In an era where bands are more comfortable paying lip service to musical traditions than acknowledging them with authority where it counts -- on-stage -- the Colorado roots music band Double Parked is painting a fresh brushstroke on the canvas of American Music. Their sound draws from such wellsprings as blues, jazz, honky-tonk and psychedelia, all the while with an ear towards the future.

The Double Parked story begins with a chance encounter on New Year's Day 2005 between keyboardist/vocalist Bill McKay and guitarist Adam Stern. McKay had just finished playing four nights at Boulder's Fox Theater as a member of the "polyethnic cajun slamgrass" band Leftover Salmon (which also happened to be that legendary group's final concerts) while Stern was doing double duty in the folk-ish Dan Walker And The Sky and also the Widespread Panic tribute act Henry Parsons Project.

A lengthy discussion between the two on the merits of free jazz icon Sun Ra lead them to realize they shared a lot of common musical ground. A few months later a Denver club owner called about putting a band together for a late cancellation and with just three-days rehearsal, Stern and McKay a full band and four hours worth of music and thus Double Parked was born. Quickly realizing the potential of this new venture, the two embarked on a vigorous series of shows in the Denver area backed by a stock company comprised of some of the area's best rhythm sections, most notably the bass/drums/saxophone tandem of Mike "Spanky" McCluer, Chad "Chadzilla" Johnson and Paul "Dr. Poz" Cohen. In a short time span Double Parked has amassed a large repertoire featuring cover songs of everyone from John Coltrane to Merle Haggard to Carlos Santana in addition to a rapidly growing collection of original compositions.

Stern and McKay have found their musical collaboration so fruitful they have already embarked on a Double Parked spin-off called "Double Parked acoustic" in which they play as an acoustic duo in more intimate environments. In addition to this endeavor, McKay can often behind the keyboards for newgrass stalwarts Shanti Groove while Stern is engaged in the electronic music project Cold World Culture in conjunction with some noted DJs and jazz musicians in the Denver area.

Double Parked are currently in pre-production for their debut album and playing throughout the western United States.