NYCBluesDevils.com - NYC Blues Devils

Singer Danny Biondo was first drawn to music listening to bands like Earth Wind & Fire, The Brothers Johnson and Parliment/Funkadelic. Then, after Danny's father gave him the Kiss record "Hotter Than Hell" his life was changed. By the early 80's, during the birth of the Washington D.C. hardcore movement Danny was 16, armed with a fake I.D. and playing bass in local bars.

From '85 to '04 Danny performed in many hardcore, hair metal and rockabilly bands. Between stints living in L.A., London and New York, he toured the states many times and recorded numerous CDs. He played and sang with Kill City, Feast Of Angels, Love Tribe and the Slags.

In '04 Danny was asked to sit in at a local vaudeville show singing some old time jazz music. The NYC Blues Devils were born. After playing and recording with the band - as well as taking singin', actin' and dancin' lessons - Danny ( who has since become The Reverend Danny Slag - really! ) has become a toe tappin, finger snappin', fire breathin' with all his demons leadin' man!

Randy Pratt's screaming harp is perfect for the blues and invigorating to old-time melodies. Having toured and recorded extensively as a bass player, Randy brings his talent for rhythm and arrangement to the blues harp. See more about Randy here.

James Zollar is a native of Kansas City, who grew up amidst the city's rich funk-jazz scene of the 1960's. He began playing trumpet at age 12 and studied with several masters in California, including Woodie Shaw and Jimmy Cheatham. He has played with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy; he is also a member of the Don Byron band, Music For Six Musicians; The David Murray Big Band and Murray's Octet. Zollar has also worked with Ray Charles and the Illinois Jacquet Big Band.

A composer and multi-instrumentalist, Clark Gayton trombone, is the founder of the group Neatherealm, whose two LP's have explored styles from jazz to reggae to classical. Gayton, a graduate of the Berklee School of Music, has also performed in the Broadway shows Jelly's Last Jam and Black & Blue, and has backed up the great Al Green on the television series New York Undercover. Among the ensembles he has played with are the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Max Roach Brass Quintet, and the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. His other album credits include Queen Latifah's Black Reign.

See more info about Clark and some of the cool people he's played with at: http://www.clarkgayton.com/bio.html

Born in New York, drummer Ronnie Magri left New York for New Orleans in 1995 and by 1999 helped form New Orleans's first burlesque revival troupe in the French Quarter. He assembled six of the hottest working jazz musicians to form Ronnie Magri and his New Orleans Jazz Band. Magri also performed with a smaller version of his band, known as The Port of New Orleans Jazz Band, and won Offbeat magazine's "Best Emerging Traditional Jazz Band" award in 2000. In 2002, Magri was nominated for two Offbeat awards for "Best Album by a Louisiana Artist" and "Best Emerging Band" for his CD "Shim Sham Revue." In 2003, he was also nominated for a Big Easy award for "Best Traditional Jazz Band." On stage, Magri and his band have performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and French Quarter Festival. Magri frequently tours outside of the U.S., most recently Central & South America, Germany, France and Hungary, and has also recorded and worked with rock and rollers Little Richard, Joey Ramone, Stiv Bators and The Throbs among others.

For more info on Ronnie go to: http://www.myspace.com/risquerhythm

Scott "The Doctor" Treibitz has played music since the age of 9. Starting professionally as a teenager he played jazz and rock in Long Island and Manhattan clubs and accompanied dance and musical theater performances. He earned a Masters of Music in composition from the Mannes College of Music and the New School. During college Scott played and recorded with the Underdogs who, with lead singer Ed Ryan, landed a national tour opening for then 80's teen heartthrob Debbie Gibson. In the late 90's Scott teamed up with Randy Pratt (now the with the NYCBDs on harp) to play in the prog-rock theater band Star People was born. They recorded two Cds (still available) and did many tours opening for some great acts in that genre - Ozric Tentacles, Dixie Dregs and Dream Theater among others. During this time Doc also started working with Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert on various projects including work as musical director on a Vanilla Fudge comeback CD that led to the band getting back on the road. In 2003 Doc & Randy began doing a small vaudeville show at McManus Pub in Chelsea. Eventually Randy asked his friend Danny Biondo to sit in and the NYC Blues Devils were born. For the past few years Doc has enjoyed his role as arranger and "musical director" for the NYCBDs. He is also arranger and director for the Le Scandal Cabaret show which has the NYCBDs as house band every Saturday night at The Cutting Room.

Meet some of our special guests.

E-Mail: info@NYCBluesDevils.com