Blinddog Smokin'

Blinddog Smokin' Genre Roots Music Blues Soul Members Carl Gustafson Vocals Harmonica
"Chicago" Chuck Gullens Drums Vocals
Gino Matteo Guitars Vocals
Morris "Mo" Beeks Keyboards Vocals
Roland Jr. Bacon Bass Guitar Vocals Carl Gustafson Vocals/Harp Carl Considers Himself A Performer Rather Than A Musician. He Says “My Father Is A True Musician. He Can Read A Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto As Though It Is A Grade School Primer. I Not Only Don’t Read Music I Don’t Even Like Listening To It.” Carl Prefers Silence. “I Like Quiet Repose. Amplifiers Have Destroyed My Hearing Anyway. I Have Lost Whole Ranges Of Hearing Awareness And My Ears Ring Without Mercy.” Strange Talk Coming From A Man Who Has Made His Living In Music For The Last Seventeen Years And Started His First Band In Nineteen Sixty-Four.
Carl Lives The Music Life For The Adventure The Creativity And The Thrill Of Those Special Nights. He Explains “Sometimes We Make People Forget All Their Troubles Forget They Are Human Forget That Life Is Mortal And They Transcend Mundane Existence Into A Plane Of Exhilaration. At These Times I Want To Live Forever…”
In Writing Songs Carl Likes The Poetry Of Music Defining An Emotion In A Minimum Of Words With A Maximum Of Clarity And The Beauty Of Melody. “If You Give Yourself To The Lyrics Of Miss Peggy’s After-Hours Pic-A-Rib Café Which I Wrote About A Special Lady A Unique Place And A Poignant Time In My Life You Can Actually Go There With Me And Share My Fondness Of That Memory. To Me That’s What It’s All About This Music Business—not Money Not Fame Not Prestige Just Small Enlightenments. Carl Lists His Musical Highlights In Snatches Of Memories That Form A Collage In His Mind “They’re Like A Fantastic Kaleidoscope Shifting And Fading And Reappearing. A Hot Summer Night Outside The Roadhouse In Cherryvale Kansas When I Hear The Band Playing Inside Without Me And The Fireflies Dance Outside And The Crickets Chirp In Chorus—that’s As Vital To Me As Being On The Main Stage At The King Biscuit Blues Festival.
Growing Up In The Vast Emptiness Of Wyoming Made Carl A Fiercely Independent Personality Who Has Loved Living Outside The Hierarchies Of Society. He Reminisces About It I Was Driving The Bus Over A High Mountain Pass In The Midst Of Winter. The Band Was Asleep In The Back. The Silence Was Absolute. A High Full Moon Shone Through The Misting Snow Creating An Eerie Glow That Filtered Into The Recesses Of The Thick Growths Of Pine. A Cliff Fell Away To My Right And A Frozen Stream Meandered At The Base Far Below. Mountains Framed The Moonscape Above Me And No Tracks Appeared On The Road Ahead Which Lay Covered In The Softest Snow. No One On The Face Of The Earth Knew Where I Was And My Inner Peace Was Profound And Complete. That’s When The Road Life Is Worth Every Sacrifice.” "Chicago" Chuck Gullens Drums/Vocals “Chicago” Chuck Gullens Was Born On October 14 1970 On The South Side Of Chicago. Chuck Was Exposed To A Variety Of Music At An Early Age R&B Soul Jazz Blues And Theatre. Chuck Also Had A Love For Rock Music A Love Which He Displayed In A Heavy Metal Band Called “Sinful Cult” At The Age Of Twelve. This Multicultural Unit Was Chuck’s First Band Outside Of School. Chuck Began Playing The Drums When He Was Eleven Years Old Switching From Clarinet In His School Band. In Order To Get Playing Time He Made Sure He Joined Every Music Ensemble That The School Offered From Junior High To College. This Meant Playing In The Marching Band The Wind Ensemble Orchestra The Jazz Ensemble And Everything In Between. Chuck Became A Music Education Major In College With An Emphasis On Percussion. He Was Largely Self-Taught Until That Time And Consequently Became More Serious About His Craft With Further Study. He Was Bestowed The Honor Of “Outstanding Musician” Two Separate Years At The Esteemed Wichita Jazz Festival Which Featured Some Of The Best College Ensembles In The World. While Still Studying At The University Chuck Was Able To Gain Teaching Experience By Helping Direct A High School Marching Band And Teaching High School Jazz Ensembles At A University Summer Program Two Years In A Row. He Continues To Do Clinics Masterclasses And Lessons When He’s Not On The Road. Aside From Playing With “Blinddog Smokin’” Chuck Has Gained National Recognition From Competing In GUITAR CENTER’S Annual Drum Competition “Drum-Off”. In 2001 He Won The Regional Finals And Was Crowned Best Drummer In The Southwestern United States. Chuck Cites Drummers Like Elvin Jones Dennis Chambers Dave Weckl Buddy Rich Sonny Emory Will Kennedy And Vinnie Colaiuta As His Biggest Drumming Influences Adding “I Treasure Drummers Who Work Hard To Perfect Their Craft And Present Their Art With Pure Heartfelt Emotion Who Strive To Surpass The Boundaries Of Human Potential. To Me That’s Where Humanity Meets Divinity.” Roland "Jr." Bacon Bass
Roland Joined Blinddog Smokin’ In May Of 2000 Roland Began Playing Bass When He Was 16. He Primarily Enjoys Playing Funk And Blues And Is Heavily Influenced By All Styles Of Music Including Classical Singer-Songwriter Rock And Blues Soul. His Primary Influences In The Music Industry Include Flea Victor Wooten Robert Cray And Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Over The Past 10 Years Roland Has Played With Bobby Rush Kenny Neal Billy Branch Aynsly Lister Miss Blues And Oli Brown. He Has Played With Blinddog At The Pinedale Blues Festival The Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival Formerly The King Biscuit Blues Festival The Tulsa Blues Festival The Newton Blues Festival And The Dusk ’til Dawn Festival. Gino Matteo Guitar/Vocals “Work Hard At What You Love Treat Everyone You Meet Like Family And Try To Smile Here And There”. Through It All Gino Matteo Still Holds True To What He Believes.
Being A Rarity In Today’s Blues World Gino Matteo Is A Young Man With An Incredible Knowledge And Respect For The Past A True Student Of The Blues. Gino’s Performances Are Spontaneous Explosive And Original- A Triple Threat To The Music World. Gino Is The Definition Of An “old Soul” With A Voice As Smooth As Silk But Tough As Nails. Gino Writes Music About His Life As He Lives It. His Love Joy And Pain Pour Through His Guitar And Voice Leaving Audiences Spellbound And Wanting More Every Time. Using The Experiences Of The Past As Well As Inspiration From His “Blues Superiors” Gino Matteo’s Sound Respectfully Pays Tribute To The True Blues Scene While Adding A Bit Of Life In Between. Gino Was Named “Best Blues Guitarist On The West Coast” At The House Of Blues Chicago During Guitar Center’s “King Of The Blues” Competition In June 2006. He Is Quickly Carving Out A Name For Himself As One Of The Finest Blues Guitarists In The Country. Over The Course Of His Short Career He Has Performed With Or Opened For Acts Such As B.B. King John Mayer Hubert Sumlin John Fogerty Robert Randolph & The Family Band The Blind Boys Of Alabama Pete Anderson Jonny Lang Derek Trucks And More...
His Unique Sound Can Be Heard All Over The Country From The L.A. County Fair To The Famous Kingston Mines Blues Club In Chicago. Regardless Of Where Anyone Hears The Distinct And Powerful Sound Of Gino Matteo One Fact Is Certain. Gino Matteo Loves Playing And Writing Music For Audiences. Gino Matteo Loves What He Does For A Living And Will Continue To Inspire And Grasp Audiences With His Soulful And Emotional Sound. And He Will Do So With A Smile. Gino Joined Blinddog Smokin’ In The Summer Of 2007. Morris "Mo" Beeks Keyboard/Vocals Morris Beeks. Known As “Mo Beeks” To Most People “Meaux Luv” To Others Grew Up In The Windy City Of Chicago Il. A Keyboardist And Vocalist In His Own Right Who’s Career In The Music World Has Led To Playing And/or Singing With Notables Such As The Late Great Jimmy Smith Whom He Had The Honor Of Playing A Duet With On The Hammond B-3 Organ Chaka Khan Najee Noel Pointer Leroy Hutson Otis Clay Big Jay McNeely Mickey Champion JJ “Bad Boy” Jones Organist Deacon Jones Bassist Jennifer York And Multi-Talented Tony Newton Just To Name A Few. Aside From Being A Regular On The Short Lived “Chevy Chase Show” Singing With A Cappella Group “The Enchanters ” Morris Has Toured Extensively And Has Been Featured On Numerous Recordings In The Chicago And Los Angeles Areas Which Also Includes Recording With His Own Urban Jazz Group Himalaya. Mo Joined Blinddog Smokin’ In The Summer Of 2007. Record Label Crying Tone Records read less