Blues Bands
With one of the largest rosters of entertainers on the West Coast, our entertainers specialize in festivities regardless of category, genre, or style.
2000 Lbs of Blues
2000 Lbs of Blues provides an unpredictable musical journey through a collection of soulfully interpreted, heartfelt songs. Twelve of the 13 songs are original works that run the musical gamut from big-time gritty harmonica blues, to guitar-crunching funky rockers, a smooth Latin-Jazzy number, all the way to a heart-pounding rap honoring the city of New Orleans. They’ll get you grooving, jumping and swinging to their irresistible sound and incredible performance! See video
Barry “Big B” Brenner
Barry “Big B” Brenner celebrates the real country folk blues, and has performed all over the USA. Big B is a lifelong proponent of finger-style Guitar picking, mastering the genres of country blues, ragtime, and delta bottleneck slide. His sets feature 4 different, totally unique sounding acoustic guitars, including 12-String & National Resonator Guitar. A deep rooted blues singer, Barry’s penetrating vocals evoke the true feeling and meaning behind the expression “Down Home Blues” and revitalizes pre-electric blues.
Brian Young
Influenced by BB King, Albert King, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and more, Brian Young is a powerful self-taught guitar player. Brian and his band also holds several awards under their belt: they won the Battle of the Blues Bands twice (1999 and 2018), and is proud to have been a finalist in The Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar Competition. Whether playing the guitar with his teeth or playing behind his head, Brian keeps the audience both entertained and spellbound with his soulful style.
Bubba and the Big Bad Blues
Bubba and the Big Bad Blues is a four piece blues band from Southern California and have been rocking the club scene there for over 10+ years. With influences like Freddy King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray, Robin Trower and The Meters, Bubba’s powerful vocals, impressive guitar work and a veteran rhythm section forge an electrifying hybrid blend of smoking Texas blues with a little bit of New Orleans R&B funk thrown in. Bubba's long awaited debut self titled album speaks for itself.
Chris Anderson Group
Chris Anderson Group is a three-piece blues rock band from Long Beach, California. The band was formed in 2001 and has played various festivals, fundraisers, bars, and small and large venues all over Southern California. Its members include: Chris Anderson (Vocals and Guitar), Rich Smith (Drums and Vocals) and Mike Casper (Bass and Vocals). Each member is tremendously talented in his own right and have been performing since they were kids. The musical work of the group is uniquely soulful and true to the blues.
Flat Top Tom & His Jumpcats
Flattop Tom & His Jump Cats is a versatile and dynamic band that plays classic Big Band Swing, Blues, Jump Blues, 40s and 50s Classics, Boogie Woogie, Rockabilly, Oldies and originals. The band has been in existence since 1992 and has released four critically acclaimed CDs. Flattop Tom & His Jump Cats are a group of talented and energetic musicians dedicated to keeping traditional roots music alive. Lead singer, Flattop Tom, is also a professional swing dancer. He prides himself with keeping tempos right for dancers.
Gino Matteo
Work hard at what you love, treat everyone you meet like family, and try to smile here and there. Through it all, Gino Matteo still holds true to what he believes. Being a rarity in today's Roots-Music world, Gino Matteo holds incredible knowledge and respect for the past. His performances are spontaneous, explosive, and original — a triple threat to the music world. Gino is the definition of an "old soul" with a voice as smooth as velvet but tough as nails.
Harlis Sweetwater Band
Harlis Sweetwater has shared the stage with everyone from Jimmie Vaughan, ZZ Top, Los Lobos Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Everlast, and Brian Setzer to R&B/Blues legends Etta James, James Cotton, and Wilson Pickett. He has been recognized extensively for his talent: the OC Register called him "the best singer in any genre", while SugarBuzz Magazine had this to say: "From the heart, Harlis Sweetwater, you know instantly the real deal is upon you. This man knows the blues.”
Hot Rod Lincoln
Hot Rod Lincoln specializes in classic rock, blues, oldies, country, and soul. With the band members Tim Butler, Buzz Campbell, Ty Cox, and Jackslacks, the group embodies the sound of rockabilly Americana. Inspired by the timeless sounds of Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Dave Edmunds, the Stray Cats, and more, the fire of ‘50s rockabilly and early rock & roll lives on with the sound of Hot Rod Lincoln.
Hunter and the Dirty Jacks
Hunter & The Dirty Jacks are the band. Retro Fresh Rock & Roll is the sound. Infectious riffs, soaring vocals and bedrock solid grooves propel the Dirty Jacks extremely high energy, emotionally compelling performances. Fronted by lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Hunter Ackerman, and anchored by Jon Siembieda and Carmelo Bonaventura on guitar, Aaron Barnes on bass, Brian Lara on drums, with Moana Avvenenti on background vocals, they are a blues-infused rock and roll force that is not to be missed.
Jackpot Club
The Jackpot Club is more than just a 'rockabilly' band! No other trio would take the crowd from bar-room rock-n-roll of a classic like 'Mercury Blues' or 'Let's Spend The Night Together', to Peggy Lee's 'Fever' to a rocked-up cajun swing 'Jambalaya! Who would dare move from the Las Vegas swing of Sam Butera to Nick Lowe's punky power-pop to Louis Jordan's rhythm and boogie? The Jackpot Club does this with incredible finesse and ease and gets people up and dancing in the process.
