The Band
The Wandering V’s are:
Craig Recksiedler
Lead vocals, acoustic guitar.
Craig Recksiedler grew up in a small town in southern Manitoba. His father was a farmer and his grandfather worked on the railroad. Before moving out west, Craig lived and played in Winnipeg and is presently living in Calgary Alberta. He writes the material, sings, and play the acoustic guitar.
Lance Loree
Lance Loree, also known as Uncle Thirsty, plays lead guitar and adds a lot of color, humor, and tasty guitar licks to the sound. Lance has played with several bands, including Steve Coffey, Jr. Gone Wild, The Alien Rebels, and Washboard Hank.
John Dunn
Drums and percussion.
John Dunn is a drummer, guitarist, and singer-songwriter. John has played and recorded with numerous bands including Diamond Joe White, Valdy, The Original Caste, The Boomers, Next Year and the Silver Eagle and others. When not playing with the band, John can be found wandering around the southern Alberta town of Claresholm.
Mark Williams
Bass
A true western Canadian, raised in Kelowna, educated in Winnipeg and full time musician in Calgary. Seen and heard in several bands around town: Wandering V’s, Bryson Waind’s Citizens’ band, rOcKoLA, MojoLisa and Coveralls. He played bass on Tremoloco’s 2017 Alberta CD release tour.
Aleksandra Danicic
Violin
Aleksandra started violin studies at 7 in Germany and continues since. Her music career is built on teaching and freelance playing. She expanded playing styles to reflect her love of many genres and improvisation. Classical music is a deep passion, a violin’s versatility led her to collaborate with (record for) various artists/bands such as Ethan Collister, Tone Indbryn, Toni Vere, Notas de 4, Jay Bowcott, Amy Bishop, Tom Phillips, Ralph Boyd Johnson, snake oil poet Xam Eitsirhc, Orit Shimoni,Rev Frank Band, Amy Thiessen, Curtis Glas, Laurie Anne Fuhr, Todd Maduke, Ruth Purves Smith, Mariel Buckley, Liz Stevens and others.
She joined L.A.’s Tremoloco on their 2017 Canadian tour. She performs in Calgary’s favorite music venues, other stages include festivals at North Country Fair, South Country Fair, Pembina River Nights, Frog Fest, Spaghetti Western and Expo Latino. She is a founding member of two current groups, Alchemy Rose Trio and an arts collective Precious Bohemians. She teaches in MRU Conservatory’s renowned Academy Program, where her role is to coordinate and coach several violin groups. She brings her “Bach To The Future in a Minuet” to Calgary streets as a busker. Aleksandra joined Wandering V’s in their shenanigans last spring and is thrilled to explore new musical horizons in a super fun and groovy party band.
Bill Zulak
Violin, backing vocals.
It’s a well known fact that Winnipeg is famous for raising some of the finest Canadian and Internationally renowned musicians on the planet. Violinist Bill Zulak is no exception. Bill’s distinctive style combines his classic homegrown multi-cultural Winnipeg roots with the spirit of the new West. Blend it all in, add a touch of jazz, bluegrass, newgrass, blues, & rock n’ roll……….and (BAM!) you get a heapin’ helpin’ of Prairie Mountain Fiddle served up HOT!
In 2008, under the alias “Uncle Bill” he and his band-mates of Satori Life accepted a cheque for $100,000 dollars as winners of the Vibe 98 Calgary Star Search Competition! Before calling Calgary his home in the year 2000, Bill toured the Prairies and Northern United States with The Double Eagle Band and shared stages with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Glen Campbell, John Connelly, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Danny Hull of The Doobie Brothers, April Wine, and even with the legendary Conway Twitty. “The Ghosts That Haunt Me” is the title of The Crash Test Dummies’ foremost CD release. Bill’s violin colours the mood on four of the milestone CD tracks for the Dummies.
Bill’s “special purpose” is to create a musical picture with sounds that only the violin can paint!
Spider Bishop
Bass
Ross Watson
Bass, backing vocals.
Ross Watson has been playing with the band for the last year and a half. After playing drums for many years for people like Billy Cowsill and Beautiful Joe and one-offs with Bo-Didley and Nick Lowe, Ross picked up the bass in ’04 and has been a player in many roots bands around Calgary including Cam Penner, Matt Masters, and Deep Field South. He has many years of touring experience and has played on over 30 cd’s since the mid-’90’s.
Tim Leacock
Lead guitar, backing vocals, mandolin.
Tim Leacock has played in bands including The Co-Dependents, National Dust, Beautiful Joe and The Burners, Leacock now finds himself playing with The Wandering V’s and adding to the rich tapestry of sound.
Pat Phillips
Pat Phillips plays drums and hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario.
He’s played with several bands and has been a great addition to The Wandering Vs.
Drums and percussion.
