The Trees - Jacobs Creek

This is where my interest in local music started. It's probably one of the first records I have ever owned. The band consisted of brothers, Lon & Derrek Van Eaton, Tim Case, Bob Heil and Michael Kremper. My older sister knew the Van Eaton brothers and dated the drummer Tim Case. I think it was recorded around 1967 (?).The flip side is a song called "Your Life".

This record gave me my first taste of local rock & roll. Sure, the Beatles were out there, but these guys were from around here !!

A guy by the name of Lou Henderson owned the Bali Hi record label based at 808 Stuyvesant Ave. in Trenton.

(Just for a frame of reference, I was born in 1960.)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Lou Henderson presents,

Bali Hi recording artists

THE TREES

Top to bottom: Bob Heil

Derrek Van Eaton Michael Kremper

Tim Case

Lon Van Eaton

Thanks to Bob Heil for the pic!

From l-r: Lon Van Eaton, Steve Burgh, Derrek Van Eaton, Tim Case and Bruce Foster. Steve Mosley & Denny Storley were also a part of this band.

A small pic also from the back of the Jacobs Creek album.

The 1969 Jacobs Creek album.

The album sold very well in many major American cities, it was often featured on the landmark FM radio show from WMMR in Philadelphia "The Marconi Experiment". They played at Andy warhol's parties and even opened for The Doors.

Lon and Derrek from their 1972 album Brother. They were one few artisrs on Apple Records. It was produced by Beatle friend Klaus Voormann, and featured performances by Ringo Starr and George Harrison.

There was a special insert in the Brother LP. You connected the ends into a circle and placed it on the turntable and watched the animated Lon and Derrek play!

You just don't get cool stuff like this with today's CD's.

Steve Burgh went on to be a first rate session musician in New York. If you listen to Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are" and "Scenes From An Italian Reataurant" that's Steve playing guitar. He tored and recorded with David Bromberg, Phoebe Snow, Buzzy Linhart & Steve Forbert.

Steve Burgh and Steve Forbert (1981)

Pics at right are from rehearsal session with Buzzy Linhart in the early 70's. Steve Burgh with white shirt & beard, Steve Mosley on drums and I think that's Hugh Macdonald on bass. Steve, Steve & Hugh also recorded on Phoebe Snow's debut album around this time. GO>

I received an e-mail in August of 2003 from Steve Burgh after he visited this website:

I would like to say hi to TJ Tindall, Larry Eubanks, John Kuzma, Tom Marolda, and so many other people I haven't seen. I am in touch with Bruce Foster and Steve Mosley. I would love to know what happened to Lon and Derrek Van Eaton, too. Robin Garb, Bill Ring, Frank Stallone ...Wow.

I am alive and well and living in Kingston, NY near Woodstock. I was in NYC for over 30 years. I have a studio in and old church.

I haven't been through your entire site, so you may have some of what I remember> Around the time of the Trees, who we all idolized, I started my first band called the Rooks with George Dasch, Bob Ramsey, Jackie Ungaro a neighbor of Jackie's named Dave...oh boy .. can't remember his last name. George and I rode our bikes over the Calhoun St. Bridge and hustled our first gig at Jerry's Charcoal Hearth in Morrisville, PA. This was the summer of 1965. Later George and I were in several bands together including one with Bill Ring on Drums. I also spent a lot of time hanging out at music stores and with Lon and Derrek at the Bali High Records office which I think was on Stuyvesant Ave. A band called The Natural Facts asked me to play bass on their Bali High single, and that was the first time I got a session call.

I moved from Trenton to Yardley and had a couple of groups with Pennsbury high and Trenton kids. Then I got a call from a Trenton Band called The Squires, Which was basically fronted by Ewing kids named Tim Schiavone and Mark Tucci. Mark's Dad managed the band. This was my first big showbiz experience. We dressed up like the Beatles and Played High School dances for 2-3,000 kids at a time in Philly and Camden for some of the big Philly radio Stations. I did that gig for many months before I left to Join Derrek Van Eaton and Steve Mosely in "The Mission Street Poverty Band." We played for my Pennsbury High teachers at a disco called The Bird's Nest in New Hope, and the infamous Cellar in Levittown.

Later Lon Van Eaton Joined us and we became Elisium and then we evolved into Jacob's Creek with Bruce Foster> Tim Case joined us because Mosely had 2 little kids and stayed in NJ when we went to NYC.

Around that same time I met Jody G. and Robin Garb in PA, and I became a big fan of Sweet Nothing. I actually auditioned as lead guitar When Jack Van Austin left town, but they decided not to add anyone new to the band.

After our big adventure in NY, I left Jacobs Creek to join David Bromberg, but I also came back to Trenton for a while and was actually part of Valentine for a short time.

Then I pretty much went to NYC for the long run.

Just read through the Maury Meuhleisen story. He and I were very close friends. We flew model planes in Cadwallader park when we were 11 years old. We both became real guitar players at the same time. When He and Jim died they were on their way to see a Steve Goodman show. Steve was supposed to die of Leukemia then, but I think the Lord took Jim and Maury instead, as Steve lived another 12 years. Goodman was my best man when I got married in 1983, a year before he died.

One more bit. TJ Tindall brought his guitar to school in 2nd grade and played "Yellow Bird." He completely blew me away that day.Not too long ago I played a set with Steve Forbert in NY. He sang "Yellow Bird."

All for now,
Steve Burgh

Steve Burgh jamming with Jimi Hendrix (on bass!) and Johnny Winter and possibly
Buddy Miles on drums. Onstatge at famed NYC nightclub Steve Paul's "The Scene" in 1968