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The LITTLE ELMORE REED BLUES BAND is a group of some of the best, most dedicated and experienced blues musicians in Austin and plays every Monday for a packed, SRO crowd of working folks from the neighborhood, college students, musicians, dancers, pool hustlers and blues lovers from all walks of life at the wonderfully funky east Austin juke joint TC's Lounge.

TC's is the last real old school blues dive remaining in Austin and is located deep in the east (traditionally African-American) side of town, about four miles from downtown and light years from the often pretentious and soul-free venues that constitute the "Live Music Capital of the World". TC's has been around for decades and hosts live blues bands Sunday thru Thursday nights with a DJ spinning old school R&B on the weekends. It's a beer joint, so you can bring your own bottle. There's a dance floor, pool tables and a jukebox crammed with B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Little Johnny Taylor and Theodis Ealey records. There's always some free homemade southern soul food in the crock pot. Bands work for love and tips. There's no air conditioning and heat is provided by the mass of human bodies. There's not a level surface in the place and when the joint gets to rockin' you can actually feel the building move. It's perfect.

Far from being another run-of-the-mill blooze jam band, LITTLE ELMORE REED has a unique sound all it's own. It's based on and deeply rooted in classic Chicago blues while embracing west coast swing and the early rock and blues of New Orleans, all played the way only Texas guys can. The musicians have other gigs that pay the bills and they gather at TC's Lounge every Monday to play purely for the love of the music and the interaction with a crowd that loves the blues in a funky, sweaty, powerfully soulful environment.

MIKE KELLER (guitar, vocals) is from Fargo, North Dakota and came to Austin with his brother Cory (currently drumming with the Marcia Ball band) as the Keller Brothers Band. Mike is a world class blues guitarist, an expressive singer and is the newest member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Mike's encyclopedic command of blues styles and stunning solos have placed him at the top of the A-list blues players in Texas, therefore the world. Mike has worked with Marcia Ball, Double Trouble (yes, THAT Double Trouble), Doyle Bramhall (The Elder) and the late harmonica ace Gary Primich. Mike prefers Fender Strats and Telecasters thru a Fender Vibro King amp.

Drummer MARK HAYS is from Dallas. He's worked as a sideman in many bands and genres of music, but the Blues is where his heart is. He's worked the Texas dancehalls with Gary P. Nunn and Tommy Alverson, tonk-and-roll with Donny Ray Ford & The Honkytonkers and The Cartwrights and roadhouse Texas blues with Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King, recording their album "Got My Mind Back" and relentlessly touring the U.S. and Canada. While still living in Dallas he played Texas country in Cory Morrow's band and blues with Seth Walker, burning a groove into I-35 commuting to gigs in Austin and the Texas hill country before permanently moving to Austin in 1999. He spent 1.5 years in Guy Forsyth's band, touring Europe three times and in 2006 toured with Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets Featuring Sam Myers. Mark coproduced Seth Walker's latest self-titled album, contributing one of the albums' standout tracks "2' Left To The Ceiling" and co-writing two others. An avid vintage drum collector, Mark plays a Pearl Masters or vintage Slingerland drum kit with Ford, Craviotto or vintage Slingerland Radio King snares and Masterwork, Istanbul and Bosphorus cymbals.

J.P. "PAT" WHITEFIELD (bass) is the elder statesman of the band, the true 'blues police' member of Little Elmore Reed. Also originally from Dallas, "Painless" Pat came to Austin in the late 50's. He was the first Antone's house band bassist, working with many of the blues legends who came thru Austin in the mid 70's including Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Freddie King and Muddy Waters. He was a founding member of the original Fabulous Thunderbirds (along with Kim Wilson, Jimmie Vaughan, Lou Ann Barton and Freddy Pharoah). After many years recording and touring with Angela Strehli and Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets featuring Sam Myers, Whitefield quit the road and returned to Austin, where he was living quietly and playing occaisionally with his band The Leghounds, a band he had formed to play the blues "right", schooling younger players in the fine art of the Jimmy Reed shuffle. Hays met Whitefield thru a vintage drum deal and began playing with The Leghounds as it's only paid member. Hays stumbled upon TC's Lounge one Monday and immediately called Whitefield with news of the little corner of blues heaven. The Leghounds began playing on Wednesdays and when the Tuesday night slot became available, Whitefield was the only real choice to become the bass player in Little Elmore Reed. Though they will argue like old men about the blues, The Whitefield-Hays rhythm section is the no-nonsense locomotive heart of the Little Elmore Reed Band. Pat plays a Music Man bass thru a vintage Ampeg B-15 amp, sounding eerily like an upright bass, which he owns but is too ornery to lug around anymore.

Harmonica player, singer, and guitarist DALE SPALDING learned the blues from the masters. Fresh out of high school he studied with the legendary Sonny Terry, who introduced him to the masters of modern blues--Lightnin' Hopkins, Brownie McGhee, Big Walter Horton and Willie Dixon. Dale brings a funky mix of Chicago blues, west coast swing and New Orleans gumbo music to Little Elmore Reed. Dale's versatility has enabled him to share the stage with many blues & R&B legends including Otis Rush, Doug MacLeod, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, famed Louis Jordan pianist Duke Burrell, and Hawaiian guitarist Willie K. In 2000, the great Latin jazz bandleader/percussionist Poncho Sanchez invited Dale to blend his funky gumbo with Poncho's Latin rhythms, pioneering a new sound. The resulting two Sanchez CD's feature Dale's vocals and harmonica and includes Dale's performance with the legendary Ray Charles on a new version of Rays' classic "Mary Ann". Dale was living in New Orleans where he was frequently heard with friends and local giants such as the Iguanas and Snooks Eaglin when he was left homeless by the Katrina disaster. He relocated to Austin and when not performing either solo or with Little Elmore Reed, tours with Poncho and travels often to his native L.A. to appear with his own band.

LITTLE ELMORE REED plays two shows every Monday at TC'S LOUNGE, 1413 Webberville Rd. in east Austin. Showtimes are 10 and 11:30pm. $3 COVER, BYOB.