Once Removed Blues Band - Colorado Blues

Patrick McAllister	Patrick McAllister Guitar, Vocals, Songwriter Born in 1959, started playing Guitar on his 5th Birthday ( Guitar Teacher was Jimmy James, from Bartlett, Illinois ). I saw B.B. King at Ravinia Park when I was 5 years old, from then on I was hooked on the Blues. First Band was at 7 years old, songs played were "Wendy" and "Louie Louie" ! ! At 13 I started to listen to The Siegel Schwall Blues Band (www.chamberblues.com). Patrick left Illinois when he was 15; moved to Massachusetts and formed The Tobin Star Blues Band. Tobin Star was a 3 piece band that played in Pembroke MA, and Elgin, IL. At 17 Patrick moved to Colorado and worked for Cinderwood Music, and Colfax Music selling Guitars, Amps, P.A. and teaching guitar. At 23 Patrick played with Renegade - Renegade won the KPKE "Colorado Rocks" contest in 1982 (dedicated to Tommy Bolin). Renegade's song " Dark Tower" was 15 minutes long! (click to listen to Dark Tower). At 27 Patrick played with Exodus, a Prophetic Rock Band - and opened a Concert Hall called Simon The Lepers. (Click to Listen to Exodus). At 35 Patrick stopped performing to be a Dad! Now at 46 Patrick is the Guitarist with the Once Removed Blues Band. (click to listen to newly released Single, Still Wet)
Vince Tolpo	Vincent Tolpo artist information: Vincent was born April 1950 into a family of artists. At age ten he started art studies with his artist parents. At age twelve he received his Mittenwald cello that he continues to play to this day. He graduated Barrington High School in Illinois, All-State Baseball pitcher, cellist in community orchestras, and artist of many art media. Tolpo was a two-time winner of his high school variety show with a cello “psychedelic” rock group. He attended the University of Wyoming on a 1969 baseball scholarship. He was denied further athletic scholarship due to his anti-war activities. His baseball endeavors ended with a back injury while playing at Wright Junior College in Chicago. He attended Chicago Academy of Art while working at American National Bank and HFC, 1970-72. Vincent continued orchestra work with Chicago Civic Symphony and many others. In 1972 he moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to study drawing and painting at Arizona State University (Grad BFA 1974) and to paint the Grand Canyon. He appeared in the first group show of local artists at the opening of the Scottsdale Arts Center 1973. His work was sold through Suzanne Brown Gallery. He created portrait of Pablo Casals for ASU Casals cello library. In 1975 he returned to Stockton, Illinois to help his father, Carl Tolpo, with an 11' bronze statue of US Senator Everett Dirksen for the State Capitol of Illinois. He taught art part time at Highland College in Freeport, Illinois. In 1975 he founded the Highland Area Arts Council and the Freeport Art Museum. Vincent began work as an arts administrator and a part-time artist. He fell in love and married artist, Carolyn L. Robiscoe-Inglesh 1976. From 1979-81, Vincent continued arts administration as executive director of Quad City Arts Council, Rock Island, Illinois. They moved to the Rocky Mountains to begin full-time art careers. Vincent and Carolyn opened Shawnee Mountain Gallery, Shawnee, Colorado in November 1981. Vincent studied cello with many teachers. They were; 1966 Margaret Evans of the Chicago Symphony, Anne Sheribondi student of Janos Starker, David Tomatz of the University of Wyoming, Don Moline of the Chicago Symphony, and Taki Atsumi of Arizona State University 1974. During this time Vincent played in orchestras around the Chicago area, they were; the Elgin Civic Symphony, the Northwest Symphony, the Wheaton Symphony, the Chicago Businessman’s Orchestra, and the Chicago Civic Symphony. During this time he also played in various pit orchestras for musical theater. In Arizona he played in chamber ensembles, the Scottsdale Symphony, and the Arizona Cello Orchestra. In 1975 he returned to Illinois and founded the Freeport Chamber Orchestra as well as three other arts organizations in Freeport. All of them have continued operations for the last 30 years or more. In those wild years of the early 1970’s Vincent roamed the blues bars of Chicago and the psychedelic rooms in Old Town. He saw Corky Siegel, Muddy Waters, the Butterfield Blues Band, Country Joe and the Fish, Mountain, Usef Latif, and many other performers. He even played cello very briefly with a pickup band of Tower of Power musicians. Upon moving to the mountains of Colorado in 1981 and beginning a full time visual arts career the cello became a personal outlet without public appearances, except for the rare coffee house performances in the late 1990’s. Vincent has practiced alone for twenty years until now. Joining the Once Removed Blues Band has reawakened the musical talents sublimated for so many years. With the new Fishman C100 pickup and preamp Vincent can play the unique music of our contemporary scene. Vincent Tolpol Cello, Maestro
