Also available on Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, and wherever you stream good music.
Cliff Stackonis and Bonnie Wren performing Cliff's original song The Credit Card Shuffle at the Half Moon Cafe in Oley, PA - April 18, 2014.
Audio link to the Original Band Version Studio Recording of Cliff’s “Credit Card Shuffle” (click above…)
Released 9/1/2024. The brand new release is here!
Released 8/19/2016
Union House, Friday December 20th, 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
1803 S Main St, Bechtelsville, PA
Cliff is currently booking 3-hour solo sets for your venue.
Featuring Vocals, Guitar, & Harmonica.
Country, Folk, Blues, & Popular
Please contact Cliff at cliffordstackonis@yahoo.com
I'm not the first mechanical engineer to answer the call of tunesmithing... I actually met one other. It’s a nuts and bolts craft.
My path of musical influence all started as a youngster, locked in the kitchen with my mom, a good deal of smoke and brew, and the transistor radio of the day, playing the then, modern sounds of 70's Country. Now, you might call this a form of high influence, or a form of high abuse. To me, I guess it all depended on the song. But breaking free and digesting all things british invasion, the classic rock of the day made the mistake of slipping in some blues. Suddenly, with a well-timed release stream of what was called "CD Box Sets", and “Compilations” I hit my stride absorbing, and collecting, most things rural blues and Chicago blues. (Forking over money for music does put a value on it.) My poor-boy harmonica playing suddenly went deep, mimicking the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson and Little Walter Jacobs. Real poets. On the songwriting side, Hank Williams would later become a required read.
After a nice stint singing and playing blues harmonica in a band, I didn't take up the guitar until I was 34 with a little life under the belt and already writing songs. It was upon the suggestion of my songwriting pal. I turned to him and said, "Really? Take up guitar? Am I allowed to??" What could a poor boy do? True as beans. Right about that time I got a copied tape from my uncle that went really well with the car I was driving. A Merle Haggard collection with the two songs cut off. Right there, with all the influence of jazz, western swing, blues, folk, and country, I rediscovered my 70's roots, and realized where my songwriting was coming from. Been on a Tom T. Hall kick ever since.
(notes from the editor:)
With an upbringing in the coal region of northeastern Pennsylvania, Cliff writes and performs lyrical “story” songs in a country, soulful-jazz style, with blues sensibilities. His heartfelt and tightly-crafted songs contain many setups, turns, and lines of depth that are sometimes humorous. In 2016, Cliff released his full-length debut album titled “What Was I Thinking At The Time?”. 2024 has now found the continuation of that creative writing in his sophomore release, “Solid Ground”. A less-cute, and cutting offering. One full of personal anecdotes and experiences. And also, one not holding back on the human instincts of “longings”, “desires”, and “Bad-boy”-ism’s.
