MAC ARNOLD
& Plate Full O' Blues
The Band ...
Austin Brashier - guitar & vocals
​
Austin Brashier, guitar slinger and vocalist, has been exposed to music his whole life being from a very musical family. But it was the exposure of guitar monsters like Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Albert King that sent him spiraling through the tunnel of Blues. Not
wasting any time, he took his band on the road after high school, released a CD, and had the privilege of opening for or playing with many Blues greats such as B.B. King, Koko Taylor, Tinsley Ellis, Derek Trucks, and Nappy Brown. When he was not on the road, Austin was backing up many Blues artists traveling through town such as Eddie Kirkland, Phil Guy and the list goes on.
Now with Mac Arnold and Plate Full O' Blues and getting to work alongside artists such as Bob Margolin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Eddie Shaw, and Hubert Sumlin to name a few, he looks forward to the next musical adventure.
Max Hightower - harmonica, guitar, bass, vocals
Max was born and raised in the Upstate of South Carolina. At age 12, he bought his first Blues cassette tape Muddy Mississippi Live by Muddy Waters. The new and mysterious sound of the music had such an immediate impact on him that in no time he was banging around on his Grandmother’s Silvertone guitar. However, it was the Harmonica that became his instrument of choice. He found that there was something almost spiritual about having an instrument that close to his voice, giving every breath meaning. That little 10 hole harp led him down the path of composing his own songs, playing the piano, bass, guitar, singing, teaching and producing. As one of the founding members of Plate Full O’ Blues, he now tours the USA, Canada and Europe. He has even shared the stage with some of the very legends that fueled his passion for the music, like Hubert Sumlin, Willie Smith, Bob Margolin, Eddie Shaw and Leon Everette to name a few.
Rick Latham - drums
Rick Latham is among the rare breed of drummers that easily fits and moves
within many musical styles and performing situations. Considered by many as a
Guru of Contemporary Drumming, Rick literally “wrote the book” when he penned
his classic Advanced Funk Studies which Modern Drummer Magazine names
among “The Top 25 Drum Books Ever Published”. This book, along with his
Contemporary Drumset Techniques has shaped modern drumming, as we now
know it. Rick earned his Bachelor Degree of Music from East Carolina
University, where he studied with Harold Jones. He was then granted a Full
Scholarship - Teaching Assistantship to The University of North Texas, while
working on his Masters in Percussion. The Southern born “Stickman” recently
relocating back to his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, has spent the past
three decades as a member of the vibrant Los Angeles Music Scene, performing,
touring and recorded with artists from all genres, such as QUINCY JONES, THE
EDGAR WINTER BAND, JUICE NEWTON, CHUCK RAINEY, B.B. KING, DAVID
FRIEDMAN, RICK DERRINGER, NEAL SCHON and PAT TRAVERS. His
versatility has also been highlighted in television themes, jingles and motion
picture soundtracks including FAST FORWARD, GONE IN 60 SECONDS,
DAREDEVIL and SPIDERMAN. Along with performing with Mac Arnold, Rick
stays busy as a much in demand session drummer, teaching privately and
performing drum clinics and masterclasses around the globe. For Rick, “It’s All
About The Groove.” http://www.ricklatham.com
Mark Bumgarner - bass
​
In Memory of ​Scotty Hawkins – drums
Scotty Hawkins passed away on March 22, 2019.
Scotty was performing with Mac Arnold & PFOB
when he had a massive heart attack.
RIP Scotty, we all love you.