Audra Chambers	Audra Chambers Lead & Backup Vocals I've been singing for as long as I can remember. My musical career began at Marshdale Elementary School in Evergreen, CO. I sang in every choir I could get into. That continued on through Junior High where I participated in the Chorale and Show Choir. Attending Evergreen High School provided even more fun opportunities. I was part of several Chorale groups, including a smaller show choir and several women's ensembles over the years. We even toured to the Grand Canyon, Disneyland and numerous other stops along the way. In college, I sang with the Denver Chorale directed by William Morse. In 2001, I found my way to a non-profit acapella choir called The Last Note Singers. We performed at nursing homes, The Denver Zoo, Denver Botanic Gardens, the Georgetown Christmas Festival and for the Colorado Rockies. I've also found a love of singing the National Anthem. Nikki (my Alto partner in crime) and I have sung for Denver University Hockey Games, Metro State Volleyball Games and numerous weddings. In both 1997 and 2002, Nikki and I were selected to sing an acapella duet of the National Anthem for the Denver Nuggets. It was fantastic! I joined ORBB in April of 2005, and have been singing with them ever since. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, playing in the outdoors and hanging out with my boyfriend, friends and family. "Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious" So… I say, go out there and have fun and LIVE LIFE! And remember… "Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue". (Thanks to my sister Claire for her great pieces of advice! LOL!)
Bill Nash	Bill Nash Vocals & Bass Guitar Bill is preparing his Bio
Randy Reznik	Randy Reznik It was in 1980 that Randy went to see the J. Giles band backing up ZZ Top. As he watched and listened to Magic Dick rip on the harmonica, he felt a connection that was in his soul. The next day, with brand new harp in hand, he set out on a personal journey that 25 years later has led him to the Once Removed Blues Band. Self-taught but collaborating with many, Randy has developed a unique and wide range of styles from raunchy blues to clean melodies. He is a student of the harmonica and continues to learn new techniques as well as to pass on his knowledge to other aspiring harp players. The Once Removed Blues Band is definitely expanding his horizons. The first ten harp years were learning and it was ugly at times. The next period was jamming with many informal groups and local bands in Dallas. He played in a regular annual Holiday charity event with “Blue” Lou Marini, of the Blues Brothers. In Colorado over the last 4 years, he has played with the Ken Caryl Ranch Band regularly, and occasionally jammed with several bands including Tick 60.
	Jeff Saussier grew up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania and started playing the honeymoon resorts at the ripe old age of 14. The most memorable experience in those mountains was learning to riff with his neighbor, the renowned jazz clarinetist, Hugh Branum, Mr. Green Jeans from Captain Kangaroo. During the 70's Jeff played with many bands on the east coast as a hire-on sideman with the Cherokee Horns (that provided live performance back-up to many commercial acts). He played in The Crowd featuring George Smith of SNL fame and Stanley Clarke protege Jim Magee's Infinity. After college and graduate school (where he earned an MS in oceanography) Jeff then went on to live, work and continue to play his horn overseas for 25 years, in Asia, Africa and most recently in the Balkans where he recorded with the Blloku Blues Band in Albania. Besides trumpet and flugelhon, Jeff plays, arranges and writes 9with little precision but a lot od spunk) on guitar and piano. Jeff lives in Evergreen with his cat "Fortunate" (a Katrina survivor), a houseplant and three mice that live (temporarily, until the cat gets hungry enough) under the washing machine. He has no children since the US Government suspended his right to breed, or so he says...
Scott Messler	Scott Messler Vocals, Drums & Percussion Scott is preparing his Bio
Cheryl Gomes	Cheryl Gomes Saxaphone, Obo, Vocals Cheryl is preparing her Bio ( and picture )
Colorado Blues (TM)	Once Removed Blues Band Colorado Blues (TM) An Original (Trade Marked) Sound Mixing Chicago Blues with Colorado Mountain Music Call Patrick McAllister 303 670 1099 ext 11