About Sagamore
The Sagamore Band is a classic-rock & roll band made up of prior members from Baltimore Rock Ensemble, The Barons, Detour, Turn Blue, Spellbound, Freddie Stevens & Big Sur. Each member of SB has over 30 years experience playing rock & roll in other bands up and down the Mid Atlantic and the east coast. SB rocks to the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Springsteen, Steely Dan, & Eric Clapton to CSN&Y, Jackson Browne, The Beatles, Chicago & much more... Check us out on Facebook at The Sagamore Band
Sagamore Band Members
Jerry Friedman
Vocals, Sax, Guitar, Percussion
Jerry has been studying music since the mid-1960’s, when he began taking private guitar lessons while in elementary school. He took up the trumpet in 4th grade through the school music program and then switched to saxophone.
By 6th grade he was playing soul music on the saxophone with a local band, The Charlatans. Jerry was the youngest band member in The Charlatans at the age of 12 years old, as the other band members were in high school. He then played the saxophone with The Delmonico’s, which also featured soul music. His next stint was playing the saxophone and performing vocals with The Barons; a local band that played Soul and Pop music.
After The Barons, Jerry was one of the founding members of The Baltimore Rock Ensemble, performing music from the jazz/rock genre. Jerry played saxophone and performed vocals with The Baltimore Rock Ensemble for more than four years. While in high school, Jerry studied bassoon and saxophone and played in both the Randallstown High School band and orchestra and he also formed and led the stage band for his high school. He majored in music at CCBC and then at University of Maryland, studying; piano, guitar, and saxophone and playing saxophone in the University of Maryland marching band.
elliott berlin
Drums
Elliott was always destined to be a drummer. It was in his DNA and genes from his father who was a drummer. He started playing drums in grade school and had private drum lessons while he was a young teenager. He continued his music education at Pikesville High School, playing in the band and orchestra.
Elliott played professionally in the 60’s with Erik & the Vikings and then with a group called Turn Blue, which he formed in high school that played in clubs in the Baltimore area from 1969 – 1971. He formed another band that included other musicians he met while studying music education at the Community College of Baltimore, who carried on with the name Turn Blue from 1971 – 1972.
In 1973 Elliott joined another band he found through the News American that was looking for a drummer. They played Top 40- cover tunes throughout Maryland and Delaware. He played professionally in a group called Anthology in the late 70’s, which was popular at various clubs in the Baltimore area.
After a long hiatus from playing professionally, Elliott re-united with some of his original Turn Blue band mates and guest musicians to play at the first Stanstock Festival in 2013. For the next three years, he played with the group Big Sur, which was based out of the MD & DC Metro Area. In 2016 Turn Blue re-united again with their original bass player and several guest musicians when they were invited to play at the fourth Stanstock Festival. Now Elliott is back in the drummer’s chair with the new group The Sagamore Band.
billy berman
Keyboard, Vocals, Percussion
Billy began playing drums at Gordon Miller Music at the ripe old age of 6. That is when his drum teacher, Mr. Zac, told his mom that he believed Billy needed to wear glasses. He’s been wearing contacts ever since. In 1976, Billy grew a “Fro” and for several years played drums for The Calvin Statham Gospel Group headed by his then Junior High School music teacher and mentor Calvin Statham.
It wasn’t until Billy was 13 when he decided to dabble with the keys. His piano teacher Miss Dobb refused to continue teaching him since he would always add funky “licks” to the sheet music to make it sound better. To this day, Billy still cannot read music.
In 1978 Billy formed Destiny, a High School rock band. Destiny went on to win the first ever Owings Mills JCC Battle of the Bands. Destiny began playing Bar/ Bat Mitzvahs throughout the Baltimore area. In 1980, college, a broken-down station wagon, girlfriends, and just sick of playing “Freebird” one more time, … the band broke up.
In 1981 Billy met Freddie Stevens and for 30 years was the lead singer and keyboard player for Freddie Stevens & Limited Edition Band. What a ride! Playing as the house band for The Pimlico Hotel, in addition to weddings, Bar/ Bat Mitzvahs, and Corporate Functions, the band played up and down the East Coast and truly left its mark on the local music scene. Due to grey and balding hair, along with wrinkles, arthritis, and dementia, the band decided to call it quits in 2011.
Today Billy lives in Sagamore with his lovely wife Monica, his beautiful daughters, and crazy pal Lucas, the Yellow Lab.
jay davies
Guitar + Vocals
Jay began his musical journey at age 14 when he was given his first guitar. After some early private lessons, he's been mostly self-taught.
Jay formed his first band in 1994 with some friends and co-workers, and since that time has continued to play guitar in bands in the Baltimore/Washington area. His versatility has been seen in a number of groups and different styles of music, including rock, blues, metal and even classical. Jay’s musical influences are diverse and include Jimmy Page, Dickey Betts, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix.
gene ingham
Bass
Gene has been studying and playing music since the mid-1960’s, taking Clarinet lessons in the school music program. While in junior high school he began taking guitar lessons and later switched to bass guitar.
By 10th grade he was playing music with the bass guitar in a local soul band; The Barons. After The Barons, Gene also performed with The Baltimore Rock Ensemble.
While in high school, Gene studied string bass and flute and played in the Randallstown High School band , orchestra and the stage jazz band
After High School, he majored in music at CCBC studying strings and woodwinds.
Back in the day, Gene played with Orange Wedge and then later with Rolls Royce plus some other bands for many years and is featured on several pages of the Baltimore Sounds publication written by Joe Vaccarino .
Currently Gene has been playing with the Cindy Miller Band and the band Detour