Sultans of Swing

A few minutes into Alter Ego’s first song of the night at the Sandy Parrot in Estero, a beeline of dolled-up dancers hits the floor, moving under the colorful spotlights to the Motown classic Get Ready. On stage, the space is crammed with a horn section, keyboards, drums, guitars and bass as well as vocalists; in all, 11 musicians. If you look closely, you might recognize some of these Alter Ego performers. For example, Tracey Coppin Caruso, who belts out the lyrics with her well-tuned, soulful voice, may have written your homeowner’s policy at her Coppin Allstate agency. To her left, there’s Doug Malloy, who is shaking his tambourine and shimmying to the music, occasionally offering a helping of vocals. Most people probably would rather see him at The Sandy Parrot than face him in his day job: Malloy’s a federal prosecutor.

Alter Ego, like many other local bands, consists of professionals who exercise their creative side and love of music after office hours. Many are individuals who played in bands during their high school or college years but settled into careers that offered steady income and a bright future. However, their desire to perform never disappeared, so they hooked up with like-minded people and started playing. 

For many of the musicians, money is not the object; the $600 they might get for a club gig is not enough to support a rock-star lifestyle. (Depending on the event, fees can range from $600 to $7,500 per booking.) 

“Some folks have a hobby in golf, tennis, fishing, gardening, needlepoint, etc.,” says Alter Ego guitarist and bass player Robert Barclift, who also is a federal prosecutor. “We find making the music to be a relaxing diversion from our everyday lives—one that’s good for the soul.”

Here is a look at three bands that can be found, after work, in front of crowds at clubs, festivals and private parties around Southwest Florida.

~Alter Ego~

THE LINEUP

*Tracey Coppin Caruso, lead singer and front person. Owns and operates Coppin Allstate Insurance Agency in South Fort Myers.

Doug Molloy, vocalist and crowd motivator. Chief Assistant United States Attorney in Fort Myers.

George Markovich, vocalist. Orthopedic surgeon at the Institute of Orthopedic Surgery & Sports in Fort Myers.

Deborah Fransway, vocalist/bass guitar and percussion. Philanthropist and community activist.

Morris Brooks, vocalist/bass guitar. Owns the sub-contracting firm of Morris Brooks Roofing in Lehigh Acres as well as DJ Bass, etc.

Randy Thomas, lead guitar. Music director at Westminster Presbyterian Church in South Fort Myers. He and Bob Carlisle co-authored the country/pop crossover hit Butterfly Kisses, for which they shared a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Country Song.

*Todd Caruso, drummer. A partner specializing in the health care field at the Fort Myers accounting firm of McHale, Caruso, Scullion and Co.

*Robert Barclift, rhythm guitar and bass. An assistant U. S. Attorney and Army Reserve JAG officer.

Russell Blair, keyboards. An electrician with Sam’s Electric in Cape Coral.

George Mancini, trombone. Professional arranger, performer and music teacher through Mancini’s House of Music in Port Charlotte.

*Tony Fransway, trumpet. A dermatologist with Associates in Dermatology in Fort Myers.

Mike Santiago, trumpet. Production manager at Sunbelt USA Printing in Naples.

Keith Doxie, trumpet. Music teacher at the Community School of Naples.

Craig Christman, saxophone. Works in sales and instrument repair at Cadence Music in Fort Myers.

Tom DeCourcey, trombone. An administrator with the Collier County Schools.

Robert Roderick and his sound company, Out Front Audio, provide the Alter Ego sound. 

*Denotes founding band member

Musical genre Eclectic show band performing rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rock, pop, jazz, blues and country.

Covers Earth, Wind and Fire, Chicago, Tower of Power, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Nora Jones, Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker and Faith Hill, to name just a few. The playlist includes an original tune, Never Like This.

Why the name Alter ego, meaning “second self,” seemed befitting because the band’s founding members are local professionals by day, Barclift says.

Venues Clubs and public, corporate and private events, including weddings and bar mitzvahs.

Founded 2000

Writ of musicus institutum Former U. S. Attorney Chuck Wilson of Tampa, now a judge on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, had to approve of the participation of Barclift and Molloy in this musical endeavor.

Special moment Barclift fondly recalls having his eldest daughter, Catherine, come on stage as a Fort Myers High School senior in 2003 at gala to sing Wishin’ and Hoping and It’s in His Kiss. In 2007, as a first-year law student at the University of Florida, she was hit and killed by an inattentive driver in Gainesville.

Proud moment “Looking out at a Gulf Harbour event and seeing Cliff Williams of AC/DC dancing to our band,” says Barclift.

The “don’t go there, man” moment In 2005, Barclift and Tracey Caruso were in a Nashville studio to contribute to a country album with some other musicians. At the close of the session, the drummer inquired of federal prosecutor Barclift, “Bob, why is marijuana still illegal?”

Booking information Todd Caruso, (239) 481-7400 or todd@mcscpa.net

Website www.alteregoband.net

~The Juice~

THE LINEUP

Richard Iannuzzi, drums and vocals. Professional musician.

Lynn Richardson, lead vocals. Professional musician.

Joe Connors, guitar and lead vocals. Owns JC Maintenance Services in Bonita Springs.

Michael Baer, keyboards and vocals. Professional musician.

Larry Hobbs, bass. Emergency room physician at Gulf Coast Medical Center and Urgent Care Centers of Southwest Florida.

Ernie Cantu, saxophone and lead vocals. Manager and co-owner (with his wife) of Red Salon & Spa.

Doug Simonds, trumpet. Geometry teacher, Island Coast High School.

Musical genre Blues, rhythm and blues, and funk.

Covers Delbert McClinton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, T-Bone Walker, Buddy Guy, Etta James, James Cotton, Albert Collins, Ray Charles, KoKo Taylor and others.

Venues Clubs and festivals.

History The Juice began 18 years ago in a small club on Fort Myers Beach at the Captain’s Tavern. It featured a Beach favorite, Steve Anthony, on keys and lead vocals and boasted a four-piece horn section led by the late—and well-loved—Bruce Gora on trumpet and harmonica. Over the years some of this area’s top musicians have migrated in and out and back in The Juice, including Danny Sheppard, Jo List, Danny Keady, Craig Krispin and other talented individuals. The band has recorded one CD of a live concert at the defunct club The Renaissance. The recording continues to be a favorite among The Juice fans.

Most exciting gig Opening for Tower of Power, and then sharing a beer and stories with its heralded bass player, Rocco Prestia, after the gig.

Best gig “Always our last one played, as we continue to grow on the groove,” says Hobbs.

Why they do it Hobbs says, “Like most performing musicians, we play because it’s what we love to do. For me, playing is my psychiatrist’s couch. Where else can I unload all my emotion and pent-up stresses legally and get paid for it? But the main reason I play and like to perform is because of the communication I develop with the other musicians and the audience. We never play the same song exactly the same for that reason. We play off of each other’s contributions to a song within the confines of that piece to reach a higher emotional state and satisfaction.”

Booking information Richard Iannuzzi, (239) 603-4887

~The Mighty Quint~

THE LINEUP

Owen Feeney, rhythm guitar and vocals. Feeney, a dentist, owns Bonita Estero Dental Group in Bonita Springs.  Feeny is also an adjunct professor of anatomy and physiology ay Florida Gulf Coast University.

Mike Kennedy, bass, rhythm guitar, harmonica and vocals. President of MKA Marketing in North Naples and adjunct professor at FGCU. 

Joe Fernandez, lead guitar and vocals. Financial planner with a local Bonita Springs firm.

Jon McLeod, lead guitar, bass and vocals. Works in real estate and is obtaining his United States Coast Guard Captain’s license.

Steve Belcher, keyboards. Founder and president of Fort Myers-based Belcher & Co.

Founded 2005

Musical genre Classic rock.

Covers The Eagles, The Beatles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Oasis, Tom Petty, Kid Rock and many other rock bands

Venues Clubs, private parties, festivals and events.

Why the name It’s a nod to the Bob Dylan classic The Mighty Quinn, which was made popular by Manfred Mann. The band substituted “Quinn” with “Quint” for the five original players.

History of the band “We met through the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce,” says Kennedy. “Owen and I were asked to perform a parody song at a board of directors event in 2004, and found we enjoyed playing together. I was in that year’s Leadership Bonita class and met Joe, Jon and Rich [who were in the previous year’s class] at an event.  

Memorable gig Says Kennedy, “In November we played for Light the Night Leukemia Walk, where some good things happened. The event’s fundraising chairman, Steve Belcher, who is a leukemia survivor, asked to sit in with us on keyboard. He sounded so good and was such a great fit that we asked him to join the band. The [Light the Night] state organizers liked us so much, we may perform at their event coming up soon on the East Coast. Most of all, we were proud to play for the cause.”

What makes the band tick “We work with one another,” Kennedy says. “For example, I do the marketing work for Owen’s practice and I’m one of his patients. John and I have done seminars together. We range in age from our early 60s to late 30s, so there’s a nice span of musical roots. We have a great camaraderie, and we have a great love of music.”

Before they were “Quint” Drummer Rob Tarpin played professionally throughout the 1980s and early '90s in Boston and opened for Foghat. In the summer of 2000, he was a top-five finalist in the Rolling Stone magazine Spinal Tap drummer contest—for the one that didn’t spontaneously combust on stage. One of the two lead guitarists, Joe Fernandez, played in a band called Store Ring in Tampa in 1966 and 1967. Kennedy was in a band called Clinic in Utica, N.Y., from 1972 to 1973.

Booking information Mike Kennedy, (239) 514-7067