Serenader History



High in the Boston Mountains, Milton E. was riding his old mule, Ruth, along a backwoods trail known as Weedy Rough Road. Hardly a road, but it led to a clearing at the top of the highest peak. It was the ideal place to stop for a piece to ponder, reflect and partake of refreshment. After what seemed like 5 hours but was only 5 minutes, the sky began to darken. Lightening flashed in colors. Thunder rumbled like a 1969 Kustom bass amp. Enthralled, Milton E. rolled another one and listened raptly to a booming voice from the heavens. “Go forth, gather musicians, make music, and serenade the world.” Clearly, Milton E. was frightened and astonished and not a little blazed. Was this the voice of God? An alien transmission directly to his cerebral cortex? Or those little mushrooms he had with lunch? After a moment of reflection Milton E. decided it didn’t matter where the voice came from, the advice was sound. “I shall go forth, gather musicians, make music and serenade the world.” The quest was difficult, full of perilous potholes. Finding the musicians was easy enough, keeping them together often proved impossible. Weary and frustrated after years and years, Milton E. found himself tired, in need of rest and he returned to Slowtowne and Ruth and Weedy Rough Road, high in the Boston Mountains. It was there he came upon a man with a guitar on his back, eating a breakfast of cheese grits and brim and drinking Muscadine wine. “Stop. Rest. Have some cheese grits and wine,” the man insisted. Milton E. was pleased and surprised to find that the man having cheese grits and brim, and Muscadine wine was his ole friend Blue Stew. Milton E. recounted for Blue Stew the arduous journey he’d taken and the highs and the lows that he’d encountered. It was then that Milton E. confessed his journey began at the behest of a voice commanding him to go forth, gather musicians, make music and serenade the world. Flabbergasted, Blue Stew confessed to his own encounter with the mystical and unexplainable. Wood gnomes and fairy elves inhabited the area all around Weedy Rough Road and they habitually whispered to Blue Stew that he should go forth, gather musicians, make music and serenade the world. Clearly their destinies lay together. Beginning in Slowtowne, they would make music and other musicians would come. And as their numbers grew and their voices joined they would venture forth and serenade the world.
Band Bios
Milton E. Farris a.k.a. The Felonious Thumpster
First appearing on the scene in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Milton E began first by thumping his brother before he realized the rhythm was better spent on his Fender Mustang Bass. From then on, Milton E preferred performing to just about anything else. Milton E loves the music of his roots. Influenced by the great Blues musicians of his native Mississippi, as well as the bass work of Jack Bruce, Felix Pappalardi, and Paul McCartney and inspired by time well spent in the Quarter in New Orleans - Music moves the soul of Milton E. He has appeared professionally with Turkish Coffee, Slowtowne Slew, Security Farm, The Jokers Wild Band, Blues Job, and the Slowtowne Serenaders just to name a few.

"Blue" Stew Kyle
Blue Stew started playing music as a child in Southeastern Georgia. His professional debut was at the Homersville, GA church where he played piano until his Aunt Sara took over and he moved on to pick a box guitar. Around age eleven, Blue Stew found power, got an Electric Guitar and formed a rock-n-roll band. Performing without a bass player on porches across Homersville they called themselves Struck By A Truck. They eventually landed a bass player and played local gigs for a couple of years. Moved to add his vocals to his guitar licks, Blue Stew, left SBAT and started playing and singing with Freddy & the Time Band Its where he spent a couple of years before joining Cross Town Station where he toured Southern Georgia and Northern Florida for several years. After a few years of letting college and the Air Force interfere with the music, Blue Stew reenergized and refocused on Cross Town Station. Eventually relocating to Slowtowne, he connected with Milton E and joined the quest in making the Slowtowne sounds world-renowned.


Other Members of The Serenaders Family: