In the beginning, there was a body of acoustic music put together by Peter KF over many years. Although at the time he was playing in the evocatively named and fully electrified Uncle Thump (doing in equal parts originals--many of which he was contributing--and R&R standards), he was not satisfied. The acoustic side was languishing. He had taken the acoustic music out in solo fashion from time to time, but he decided that it was time to flesh out the guitar and vocal arrangements with more instrumentation. In a canny founding stroke--one that would set a precedent for the kind of inventiveness that has always defined the group--he skirted convention and hooked up with accordionist Ed Marris, forming the original Stone Soup. They performed as a two-piece for several years, adding some Celtic and Cajun numbers that Ed brought to Peter's already eclectic mix of songs. There are some extant recordings from this period, but to a large extent it remains undocumented.

Seeking to make the rhythmic dimension more explicit, they brought in ethno-musician Sonam for percussion, and over time worked in his multi-instrumental wind and horn playing, and a choice selection of the ethnic music he brought along. Since both Ed and Peter were able percussionists in their own right, this situation afforded them the opportunity to take turns at playing the rhythmist.

An unprecedented breadth of eclecticism now became the signature of the group. Playing together for over a decade, this ensemble brought a totally unique mix of music to the premier venues for acoustic music in the region, getting booked on concert schedules alongside any number of fine and famous acts on the circuit. In 2001 the group released a critically acclaimed CD album.

Eventually another player came to the group's attention, and was pulled in-Jeff Cole, a talented bassist and backing vocalist with a couple of major label albums lurking in his past. A couple years went along in four-piece fashion, producing some memorable shows.

After more than a decade, major change is probably inevitable. Ed Marris discovered greener grass in the Catskills and relocated, and Sonam decided to concentrate on his own musical interests, leaving Peter and Jeff to carry on. They lost no time enlisting drummer John Bagale, whose exceptional skill on the drumkit and wide-ranging musical sensibility was a match for the unusual Stone Soup mix of styles.

With the current configuration, Stone Soup has come somewhat full circle. The group was founded on the premise that acoustic music--both traditional and singer/songwriter tunes, and also re-workings of songs that were not originally done acoustically--could be arranged in creative ways that strongly brought out the rhythmic dimensions as an essential part of reaching deeply into the emotional heart of the melodic/harmonic content. The focus has now returned (albeit with a signature degree of variety) almost exclusively to songs, and with the current fine rhythm section in place, those songs are set forth with an undeniable and irresistible rhythmic pulse.