Gardenville area band started out as a pop standards and rock & roll group featuring Budd Hensel (lead guitar & vocals), Tommy Blackwell (rhythm & bass guitars), Rich Parr (drums ex-Sechrists), Leroy Raber (sax, vocals), and Bobby Raber (trumpet, vocals).
Kneeling L-R: Tom, Budd.
Subsequent members included Herb Ambrose (rhythm and bass guitars, vocals ‘59-63), Tony Michaels (back-up drummer ‘59-63), Lou Patti (trumpet, vocals ’59 later with Bob Brady’s Con Chords), Dick Svehla (sax ’60 –in late ’60 joined the Lafayettes), Nancy Peppersack (guitar, vocals ’60), Earl Ross (sax ’61 –went on to the Sentries), and Pattie (vocals ’63)…
The Adjectives played at Sid,s Ranch House, Jazz City, Tempo Lounge, Sweeney’s, Green Door, Leo’s Hollywood Park, Mimmie Lorenzo’s Yacht Club Inn, Imperial Lounge, Hollinswood Inn, Tic Toc Club… The group was also known as Too Many Adjectives.
For about 18 months in ’61-62 Ambrose, Parr, and Chuck Eckart (guitar) played as a rockabilly trio at the Cozy Inn, Sid & Dan’s Danceland, Gay White Way, Lithuanian Hall…
Hensel went on to the Del Satins… Ambrose was later with the Dual Tones, and the Sequins. From the mid-‘60s through ‘00s he performed as a solo artist known as ‘Captain Herbie Lee’ during periods of residences in Florida and Maryland. Beginning in 1998 he performed as a solo musician and karaoke DJ at the Glenmore Tavern, Holiday House and Harford House in Parkville. He passed away in 2008.
Concurrently during this period Parr taught basic drumming at Rudy Darr’s Melody Mart. Darr was known by local bands as a source for fill-in musicians. When not busy with his regular groups, Rich kept busy with fill-in work including stints with the Combonaires (1960) at Hamilton Rec, Eddie Stringer Trio (1960) at Club Diamond, Dick Riehl’s Krazy Kats (1960) at Maryland Yacht Club and the Coronet Lounge, Nancy Peppersack Trio (1960-61), Ralph Johnson’s Good Luck Charms (1962) at Sid’s Ranch House… Parr was also later with the Missiles… Rich, along with Bobby and Lee formed a group called the Combinations in the mid-‘80s.
