Troubled Spirit

Troubled Spirit has existed since the early 1990's as a local metal band. Troubled Spirit's lineup included founder Mark Matthews on bass, Darryl "Big D" Freeman on drums, Chris Grothe on guitar and Jimmy Buter on guitar. I joined in 1993 when Ray Bugnosen and I approached the remaining members of Troubled Spirit to combine forces and make a new band. Although the name stayed the same, the band went through a metamorphosis. With Ray Bugnosen's love of alternative rock and my love of Jethro Tull and other classic rock bands, Mark, Darryl and Jimmy also rekindled their love for hard rock as opposed to metal.

The following year Mark Matthews took a musical sabbatical and I assumed the leadership role of the band. Although his talents were missed, we continued on enlisting the skills of several different bass players. Our standard venues were biker bars. These places were a favorite of mine because the audience was not afraid to let you know how they felt about you. Fortunately we always received positive feedback from the patron.

Many years later Mark Matthews returned to Troubled Spirit. It was at that time that Jimmy Buter's bother, Kevin Buter returned from Colorado, and Jimmy knew he wanted to play in a band with him. Jimmy, Mark and Kevin joined forces with Marcy Baird and formed Bottled in America, which we always considered a natural extension of Troubled Spirit. If either band was playing out and someone from the other band showed up. They would be pulled onto stage to provide a unique hybrid sound for the audience. These were always special times. Soon after Paula Foster joined the band to add keyboards and even more vocals. Their renditions of Pink Floyd music will always be a favorite of mine. I also had the honor of engineering, mixing and mastering their demo CD. We utilized Ray Tilken's Ambient studios as well as my own Troubled Basement studio.

As the years progressed Troubled Spirit's line up changed from time to time. The band has indeed had the privilege of including many very talented musicians, but there was always something that bothered me. The local clubs we played in were partial to cover music and although every set always included some of my original tunes and though they were always well received I knew I would never be happy until I moved into an all original format. In mid 2010 this is exactly what happened. The lineup changed as we began playing venues like the Recher Theater in Timonium, Maryland. With a full stage, PA and lights to use the original show has begun to bloom.

With this change in strategies came the realization that Troubled Spirit was becoming much more than just a band. It is now a music club that is focusing on whatever project we are working on. It is likely the lineup will shift in any given project, but more than likely it will always include Darryl Freeman on drums and myself.

• Present and past members of Troubled Spirit include:

  • Present Members

    • Jim Ittenbach (Flute, guitars, vocals) 
    • Darryl Freeman (Drums, vocals) 
    • Mike Bearry (Guitar) 
    • Mark Davis (Bass) 
    • Rob Wise (Guitar, vocals) 

   

  • Past Members

    • Chris Grothe (Guitar) 
    • Mark Matthews (Bass, vocals, founding father) 
    • Ray Bugnosen (Keyboards, vocals) 
    • Jimmy Buter (Guitar, vocals) 
    • Bob "SP1" Jones (Bass, vocals) 
    • Larry Campf (Keyboards, vocals) 
    • Rick Linares (Bass, vocals) 
    • Paul Lackey (Vocals) 
    • Bruce Gardiner (Keyboards, percussion, vocals) 
    • Carlos Lopez (Bass) 
    • Kenny Seitz (Guitar, vocals) 
    • Jeff "Houston" (Bass) 
    • John Schmidt (Guitar, vocals) 
    • Steve Heissner (Bass, vocals) 
    • Russell Jones (Guitar, vocals) 
    • Ben "Bone" Blake (Bass, vocals) 
    • Suzie McCullough (Percussion, vocals) 
    • Art Landerman (Guitar) 
    • Bruce "Bud Bass" Hudson (Bass, vocals) 

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