Bio:

    Since July, 2007 Bill Ring has lived in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, playing clubs in the Ithaca area with some of the area's best instrumentalists, including Twy Bethard, fiddle queen of the local jam scene, jazz/Americana bassist Joe Crum, and harmonica wiz Don Fenton. Playing together under the name Ironwood, they combine country, folk, "unplugged" rock, and folk blues in a style all their own. See the Ironwood page for more information. See the Show Announcements page for details of upcoming appearances.
    In 2002, Bill moved from New York City, his life-long home, to a renovated barn in the Catskills, where he set up the recording studio in which he completed all five of his CD's (available on CDbaby.com). The first four compiled remastered versions of his earlier recordings. The most recent, Still On My Mind, was recorded and mixed in his new studio.
    "The barn has the most incredible sound - better than any studio I've ever worked in. The high ceiling and oddly angled walls give it a natural ambience like nothing I've ever heard. The first time I walked into the place I clapped my hands, listened to the reverberation, and just about knocked the landlady down and forced-fed her my deposit check.
    "The completion of Still On My Mind is the end of a creative and technical Odyssey that began with buying my first guitar at age 16 and getting my first sound-mixing gig as roadie for the Elephant's Memory in 1969. I've been writing songs, performing, and engineering ever since."
     Bill Ring began playing in New York City in 1968. His first band, Another Country, was a folk-rock group that played mostly at the appropriately named Cafe Bizarre on Third St. in Greenwich Village. That club, along with pretty much every other venue they ever played (including the old Sterns department store across 42nd St from Bryant Park!) has long since been torn down and plowed under.
    After 15 years of solo performing, Bill joined with Sally Eaton and Peter Pasco to form a new version of Another Country, featuring assorted acoustic instruments, three-part harmonies, and the considerable songwriting talents of all three. The acoustic edition of Another Country appeared frequently at Speakeasy and Folk City, both of which no longer exist. (Anyone notice a trend here?)
    Along the way he mixed live sound for performers including Herbie Mann, Aretha Franklin, Paul Butterfield, Kiss, and many others. He has also been an electronics designer and chief tech at a major New York studio.
     After Another Country, Bill began working with his backup band, Ironwood, which at one time or another has included most of the musicians listed in the notes of the CD Bill Ring and Friends. There was also a short-lived collaboration known as Sixteen Wheeler, which featured Bonnie Burns, Jaki D'accardi, and David Ruderman for one gig at Wetlands, and Rod Horowitz in place of David at the Eagle Tavern.
    In 1991 Bill teamed with Constance Taylor to front Ironwood. They also appeared as a duo under the name Cool Dolphin. (Constance now lives and performs in San Francisco. Check out her page on this website.)
    Besides the clubs mentioned above, Bill Ring has been heard live and recorded on many NY area radio stations, including WBAI and WQXR, and on college and community stations around the USA. His recordings include: