Skylands Songwriters Guild

Duane Michael Tucker has music and performing in his blood, being the son of Jazz harmonica legend Cappy Barra, and big band singer Frances White. While growing up in upstate New York's Catskill Mountains and frequently visiting the Piedmont area of North Carolina, Duane got a well rounded home grown musical education across the spectrum, from folk and country to blues and jazz. He started writing his own songs while still in high school. During college at the NY Institute of Technology, he joined the Theater group The Whitney Players, and played lead roles in the plays “Butterflies Are Free” and “Godspell.” Then he became the musical director and band leader for the company’s production of “Pippin.” Post-college in New York City in the late ‘80’s, the crest of the folk rock renaissance wave which produced the likes of Suzanne Vega, Cliff Eberhardt, Shawn Colvin, Dar Williams and Joan Osborne was still in full swing.  He  joined  up  with  accredited songwriter Judith Zweiman, drummer/ percussionist Mark McColl, and bassist/multi- instrumentalist Tom Duval, and they formed a group called Judith Zweiman And The Answers. Several of their songs were featured in the Fast Folk Musical Magazine Collection, available today via Smithsonian Folkways. 

They played the NYC clubs and around the New York Metro area, performing each others’ songs and mixing in covers, and developed a loyal following - especially at their regular Sunday night gig at Columbia U's popular night spot Augie's, where the cops would often show up at 3 A.M. to break up a bit too spirited sing-along rendition of "American Pie." They wound up getting opening slots for Tom Paxton, Buffy St. Marie, Bobby Weir’s band Kingfish, Tom Chapin and many others. They were a perennial at the New York Folk Festival in Greenwich Village. Duane’s first solo album, “Moonlight Row” was made shortly after the band parted ways, with two of its members moving on to new locales and careers. Most of the songs feature the musical talents of the other Answers members, and the sound is reminiscent of the band’s glory days. Duane and Judith have remained active and playing locally around the NY area. Judith has released a solo album called “Look At The Moon,” and Duane has released 2 other projects since, 2011’s “Old, New & Blue” and the EP “DMT And The Doppelgängers” in 2024.