Janiva Magness
A three-decade darling of the blues genre, Janiva Magness is one of today’s most talented and recognized blues and roots vocalists. She has several awards and nominations under her belt — to name a few: Grammy nominee, B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, 7x Blues Music Award winner, and 29x BMA nominee. She expertly bridges the past and the present by blending the echoes of classic soul and Americana music with timeless themes of love and contemporary sound of protest.
JD Priest
JD’s career began in the early 90s with the Americana/Roots group Acoustic Connection. Having opened for country artists like Grammy winner Dan Seals, and appeared on the Charlie Daniel’s Talent Roundup on TNN, JD continues to shine as he develops his songwriting. A multi-instrumentalist through and through, he rocks audiences with his expertise on acoustic and electric guitar, resonator, lap steel guitar, mandolin, harmonica, bass, and percussion. Priest’s performance is amplified with his unique vocal styles.
Johnny Hawthorn Band
Johnny Hawthorn has been amplifying his reputation as a world class guitar player and songwriter by expertly mixing roots, rock, blues, and jazz. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, he came to Los Angeles as an eager player and immersed himself in the music scene. With his versatility on guitar, lapsteel, and mandolin he became the “hired gun” in town and has played and recorded for numerous local and national bands — including Toad the Wet Sprocket, Nicole Gordon, and Carl Byron.
LA Jones Quartet
L.A. Jones & The Blues Messengers have been tearing up the floorboards in roadhouses all over the world for the last three decades, thrilling Blues fans wherever they perform. They represent a new breed from the old school of the blues by crossing musical boundaries. Drawing from their past experience playing and recording with many of the great Blues stars like pianist Pinetop Perkins , guitarists Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Luther Johnson and saxophonist Joe Houston, they have pioneered a style that is all their own.
Lee Rocker
Lee Rocker made his mark singing, playing, standing on, spinning and rocking his giant upright bass as if it were a lightweight instrument. From the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine, appearing on Saturday Night Live, to headlining festivals and touring with the Rolling Stones, Lee Rocker has seen and done it all. In addition to being a founding member of The Stray Cats, Lee Rocker has recorded or performed with George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, John Fogerty and Carl Perkins.
Mike Eldred Trio
The Mike Eldred Trio celebrates red-hot Americana roots music. The trio is comprised of impressive members with Jerry Angel and John Bazz from The Blasters and Mike Eldred, who played Lee Rocker’s recording tenure at Black Top. Their self-titled album finds bombs going off everywhere: in chunky Stevie Ray Vaughn chordings and ‘60s-inspired dance grooves, in rockabilly blowouts and L.A. roots investigations, and in country shuffle-swing and more. No matter the genre, the band nails the feel and Eldred distills the appropriate guitar potion.
Rick Berthod
Rick plays a vintage Fender or a Gibson Lucille guitar autographed to him by B.B. King. Rick has shared the stage with B.B. King, Gregg Allman, and John Mayall on several occasions and with Robben Ford, Etta James, The Yardbirds, Janiva Magness, Chris Duarte, J.J. Cale, Debbie Davies, Delbert McClinton, Robby Kreiger, Coco Montoya, Pat Travers, Les Dudek,Peter Wolfe, Savoy Brown, William Clark, Rod Piazza, Guitar Shorty, Eric Sardinas,Tinley Ellis & Joe Houston.
San Pedro Slim
San Pedro Slim is inspired by classic Jazz, Blues, and old Country music — songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Lyle Lovett, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, John Hiatt and Bob Dylan. He’s a West Coast Blues singer, harmonica player, and songwriter, armed with killer vocal talent that celebrates mighty blues, touched with the vintage sounds of West Coast swing. Each performance highlights his personal brand of storytelling, and has wooed fans around the world.
Shawn Jones
Shawn Jones is the epitome of American Blues/Roots/Rock music. Shawn is true to form of his influences — spanning from all the greats in Rock, Rhythm & Blues, Jazz & Country. Shawn has created quite a buzz overseas, touring extensively in the U.K. and Ireland at major festivals. In his flurry of live performances, he’s shared the stage with such heavy hitters as Pat Benatar, The Gin Blossoms, Johnny Winter, Leon Russell, John Mayall, Dave Mason, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, and more!
Bill Grisolia & The New Blues Festival All Stars
Bill leads the vanguard of the new blues movement in the U.S. (think Black Keys, White Stripes, Joe Bonamassa and John Mayer). Talent from over eight New Blues Festivals regularly perform with Bill in the US and internationally, including Laurie Morvan, George Foster, Lester Lands and many more. This act is greater than the sum of its parts: lighting in a bottle. You never know what great music is coming out on stage, just that it will be one of the best groups you will have ever seen!
Solomon King
It’s been said that Solomon King’s dynamic musicianship and showmanship channels timeless artists like Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan; that his music embraces everything from Rock, R&B, the Blues, and Americana to Classical music; that his songs feature rich and heartfelt monologues; and that his unique voice will pass this way but once. Grammy-nominated King has blazed a path from his humble beginnings in Detroit’s rock and Motown scene, to finding “Hollywood Underground” and classic blues deep in Los Angeles.
Sugarmill Slim
“Don’t hold back, baby!” Sugarmill Slim’s onstage mantra stems from their belief that every show should be performed like it’s their last. It’s all about seizing the moment with Slim, drawing inspiration from no holds barred blues artists like Papa George Lightfoot, William Clarke and James Cotton as well as 70’s glam rock like Bowie and Iggy Pop. Playing fiery harp and singing songs about life in Los Angeles, Sugarmill Slim brings an electric show that features plenty of excitement, expert musicianship, and superbly applied eyeliner.