Who We Are
The CHA-Trio (Charlie Howie Alan Trio) was borne on the streets of Asheville where Charlie first met Alan at Owens Bell park where they took up a jam. Later they hit the downtown streets busking and sometime later, came together with Howie who added bass guitar, ukelele and guitar.
Charlie plays drums and bass (at the same time) Guitar and saxophone. Howie plays guitar, ukulele and bass. Alan plays guitar, banjo and mandolin. The three musicians bring together a unique blend of instrumentation and styles to produce an engaging acoustic sound and an interwoven fabric of multiple instruments and tight harmonies.
The CHA-Trio plays covers and originals with a sound that is hauntingly familiar and draws you in like a welcoming stranger in a strange land. The CHA-Trio are your Sirens of song. Welcome them to your cafe and venue.
BIOS
Charlie grew up in Ithaca NY and was heavily influenced by its fertile college town music scene in the late 60s and early 70s. Learning drums and bass at the age of 12 and starting in bands by 13, As a multi-instumentalist, Charlie has held down different musical duties over the years on drumset, percussion, bass, guitar, keyboards and some horns. He has studied African and Latin rhythms extensively and is well versed in many styles on both bass and guitar.
Charlie played with several name bands in the 1970s and 1980s, including 2 years with Orleans (hits include "Still The One", "DanceWith Me", etc.), a year with Mick Ronson (original guitarist for David Bowie) and a year with Robbie Dupree (hits include "Steal Away" &"Hot Rod Hearts"). Charlie currently resides in Asheville NC USA
Charlie ShewHowie Finkel plays bass, guitar and all sorts of ukes and croons a tune or two. A veteran of New York’s, Max’s Kansas City, CBGB’s music scene which got him to London playing bass with Cherry Vanilla replacing Sting who wanted to concentrate on the Police.
He’s played with Buzzy Linhart, Tommy Ramone and others and now resides in Asheville where he fights getting to be an old geezer by refusing to stop playing and playing.
Howard (Howie) Finkel
Alan Graf, has been a musician since the age of twelve. He started on classical piano and graduated to electric guitar when he saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. From that point on he played in numerous rock bands in New York City and worked as a session musician in studios near Nashville, Tennessee. He then moved to Floyd Virginia where he learned bluegrass and old time music. At one point in his career he played lead guitar for Michael Franti at a concert in Portland, Oregon. He is also a singer-songwriter that recently wrote, produced and directed the Sarah Arthur folk musical in Asheville. He intends to keep playing till he falls over into an acoustic mosh pit.
Alan Graf