Press Photo..... 4.8 meg.  Credits:  Steve Echols Rob Weber, Chris O'Brien, Bob Harke, joHn Kennedy, Nolan Ladewski

Press Photo..... 3.2  meg.    Rob Weber, Chris O'Brien, Nolan Ladewski, joHn Kennedy, Bob Harke

Bob, the eldest of the group, and the only member to sport a silver-gray coif started dabbling with the acoustic guitar when he was ten.  In the early days, he was drawn to and influenced by the haunting and twangy sounds of Ferlin Husky, Jim Reeves and Kenny Rogers. Later the harmony and unique lyrics of the Kingston Trio, and Peter, Paul and Mary was added to his repertoire of listening pleasures. Bob has been a person unto himself playing and singing the songs he loved, basically for his own enjoyment, seldom stepping into the limelight at gatherings. In 1995 while preparing for a trip to Ireland he became immersed in the sounds and cultural nuances and rhythms of Irish music ultimately composing and singing his first Irish tune 'The Rustic Stone Bridge.' He is much influenced by the styles of Dublin Balladeer Paddy Reilly and Noel Nash from County Kerry, Ireland.  While visiting Ireland this new love was cultivated and enriched as he embraced the tunes, songs, ambiance and culture found in the local pubs.
In recent years this newly found joy has been kept alive through his participation in local seciuns and wherever musicians gather to play Irish tunes.  This is how he met John Kennedy and he now plays acoustic guitar, bodhran and vocals for 'Kennedy's Kitchen.'
As Bob holds a B.S. from Purdue University and an M.S. from Notre Dame he can be observed sharing his knowledge of biology, chemistry and anatomy/physiology with his high school and college students in South Bend, Indiana.  When he is not in the classroom or crooning a tune with his guitar, one may find him in the garden admiring and analyzing one of his newly hybridized daylilies.

 Rob, a musician since the age of twelve, lived in Texas and performed with many of the blues, jazz, and R&B artists for which Texas is famous. His longest tenure was with the renowned 'Midnite Flyer Band', an eight piece R&B  group featuring Jimmy Luke, the Texas R&B singer and harmonica player. On his  return to his hometown of South Bend, Rob "fell in" with the session players at  the Monday night sessons at Lula's. A writer with a novel and hundreds of short  stories and novellas to his credit, Rob was completely taken with the story  telling qualities of Irish music. "The cultural similarities of the Irish and  the Jewish peoples have many touchpoints. The both value family, the home,  music, and the traditions of passing the legends, myths, and the histories from one  generation to the next.

Also....

Nolan Ladewski
Whistles, flute, and vocals

Nolan has been playing music since he was six years old.  He began learning from his uncle, joHn.  He recently traveled to England to study with Brian Finnegan of Flook.  He has attended the Comahltas Irish music school in Ireland three times and studied with a number of Ireland's master tin whistle players.  He composed many of the tunes recorded by Kennedy's Kitchen, and together with Sean Hoffman of the Goldmine Pickers, has released a CD of original compositions.  Nolan took first place in the slow aire cateory on tin whistle at the midwest fleadh, 2005, age 13-17.  He took first place in his age category for tin whistle at the 1999 Midwest Fleadh and competed in Ireland that year. In 2004 Nolan played soloist for his uncle joHn's all-Ireland Silver Medal in the Accompaniment Category.

Nolan has also released a CD of original tunes with Sean Hoffman and joHn Kennedy... The Steps to Home.

Bass, guitar, and vocals.

Joel is a gifted songwriter and singer.  A founding member of Kenndy's Kitchen now living in exile, he is known as Michiana's favorite bass player.  He returns to South Bend as often as he can to perform withthe Kitchen and with area folk musicians joHn Kennedy, Judy Berg, and Noah and Irene Carver. He has recorded with Noah and Irene Carver on their 2000 release You're Always There. He is working with joHn on his upcoming solo CD and with Judy Berg on her upcoming CD.  He brings to folk and Irish music 15 years of singing tenor with various choral groups, notably with the Notre Dame Chorale and the Vesper Chorale. He states that his last big choral gig was singing Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" with the South Bend Symphony.

Joel is presently the Director of information Technology at Carleton College in Minnesota, a position he once held at Saint Mary's College. 

In Minnesota Joel is active in several musical venues including playing bass for the up-and-coming folk/rock band 'Old Enough To Be Your Dad'.  He is also a singer and composer.  His composition "Land By The Sea" is on the Kitchen's debut CD.  His composition Immigrant Song is on the bands second CD, Music in the Glen.

Sally Joyce  appears on Kennedy's Kitchen and Music in The Glen.  She is a gifted multi-instrumentalist.  She is currently enrolled at the University of Harvard.

Fiddle, low D and other whistle.  

Jim Bradberry   appears on Kennedy's Kitchen and Music in The Glen. 

Mandolin, banjo, and v ocals

Jim is the founder and owner of Mr. Bradberry's Violin Shop. He started playing music on the back porch with his family and in the seven ties played guitar with Jericho and TD Davis. He now enjoys playing country, bluegrass, Bulgarian and Irish music. His wife, Martha teaches Suzuki violin and they both play with a bluegrass band. Martha also plays with the South Bend Symphony.  Jim appears on the bands first two CDs.

Autumn Rhodes

Flute, Tin Whistle

A founding member of Kennedy's Kitchen, she appears on our first CD.  Autumn is a gifted multi-instrumentalist and arranger.  She currently performs with Soltre.