Blue Owens

Harp

Blue Owens has been blowing the harmonica since the day he was gifted a harp while hitchhiking across the States as a teen. Prior to landing in the Pacific Northwest, and becoming deeply rooted in the Eugene, Oregon blues scene, Blue Owens spent some years in Austin, Texas hanging out with his friend, the blues great, James Cotton. It was with Cotton that Blue perfected his craft. While in Austin, Blue was quickly invited to join the Rhythm Rats. Blue has also played with Robert Cray, Curtis Salgado, and Elvin Bishop. Blue's style is very distinctive ... a Chicago-style saxophone-like tone.

Barry Bogart

Tenor and Baritone Saxophones

Barry Bogart started playing alto sax in fifth grade.  He discovered jazz in high school stage band and later played in lab bands in college where he switched to tenor sax.  Barry spent most of the next ten years playing in blues and rock & roll bands.  In the 1980s Barry put his horns away, started a family and built a successful thirty year career in IT.  In 2017 Barry went to the legendary Rooster’s Blues Jam in Eugene, Oregon to hear his friend Steve play guitar.  He went home, dusted off his tenor and within months he was invited to join the Blue Owens Band. 

Hugh ("The Boogieman") Schmittle

Keyboards

Hugh taught himself piano as a teenager so he could play the blues he loved, and hasn’t looked back since.  He has shared a stage with luminaries like Bo Diddley and Mick Fleetwood, toured with the Rhythm Masters, John Mooney and Jeff Sarli (Jeff went on to play bass on the Rolling Stones' Bridges to Babylon album), and opened for many of his heroes growing up, such as Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield and Koko Taylor.  As a member of the band Soul Providers, in 1994 he represented the D.C. Blues Society in the International Blues Talent Competition in Memphis, Tenn.  He says that playing with The Blue Owens Band is too much fun to be legal

Chris McDonald

Bass

Chris McDonald has been playing the bass guitar since he received one as a gift from his mother at the age of 6.  He spent his childhood learning about music theory and playing bass in his high school jazz band among other dynamic groups.  Chris has been a part of several blues bands, such as the Tom Waters Blues Band, the Patty McCulla Band, DoppleGang, and most recently Brian James and the Revival.  One of the highlights of Chris’ musical career was opening for Otis Day and the Knights at the 25th Anniversary of the movie “Animal House”.  Chris has a producers’ perspective on what he should be doing as a bass player in any given piece of music.  He focuses on playing what the song really calls for. While locking up with the drummer, he provides a solid foundation for the vocalists and soloists to do what they do best.