December 13, 2023 @ 7PM
For tickets, please call Charlotte at 661-859-2530.
“The Cranktones” is a group of musicians who have come together for the last seven years for the finale of the Guitar Masters season to hold a concert “Christmas with the Cranktones,” a benefit for The Kern County Cancer Foundation.
The ‘unofficial leader’ of the Cranktones, Carl Verheyen, a longtime member of perennial rock legend, Supertramp, and a frequent guest artist at the Guitar Masters concert series, is excited to bring the the music back to Bakersfield. “We love this town, so it’s never hard to convince the guys to play one more show every year,” Verheyen said. “The fans are so appreciative and into our show, and we’re always happy to lend a hand to a great cause.”
The ‘guys’ are some of the best musical sidemen in the business, including Jim Cox on keyboards; Chad Wackerman and John Ferraro on drums; Tom Child on bass; and Craig Copeland on guitar and vocals.
Cox’s credits include studio and touring gigs with Ringo Starr, Rodney Crowell, Mark Knopfler, Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson, and Alison Krauss.
One of the most skilled and talented drummers in all of rock and modern jazz is Chad Wackerman. Shortly after landing his first professional gig with trombonist Bill Watrous, he earned a spot touring the world with Frank Zappa. A veteran of countless recording sessions, Chad was most recently on the road with James Taylor.
Fellow Cranktone drummer, John Ferraro, is another musical ‘road warrior’, having spent his career laying down the beat in studio and on stage with artists ranging from Rod Stewart and Boz Scaggs to Burt Bacharach and Carly Simon.
Rounding out the band is one of the best-kept secrets in the LA studio scene. Craig Copeland is an outstanding guitarist and vocalist who has lent his skills to artists as diverse as The Beach Boys and Herb Alpert. Disney Imagineering executive, Tom Child, completes this band of brothers on bass guitar.
