to the bone as a massage therapist. Oh yeah, I’m hearing impaired – 60’s rock & roll – and nearly blind. Lucky for me I play bluegrass.
Bob Rindy - Fiddle and vocals
Bob Rindy, on fiddle, has played violin in symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles, and in several folk and rock bands in Salem and Eugene over the past 20 years. Classically trained on the violin since childhood, Bob performs a range of fiddle styles, including bluegrass, Celtic, folk and blues.
Clark Blanchard - Bass and vocals
My Musical Life in 500 Words or Less
Age 10: Organized 2 buddies to help create 3 part harmony arrangement of “Froggy Went a Courtin”. A HUGE lunch recess success.
Age 13: 1st chair trumpet career cut short trying to crash my girlfriend’s slumber party. Carelessly placed rakes on dark lawns have handles that split lips. Defaulted to learning the tunes of the early 60’s on my grandfather’s baby grand, singing a-cappella Beatles and Beach Boys; entertaining on the ski bus. Bonus--girls do appreciate singers.
Age 17: Playing in rock bands with names like The Pacifics, Little John and the Merry Men, The Heavy Company. Opened for national touring bands; Three Dog Night, Deep Purple, Vanilla Fudge. Back stage eye opening experiences!!!
Age 20: Bought a Yamaha guitar and freelanced -- weddings, parties, festivals, street corners. Ah, life as a ski bum.
Age 23: Play the clubs in Portland, OR. The bass player in a band called Freefall. First time to play with a banjo player. Money was good, hours were ROTTEN.
Age 26: Tired of smokey rooms with too many drunks. Decided to grow up and get a real job. Back to school for a degree in music education. Appreciate jazz, asymmetric rhythms, John Cage and John Hartford. Great fun composing music.
Age 30: Begin career as public school music educator. What a joy, turning kids on to music! After hours, member of jazz and then blues band.
Age 44: In between bands and an invite to play bass and sing in a bluegrass band named Mollybloom. What fun! Eleven years later, still the most satisfying group of all.
Steve Yant - Rhythm Guitar & vocals
Steve Yant began with the guitar at age 8 with a Harmony guitar which was his singing cowboy prop and now these many years later appears he's come full circle playing bluegrass with Mollybloom. The Yants were a musical family and mom insisted on 3 part harmony while singing the hits of the 40s and 50s, while crossing LA in the family car. He's led a full life in and out of music. University and then the Peace Corps in the 60s, living in the woods, raising kids, veggies and goats and building log homes in the 70s, teaching and writing bilingual songs in the 80s and 90s, and now back to pickin' an grinnin'. He's played guitar, bass and mandolin in various bands over the years and sung for his supper a few times with a madrigal quartet. He's glad to have the upbeat Mollybloom band as an outlet as his solo poetry and music was getting too lugubrious even for him.
Mitch Iimori - Banjo and vocals
Michinobu Iimori, Mitch, grew up in Tokyo, Japan. To this date, he has not found an instrument he doesn’t want to learn to play, but banjo has been a passion since his father, an executive for Sony, brought home records of American music. Banjo was his first instrument and first love, but it wouldn’t get him a scholarship to study in the United States, so he followed his older brother’s advice and took up the oboe, which netted him a scholarship to the Eastman School of music in Rochester, New York. He makes his living teaching at Lewis and Clark College, George Fox University, Willamette University and Concordia University. He performs in The Salem Chamber Orchestra, chamber groups and substitutes in several regional orchestras, and for stage shows. Some of the instruments he plays in this capacity, besides oboe, are clarinet, bassoon, tenor saxophone, folk whistles, and sitar. He is the Ultimate-Multi-Instrumentalist!
Quick & Condensed
Ron Relaford, a massage therapist and music teacher, has played and taught mandolin, banjo, and guitar for over 30 years. As a mandolin player, Ron has performed with Celtic, Blues, and folk groups. His varied music background even includes African drumming.
Clark Blanchard is a retired public school music teacher in Silverton, Oregon. He has performed in local bands since 1963. Clark began his music career as a piano and guitarplayer in the 1970’s. Clark then turned to playing electric bass and singing while making a living playing Pop, Rock, and Jazz in the Portland area. More recently, Clark has added acoustic bass to his musical repertoire and continues to create the solid bass on which Mollybloom rises.
Bob Rindy, on fiddle, has played violin in symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles, and in several folk and rock bands in Salem and Eugene over the past 20 years. Classically trained on the violin since childhood, Bob performs a range of fiddle styles, including bluegrass, Celtic, folk and blues. Bob works for the state as an urban planner.
Steven Yant, like most long time musician, has been writing, playing and performing music almost all of his life. He is a retired public school teacher in bilingual education. He has had opportunities to use his fluent Spanish as a translator for firefighters demonstrating mountain rescue in Peru and with Habitat for Humanity in Salem. He started his teaching career in the Peace Corps in Borneo teaching English at a Chinese school.
Mitch makes his living as a musician. He is an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark College, George Fox University, Willamette University and Concordia University. In addition he plays in the Salem Chamber Orchestra. Mitch was born and raised in Tokyo, a hot bed of bluegrass music.