All-original rootsy roadhouse rock

12 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Roots Rock, BLUES: Rockin' Blues



Details:
Big Blind is a Portland, Oregon, band that plays a mix of original and traditional, old and new roadhouse rock, blues and roots rock tunes.

The band's name derives from a term in Texas Hold'em poker. The big blind is a bet you make before any cards have been played. Youâre betting you might be lucky contrary to all the evidence of your life, but you're still sitting at the table. It's a blues bet.

The boys of Big Blind are all friends and high school educators in one form or another. They originally got together to play small gigs for friends and but soon found themselves in demand at Portland-area clubs and roadhouses, including popular Northwest venues such as the Twilight Cafe, the Tiki Room at the Jasmine Tree, the Gemini Bar and Grill in Lake Oswego, the Trailâs End Saloon in Oregon City, and the Corner Saloon in Tualatin. In addition, the band members have committed themselves to a series of fundraising concerts and are happy to have raised over $3000 so far for local schools.

The band members include Andrew Duden, lead guitarist, singer, and most fertile songwriter of the group. Andrew was formerly a member of Los Azul Lejos, the premier blues band in El Salvador.

Chris Sheik is our drummer. He played professionally for many years and recorded with the Jim Beatty Jazz Band.

Mike Lehman plays keyboard, sings, and writes songs. Mike worked his way through graduate school playing regular piano/vocal gigs at jazz clubs and bars in Oregon. He also had a year-long gig at a club in Keflavik, Iceland.

The other three band members are all proud members of defunct garage bands. John Parke is the tallest rhythm guitar-playing surfer/vice-principal in the state of Oregon. Joel Glick is our steady bass player and chief musicologist, the professor of discology. Tim Gillespie plays blues harp and percussion back-up and writes lyrics.

Among our original songs are âBad Dogs,â âThe Best I Can Do,â âCominâ Across the River,â âFoundry Blues,â âThe Complete Ballad of Emmett Till,â âSomeday (Youâre Gonna Find Me Gone),â âA-13,â âShow Me the Way,â âJonestown,â and others, including two tunes inspired by the recent tragedy in New Orleans, âKatrinaâ and âDark Water.â

Also on our lengthy, varied playlist are many traditional and other songs we cover, including the likes of Jimmy Reedâs âBaby What You Want Me to Do?,â a Delbert McClinton-influenced version of Bo Diddleyâs âBefore You Accuse Me,â Carl Perkinsâ âBoppinâ the Blues,â a rollicking version of the rare Dylan/Carl Perkins collaboration âChampaign Illinois,â Joe Veasey and Don Robeyâs âFurther On Up the Road,â Muddy Watersâ âHoochie Coochie Man,â Jimi Hendrixâs âRed House,â Robert Johnsonâs âStones in My Passageway,â T-Bone Walkerâs âStormy Monday Blues,â Woody Payneâs âSweet Home Chicago,â Roger Tillison's version of Woody Guthrie's "Old Cracked Looking Glass," a couple of hard-driving Black Crowes tunes, and many more.

Check out the Big Blind website at www.bigblindband.com