HARRY GARNER
HARP
Harry began his life's journey in West Philadelphia, where he brgan his singing career in the church choir. In 1969 he was sent to live with an uncle in Ohio to escape the violence of the inner city. Within a few years, feeling out of place, he heeded the call and joined the Marine Corps where he served as an infantryman and a National Security Guard. After his enlistment Harry drifted, riding his Harley Davidson throughout the country where he finally settled in the Chicago area during the early 1980s. Harry soon became emersed in the Chicago Blues scene and playing harmonica on Sundays at the Maxwell Street Market sitting in with the various bands that performed there weekly.
Harry was soon picked up by Piano "C" Red & the Flat Foot Boogie Band performing on Maxwell street, as well as various Southside clubs and parties. That led to Harry hosting the Blues Jams at Luv'N Music on South Harlem Avenue where he met, and became friends with Mud Morganfield, son of the great Muddy Waters. From there he began playing at the legendary Harlem Avenue Lounge and was befriended by the club"s owner Kenny Zimmerman who recognised the talent in Harry. Soon he was sitting in with some of Chicago's greastest musicians such as Joanna Conner, Toronzo Cannon, Mike Wheeler and many others. It was in the environment of that welcoming juke joint that the Harry Garner Blues Band was born. For the next 20 years the band performed at hundreds of venues including many of the Chicago area's top Blues clubs including Buddy Guy's Legends, Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven and SPACE. He has recorded 2 albums rich with original tunes penned during his battle with cancer.
Throughout his career, Harry has performed on stage with many of the great Bluesmen of the times. He has developed life long alliances and friendships with many of them, Charlie Musselwhite, Sunshine Sunny Payne, Rick Estrin, Barrelhouse Chuck, Mark Hummel, Jimmy Johnson, Honey Boy Edwards, Eddie C Cambell Jimmy Burns, Deitra Farr, Dave Specter and many more.
MARK FORNEK
DRUMMER
Like Harry, Mark has been a part of the Chicago Blues scene for 4 plus decades! He's been a member of the many established blues band in Chicago over the years. Mark started his musical journey forming a band with his brothers call the Undertakers. Their sole mission was to master the absolute foundation...the basics of the genre before adding their own spin on it.
Mark quickly became the "Go To" drummer in Chicago. Touring the world with Dave Specter, Jimmy Rogers, Floyd McDaniel, Nick Moss and more. Mark has recorded albums with Dave Specter, Bill Lupkin, Shoji Naito, Steve Freund, Nick Moss and many others.
Anybody who knows Mark, realizes that he is a know it all when it comes to the music. Getting the absolute basic foundations down first is task number one! Listening to others on stage, knowing when to push it, when to hold it back, playing with dynamics and supporting the other players... that's how you drive the bus!
Mark's influences? Too many to list. Anything, anyone with a drum beat, it influences his musical repertoire. Though you will hear Fred Below, Al Jackson and Earl Palmer in his playing.
JAMES DIGIROLAMO
BASS
James has performed professionally for more than 30 years, with extensive experience in upright and electric bass and guitar. He studied at DePaul University’s School of Jazz Music and privately with Larry Gray. James received scholarships from SIU and DePaul University.
For 19 years, James owned and operated Garage Band U where he developed rock bands of children and adults, directing, rehearsing and preparing them for live public performances. James has been teaching professionally for over 36 years.
As a jobbing musician, James has done radio and television jingles, studio session work, pit work and orchestral performances at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall and The Paducah Symphony Orchestra.
James has experience playing: swing, blues, classical, pop, rock and jazz and has also played country, zydeco and rock-a-billy. Some of the groups James has performed with include The Rhythm Rockets, The Willie Hayes Band, Pinetop Perkins, Barrel House Chuck, The Big Guitars from Memphis, Nick Moss, Burnt Toast and many others.
James was nominated for a WC Handy Award with Nick Moss.
James has professional endorsements with Bag End, Gallien Krueger and Lakland Basses.
Dave Downer
guitarist
Dave began his musical career in the early 1980's performing weekends in various bar bands. He worked as a heavy equipment operator which took him away from music briefly. Working nights, he found himself tuned into the late night Blues programs on the radio soaking in all that great music.
Whether it was Blues Breakers on WXRT, Hambone's Blues Hour on WCBR, Mr A's over night Blues show on WNIB...Dave was tuned in.
in the Spring of 1996, Dave started a Jump/Swing band called the Rhythm Rockets. Their debut performance was December 31, 1996 at Frankie's Blue Room in Naperville ILlinois. The band quickly became a Chicago favorite, performing 4-6 nights a week thanks in part to the Neo-Swing revival happening across the country. After the first decade of performing, Dave decided to ditch the "novelty" Swing act and concentrate solely on the music. The Rhythm Rockets' repertoire digs deep into the post war Jazz, Rhythm & Blues. Dave still performs with the Rhythm Rockets completing 3 decades.
Dave's approach to guitar is more attuned to being an ensemble player, not to over power the other musicians. Knowing when not to play is just as important.
When asked who his influences are, his response is simple, "All those guys who recorded on all those obscure records who never received credit or their named mentioned...those guys! Some of the most brilliant playing that nobody ever knew who they were..."