Pete Special & Yo Mama's Boys; Billy D and the Hoodoos

PETE SPECIAL & YO MAMA'S BOYS (Roberto Aguliera, Paul Coscino and David Thornton) play a mix of R&B, Soul & Blues Down by the Bayou! itar/vocals) is the man who founded "Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows" and played a stint with Levon Helm, Rick Danko and "The Band."

"When Dan Aykroyd told me about Pete Special, I didn't know what to expect. He and his band absolutely blew me away at Levon Helm's "Midnight Ramble". Pete is a talented songwriter and guitarist; live he is a potent force not to be missed. Pete Special's album "Blue Telephone," pays homage to his Chicago blues roots, but takes it in new directions. With clever turns of phrases, humor, passion and authenticity, this CD has the power to heal". Pete also started and was the musical director of Lynne Jordan & the Shivers.

Guy Arnston ex editor of the Illinois Entertainer & Music Aficionado says: "As proved again Pete Special's band Yo' Mama's Boys offers up a sublime mix of Chicago blues, classic rock, and clever originals like "Bobbie Jean" and "Bad Dog." And when his versatile rhythm section (drummer David Thornton and bassist Roberto Aguilera) lay down the funk, the girls jump up and shake what they got, sending their energy back to the bandstand like they oughta. Add top-notch players like keyboardist Paul Coscino and Pete's stinging guitar licks, and you have all the makings of a New Orleans-style party."

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BILLY D AND THE HOODOOS: Billy D's life experience has given him the strength to write his brand of Bluzy Rock with a passion that only comes from living it. He is heavily influenced by Chicago's blues, but Billy isn't just a typical blues man. His writing and musical talents create a "Backbeat Roots" style that goes way past traditional blues music. His songs reflect the tough lessons of his past and show his love for Mother Blues and her first-born, Rock & Roll.

Born on the south side of Chicago, Billy Desmond grew up surrounded by the Blues and early Rock & Roll — a powerful combination. He started playing professionally at teen dances and parties at the age of fourteen, and by eighteen he was sneaking into the blues clubs of Chicago to hear greats like Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, and James Cotton. Within the next few years, Billy would work with blues legends Junior Wells, Big Time Sarah, and Detroit Junior.

By the late '70s, he had formed his first band, Skid City Blues Band, as singer, guitarist, and songwriter. After years of touring the Midwest, Billy moved to Los Angeles in 1984, studying with Blues great Tony Matthews, guitarist for Little Richard and Ray Charles, and spent half of the next year playing behind Don "Sugar Cane" Harris, perhaps the worlds greatest blues violinist.

In the mid '90s, Billy moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and began playing focusing on writing and playing his original songs. Within the year, Billy D and The Hoodoos were formed. In 2003, KTAO voted his song She's The One the number one song by a regional artist. After releasing his second CD, Rokdablu!, and several more successful years in New Mexico, Billy left the Southwest for Oregon in early 2010. His newest CD, Somethin's Wrong , has been embraced by the Portland music community as well as the rest of the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and is receiving outstanding reviews.

Tickets are $15 and available at FitzGerald's and TicketWeb http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/VenueListings.action?venueId=32814