The Salt Licks
The Salt Licks are Boris' tremendous backing band. Some are based in the Northeast U.S. and others in New Mexico. They come together in various ways for tours, local shows, and recordings. All are not only experienced musicians in their own right but they are also great friends!
- Brett Davis on guitar, banjo, lap steel, and backing vocals
- Susan Holmes on upright acoustic bass, electric bass, and backing vocals
- Jeff Berlin on drums & percussion
- Kevin Zoernig on keyboards
- Paul Groetzinger on drums
photo by kjguch
Jeff Berlin
drums & percussion
Jeff has loved the drums since he was 4 years old. He grew up in a small Pennsylvania town and moved to Boston after graduating college to pursue music. Over the years, Jeff has had the privilege of drumming for many of the most talented Boston-based musicians/bands in styles ranging from improvisational jazz to rock to country.
He met Boris in the studio on the day he was to record drum tracks for Mother Ditch in 2000. It turned out to be the beginning of a great friendship and musical collaboration. Jeff has played with Boris for his 5 years in the Boston/Cape Cod area and has traveled to the Southwest and The Netherlands for recordings/tours.
After living in Somerville, MA for nearly 13 years, Jeff “longed for a taste of the country” and moved to Barnard, Vermont with his wife. He plays with Bow Thayer & Perfect Train Wreck and works for a traditional post & beam timber frame builder when he's not fixing his old house.
photo by Anne Hayunga
Susan Holmes
upright acoustic bass, electric bass, and backing vocals
Since moving to Santa Fe in 1994, bassist Susan Hyde Holmes has become a rhythm section mainstay. For years she played bass for folk icons Bill and Bonnie Hearne and later the Bill Hearne Trio, traveling to Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, often opening for artists such as Steve Earle, Nancy Griffith and Lyle Lovett. Susan produced and played on Bill Hearne’s 2004 solo release “From Santa Fe to Las Cruces,” now in its third printing.
Currently, Susan is happy playing in several groups: with the soulful singer/songwriter Boris McCutcheon as part of his fine band the Saltlicks; also the somewhat-surfy, all-instrumental band Milo de Venus; with the Santa Fe All-Stars, consisting of roots luminaries Sharon Gilchrist, Joe West, and Ben Wright; and, most recently, a delightful foray into jazz and swing in the Alphacats, with guitarists Lewis Winn and George Langston and drummer Cal Haines.
Something of a songwriter, back in her home town of Lawrence, Kansas, Susan has twice been a finalist in the Kaw Valley Songwriters’ Competition. But in New Mexico, it was her Milo de Venus composition “Little Big Hair” that took honors as Best Musical Production in the Punk category at the 2004 New Mexico Music Awards.
Kevin Zoernig
keyboards
Kevin Zoernig has applied his classical training in piano to a specialization in contemporary styles including rock, jazz, blues, funk, and folk. His varied background includes music for theater, dance and film, as well as contributions to academia.
Whether as composer, producer, arranger or performer, Zoernig brings to all his collaborations a distinctive blend of influences and unique sonic arsenal: analog synthesizer, Hammond organ, Theremin, Wurlitzer electric piano and accordion.
He has worked with Grammy nominees and recipients and received recognition from Contemporary Keyboard Magazine, Native American Music Awards, and the New Mexico Music Industry Coalition.