TED RODDY and THE KING CONJURE ORCHESTRA have paid tribute to The King; Elvis twice annually for over twenty years (1986). Starting as a hoot night and evolving into a full-tilt rock-n-roll show experience Ted Roddy and crew have wowed audiences with their spot-on interpretations of Elvis' musical legacy. No jumpsuits, no jokes just dynamite rock-n-roll a-la- KIng! Featuring some of Austin's finest musicians including Jim Trimmier (sax, flute), Mark Wilson (bari-sax) , Dan Torosian (sax), Brenda Sansig (trombone), Marc Singer (drums), Nick Connolly (piano), Brad Fordham (bass), Michael Rey (trumpet), Kevin Flatt (trumpet), Joe Dickens (guitar-vocals) plus from Nashville – Brent Wilson – currently with Charlie Louvin ( guitar-vocals), Janet Lynn (vocals-percussion), and Sacha Crosby (vocals).
This past January's shows went great thanks to all who attended. Special treat this year was our secret special guest the great PJ Proby, who sang some killer Elvis and we backed him on his own hit Niki Hoeky, check out his youtube video's and website if you want to get hip. Watch for more surprises in August as we continue to give Austin a taste of the King! Watch this site for more details. Peace and aloha.
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WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE TED RODDY ELVIS SHOW ....
The King is dead. Long live The King. So it is decreed every January and August. (Elvis’ birth and death respectively) when the Continental Club plays host to celebrations worthy of The King himself, drawing fans from 7 to 70 years. And we're not talkin' cheesy Elvis impersonation night. Shaun Young & The NEw Blue Moon Boys and Ted Roddy & The King Conjure Orchestra have too much reverence for the man and his music for that. The Blue Moon set covers the early years. Ted Roddy and crew then blow the roof off the joint with the second set, improbably squeezing a six piece horn section, backup singers, keyboards, guitars and drums on the minute stage. Roddy channels Elvis in full Vegas form, sans jumpsuit. For those who thought those years were a sell-out of the rockin' promise of his earlier days, this show is a revelation. The King is dead.
Long live The King.
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The famous Continental Club does a kick ass tribute to Elvis on his birthday, as well as the anniversary of his death. Shaun Young and the New Blue Moon Boys start the show out with Elvis's early hits. He sounds just like young Elvis. Back when he was really hot! The audience screams as if young Elvis is really up on stage. But nobody faints. Ted Roddy and the King Conjure Orchestra are up next and they are just amazingly awesome! There are 13 people in the band, including a horn section and girl back-up singers.Ted is rocking the house. All the favorites are played: “Viva Las Vegas,” “Don't Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog,” “Burnin' Love.” And everyone is dancing. In fact, one girl is dancing on the bar. People are going crazy! Ted must be channeling Elvis. Even his look is noticeably different. The show ends with "Suspicious Minds" and Ted has whole audience sing the chorus. A big moment of harmony...well, the drunken Austin version of it...in honor of the king!
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Much as early Christians divined redemption from Jesus' darkest moments and serious Woody Allen fans find merit in "Another Woman," Ted Roddy seeks, year after year, to celebrate Elvis Presley's oft-denigrated Vegas period. At a packed Continental Club Friday night -- the first of four shows over two days --Roddy's King Conjure Orchestra insisted on treating this music not as rhinestone-laden kitsch for the large-hair set, but as music.
Roddy avoids any trappings of fat-Elvis mockery: no comic-book jumpsuit, no fake mutton chops, no accent when he's not singing. It's like watching Chevy Chase imitate Gerald Ford; it doesn't matter that the artist doesn't look like the character, so long as he nails his persona -- or, in Roddy's case, The Voice.
Roddy has Elvis's singing style down cold, and his 10-piece band moves fluidly and energetically from rockabilly ("Return to Sender," "Don't Be Cruel") to the near-showtunes ("My Way," "Bridge Over Troubled Water") that sullied Presley's later work. And yes, they opened the 100-minute set by segueing "Thus Spake Zarathustra" into "See See Rider," just as Elvis did back in the '70s. But the set is not costumed tribute or a mockery. Roddy is in love with Presley's work from the late '60s, when the singer, then in his 30s, cut the Memphis-driven R&B he should have making all along.
It took a few songs for Roddy (and the audience) to warm up; "Burnin' Love" and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" were fine, but the band lit up when it hit the good stuff. Roddy is a fan of Mac Davis' work for Elvis, giving the sappy "Don't Cry Daddy" and "In the Ghetto" power and dignity. Later in the evening, a blistering, funky run at Davis' "A Little Less Conversation," got two waitresses to dance on the bar -- one had already turned the crowd on, Ann-Margret style, during "Viva Las Vegas" -- which in turn got the crowd moving. By the time Roddy closed with the one-two punch of "Suspicious Minds" and "Can't Help Falling in Love," the historical record had been fully revised.
Happy birthday, E.
AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN -Joe Gross-2004
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Last night was a bit of a treat. On the bill at the CC was Ted Roddy’s King Conjure Orchestra. The evening was a tribute to the Elvis of the 50’s. I am not a huge Elvis fan, but something about a 11 piece orchestra with a horn section and female backing vocals kicking out the jams in that space made me a fan for the night. It was a great crowd. The cool thing was that, while they played Elvis songs, Ted Roddy was not an Elvis impersonator. He did, however, sing in the 50’s Elvis style.
It was a true rock and roll party.
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In Austin, and especially at the Continental Club, we believe in Elvis. That's why, twice a year, Ted Roddy and his King Conjure Orchestra evoke a little "Viva Las Vegas" — with Shawn Young and the Blue Moon Boys covering early Elvis. These always sold-out shows are something to behold, so pack your blue suede shoes and we'll see you there.
DIRECT IMPACT (Direct Impact)
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