DEEP DISH Blues, CHICAGO STYLE! Live Music

Founder / Harmonica man / Vocalist Hal Iwan cut his blues teeth on the early stylings of such Blues purists as “Little Walter” Jacobs, & “Big Walter” Horton.  Later on he also picked up from harp men like Richard Salwitz, (Magic Dick, of J. Geils fame), George “Harmonica” Smith, and Rod Piazza.  Prior to the “Dukes”, Hal worked with the “Bob Halverson Band” and founded “The Blues Syndicate” band, who worked in the Detroit area for several years.

 Like others, Ken started his desire to play guitar by watching the Beatles, but unlike many he dug that back beat drive that originated with Carl Perkins and Chuck Berry and sought to mimic them. At Eisenhower High School he played in a band called the Heart Breakers that covered 50’s-60’s music. He tried many small groups but couldn’t find a band that clicked. In the 80’s-90’s he disc jockeyed and raised his family. Wanting to get back in a band his friend Leonardo, a slide guitar playing friend, encouraged him to hook up with the Juke Dukes. He expanded his blues licks and enjoyed that overdriven, tasty harp sound for several years  

Drummer / Guitarist Leonardo Gianola  is a talented musician with a complete mastery of his material and is fully engaged with his audience. You can feel the love and passion he has, as well as his experience with music, throughout the entire show and it’s a joy to get to hear someone who has clearly devoted a lot of their life to learning and teaching others about music.” 

Bassist / Guitarist Mike Robbins bought his first guitar at age 11 and started his first band at 13.  Heavily influenced initially by the rock,  blues and Motown guitar and bass heroes of that era (Jamerson, Babbitt, Dunn, Graham, Bruce, Cox)  his range of influences steadily grew to include jazz and fusion while remaining firmly planted in the blues.   Also the amp technician for the band.