This Saturday night, a legendary Rhode Island duo, Fuzek-Rossoni, will play a special 35th-anniversary reunion concert at Stone Soup Coffeehouse in Providence. Known for their tight harmonies and acoustic blends, Fuzek-Rossoni were a leading musical force in the 1990s, earning multiple awards in The Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll. John Fuzek and Mary Ann Rossoni steered Rhode Island’s folk scene, writing songs that addressed relationships, politics, and the environment.
I spoke to the pair as they rehearsed for the upcoming show this Saturday at the Music Mansion, home base for Stone Soup. And if you’ve ever wondered what happens when two veteran musicians get together for rehearsals…
“It always starts with food,” laughed Rossoni. “John comes over, we grab a little bite to eat. After dinner, we hash out songs we’ve done and any newer songs we’ve written and haven’t recorded that we might play at the show.”
“John and I go so far back; we’re really like brother and sister; we’re very comfortable with each other,” she continued. “Even though we’ve gone in separate ways creatively, which isn’t unusual, we’re still very close. I consider John family. Nothing can go wrong between us.”
That familiarity was evident in the phone call, as they eagerly spoke over each other at numerous points during the chat. The pair met in the late 1980s the way many other bands came together in those days – from a classified ad in the New Paper, a Providence-based arts and culture weekly that preceded the late Providence Phoenix.
“We were both running ads simultaneously, and I finally got a hold of her; I was frustrated after several failed duos,” explained Fuzek.
“I was looking for a female singer-songwriter who wanted to do a duo like the Indigo Girls. And the only people that applied were men, even though the ad specifically said ‘female singer-songwriter,’ no women applied,” said Rossoni. “John was opening for Aztec Two-Step, I went to see him, heard him open, and I gave him a shot. It took off from there.”
They got off to a fast start. “We practiced for hours and hours,” said Rossoni. “We really wanted to make it on the national scene. On top of our day jobs, we put in 5-6 hours a day, writing and getting ready to record. We were very serious about arrangements – playing them now, I realize how complex some of them are. We were very ambitious.”
“We spent more time together than anybody else; people thought we were husband and wife,” laughed Fuzek.
They recorded their first album in 1990 and began playing local venues and touring around the region and later nationally, playing tiny coffeehouses and bars and opening for acts including Willie Nelson, Richie Havens, Tom Rush, and Paula Cole.
30 years later, both mourn the loss of performance spaces, both nationally and locally. “The venues are gone,” says Fuzek. “We used to tour quite a bit, up and down the coast,” adds Rossoni. “Years ago, you would be able to go out on the road and support your tour on CD sales, get radio play, and that is gone now. I feel bad for up-and-coming singer-songwriters.”
“Colleges paid for the whole first record. We’d play a college one night and maybe a coffeehouse in the same town the next night,” continued Fuzek. “Now, there’s no college circuit; most of the coffeehouses we played are gone. There’s not a lot of original music venues left where you can go out and play and get paid enough to make it worthwhile to be driving around.”
Fortunately, the Stone Soup Coffeehouse, one of the region’s oldest, remains a vital part of the local music scene. Saturday’s show will also serve as a fundraiser for the East Side non-profit.
Meanwhile, tribute and cover bands have become a growing segment of the music business as nationally touring acts disband and artists retire. Both Fuzek and Rossoni enjoy playing regularly in tribute bands, with Rossoni appearing in bands like Midnight Honey, Dragonfly Marie, and The Blondeshells, and Fuzek performing with tributes Forever Young and CatMoonShadow.
“It’s survival, cover gigs pay, where folk doesn’t anymore,” said Rossoni. “When you’re a player, like John and I, you will play anything anywhere for anybody. I’m in three bands, I’m not in front, I love being a side guy, I just enjoy playing.”
“Music is hard work, and it comes from deep within you,” said Fuzek, who also produces the Rhode Island Folk Festival. “I play a lot for my own mental health; music is the only thing that keeps me sane.”
The duo will be joined by Amy Bedard on vocals and violin, and Ed McGuirl on vocals, mandolin, and guitar. Proceeds from the concert will support Stone Soup Coffeehouse’s mission to bring quality folk music to the community.
Click here for more information and tickets to the show.
