Reaching for Higher Ground
Porterhouse Bob and Down to the Bone
Ministers of Psycho-New Orleans Barrelhouse Blues
Porterhouse Bob may well be
Southern California’s best-kept secret, but to a growing fan base that
extends well beyond California, he and his band are achieving cult
status. Porterhouse has been making music professionally since 1965.
The band has played such diverse venues as The Sand Dollar Blues Lounge in Las
Vegas, the Atlantic Casino in Reno, Disney’s California Adventure, The
Blue Cafe, and summer festivals from San Diego to
Sacramento. They recently appeared with Gene Simmons on the A&E TV show Gene Simmons Family Jewels
Porterhouse’s music and show are a reflection of smoke filled New Orleans bar
rooms and the characters and sounds that made those rooms famous.
It's music that celebrates life.
Raised in Los Angeles playing
the accordion, piano and drums, Porterhouse hit the road, at 15 years old, playing with Dot Records recording artists, Gene Gray and the Stingrays. By the time the late sixties hit, the
era of free love and music that was Haight Ashbury had turned into a
labyrinth of overindulgence. Porterhouse survived within the darker underpinnings of the Haight; living out of his van, working the streets and playing the blues until he hooked up with Billy Roberts, writer of "Hey Joe". Gigs in Houston, Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles followed his tenure with Roberts as he worked on keyboards as a traveling backup musician, opening shows for Willie Dixon, Paul Butterfield and many other great blues artists of the time.
Porterhouse spent much of his free time writing music: material that
would eventually craft itself into a style reflecting the music of early rock pioneers that hailed from New Orleans. In
2000 he put together his lineup of horns, keyboards, bass and drums;
expanding the horn section from one to four (trumpet, tenor sax,
baritone sax, and trombone/tuba). The sound carried with it reflections
of early "N'Awlins" R&B, but was redefined by Porterhouse’s
primarily west-coast experience. Fans call it “Pyscho-New
Orleans party music”.
Porterhouse has released three CD under the independent label, Big
Mojo Records:
Rockin’ the Big House, Shoutin’ at the Grave, and Who Called The
Cops. The band continues reaching for higher ground.
Band members include Porterhouse Bob on keyboards and vocals, Mitch
Montrose on drums, Mike Barry on bass, George Pandis on trumpet, Dan
Heffernan on tenor and alto sax, Dan Weinstein on tuba, bone and fiddle, Don Roberts on baritone sax and Ken Tussing on trombone.
For booking inquiries:
porterhousebob.com Links:
voodooshop.com
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PORTERHOUSE BOB ESTATES
TOUR BUS and HEADQUARTERS
See Porterhouse Bob and his band with Gene Simmons on the A&E Gene Simmons Family Jewels TV show spring of 2010
