ABOUT TENBROOKS MOLLY

BAND MEMBERS

SAL CALIFANO

Veteran country guitar player. Sal was the founder of the popular band High Lonesome in the late 1970s. A country music and bluegrass fan since he was a child.

PAULETTE CALIFANO

Vocals and rhythm guitar. Started singing in high school and had the loudest alto in the chorus. First professional music job was singing demos in a NYC studio.

THOMAS CALIFANO

Thomas is an exceptional bass player with incredible knowledge about country and country rock music. He hosted the Pawling public radio show “Three Chords and the Truth” and interviewed musicians such as Chris Hillman and John McKuen.

Drummer, author, photographer, lecturer, and all around great guy! Thom is the longest tenured drummer for Tenbrooks Molly.

THOM JOHNSON

HISTORY

TENBROOKS MOLLY WAS FORMED IN 1981 BY SAL AND PAULETTE CALIFANO OUT OF THEIR MUTUAL LOVE OF COUNTRY MUSIC AND THEIR INSTANT ABILITY TO SING TOGETHER. THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT AT FORMING A TRADITIONAL COUNTRY BAND LED THEM TO START NEON AMBER. THAT BAND NEVER GOT PAST THE REHEARSAL STAGE AND THEY CONTINUED TO TRY TO FIND LIKE MINDED MUSICIANS. THE ORIGINAL TENBROOKS MOLLY WHICH INCLUDED STEPHAN ZANDER ON DRUMS, BILL CHRISTOPHERSON ON FIDDLE, AND JOHN CLEVELAND ON BASS, HAD THEIR FIRST PERFORMANCE AT THE RODEO BAR IN NEW YORK CITY IN MAY OF 1981. THEY BECOME VERY POPULAR DURING THE “URBAN COWBOY” PERIOD PLAYING IN THE TRI-STATE AREA. THROUGH THE YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN PERSONNEL CHANGES BUT THEY CONTINUE TO PLAY THE HONKY TONK SOUNDS OF BAKERSFIELD, THE ROCKABILLY RHYTHMS OF THE LOUISIANA HAYRIDE, AND THE CLASSIC SONGS FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF NASHVILLE. IN 2016 SAL AND PAULETTE WERE INDUCTED INTO THE NEW YORK STATE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF H0NOR.

ORIGINAL TENBROOKS MOLLY MEMBERS: BILL CHRISTOPHERSON, SAL CALIFANO, PAULETTE CALIFANO, JOHN CLEVELAND, STEPHAN ZANDER

MUSICIANS THROUGH THE YEARS

Our original drummer, whose ability to play along with Sal’s lead guitar gave Tenbrooks Molly a unique signature sound

STEPHAN ZANDER

BILL CHRISTOPHERSON

An award winning fiddle player, Bill is still performing and recording with the duo “Lonely Street.”

John was the bass player that completed our original lineup. Sadly, he passed away in 2018. We will always have fond memories of those early days.

JOHN CLEVELAND

THANKS TO ALL THE MUSICIANS WHO HAVE SHARED THEIR TALENTS WITH US THROUGH THE YEARS!
SPECIAL THANKS TO ED BIERLY AND RICK PALLEY FOR THE FUN AND MEMORIES.

ED BIERLY RICK PALLEY