One of the most authentic of the string band revival groups, the Red Clay Ramblers performed traditional Appalachian folk music and contemporary compositions, and mixed genres with such talent and authority that for years they were considered among the best of the modern revivalists of string band music. The Chapel Hill, NC-based quintet included Tommy Thompson (banjo, vocals), Jim Watson (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Mike Craver (piano, harmonium, vocals), Jack Herrick (bouzouki, guitar, harmonica, bass, cello, flute, harmonium, vocals), and Clay Buckner (fiddle, harmonica, vocals). The Ramblers reached their widest audience through their work scoring and performing in off-Broadway productions; one of their most highly acclaimed albums was their score from Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind. ~ David Vinopal & Sandra Brennan