Rarely served today save for in pine-paneled hunting lodges and fish camps, swamp cabbage still lingers as a vestige of the “real” Florida. As an inspirational archetype the name Swamp Cabbage was chosen to remind listeners where the music comes from and that it is a musical concoction of southern rock, blues, soul, Dixieland jazz and Appalachian.

Swamp Cabbage extracts as much music as possible from the quintessential rock and roll format – a guitar, bass and drum trio. The songs are built around gnarly unique southern- rock sounding riffs yet the rhythms derive from blues, soul and funk. The verses, choruses and bridges are threaded together by jazz and classical harmonic concepts that employ Parks’ musical training in those genres. In contrast the lyrics of the tunes are far less serious. Listen closely and take a satirical travelogue through Parks’ colorful northeast Florida upbringing replete with tales of door-to-door evangelism and living off the grid. In concert, Parks, a storyteller of sorts, challenges himself to spin comedic falsehoods of preparation for songs that follow. Every show is unique.

Swamp Cabbage is old school in one sense, albeit with a growing contemporary appeal, bolstered by their recent touring with fellow Floridian J.J. Grey and MOFRO. Proudly rejecting the use of digital effects and sonic trickery the band is committed to recording only what they can pull off live, sometimes with great challenge!

For ten years veteran guitarist Walter Parks, recorded and toured as lead guitarist for Woodstock legend Richie Havens performing Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, Cannes Film Festival and in theatres worldwide. When Richie retired in 2009, Walter chose to focus on writing and recording both as a solo artist and with Swamp Cabbage. That same year original bassist Matt Lindsey left the band. Producer/engineer Jim DeVito was the natural choice to step in having recorded the band’s first two albums Honk and Squeal to 2” tape (and the entire discography of fellow Floridians J.J. Grey and MOFRO). Swamp Cabbage drummer, Jagoda is a distinguished instructor at the Rock Mountain Folks Fest Song School in Lyons, CO. Jagoda also has the honor of having played on T Bone Burnett’s recent record Tooth of Crime.