Swing, rock, R&B variety band originally formed by Peabody students to play jazz and bluegrass. The group consisted of Mark Cromer (guitar), Paul Wheaton (bass), David Evans (mandolin), Polly Johnson (fiddle), and Skip Barthold (banjo). Cromer and Wheaton had formerly been with the Slim Pickens Band.
In the mid-‘80s they added Art Steinhorn (drums ex-Freewater), and another ex-Slim Pickens member Jonas Goldstein (violin).
Steinhorn was later replaced with Ralph Tucker (ex-Celebration, Fool Bros.). Irene Sazer (fiddle) was briefly with the group, later moving on to California and subsequently released CD “First Things First.” Sazer was replaced with Dave Smith on sax (ex-United Chair, Inner Visions…).
In the ‘90s Tucker was replaced with Nate Reynolds (ex-Ten Grand…). Phil Scheerer (rhythm guitar) joined in 1997. That same year Wheaton passed away.
Swing Central continued as a popular club band into the ‘00s with Cromer, Smith, Reynolds, and Butch Coleman (bass).
Coleman later released smooth jazz recordings featuring his wife Rhonda Coleman on vocals. Reynolds later worked with Lafayette Gilchrist…
