Kim Field & The Perfect Gentlemen
Bios

Kim field

Internationally celebrated harmonica player, guitarist and singer Kim Field began his musical career in New York City, where he worked with the Sting Rays, a group managed by Grammy winner Phil Schaap. Returning to his hometown of Seattle, he teamed up with Isaac Scott, appearing on two albums with the legendary guitarist. Field spent several years fronting the Slamhound Hunters, whose performances and recordings were strongly received in both Europe and the United States. In recent years, Field has performed and recorded steadily with his celebrated Seattle-based band, the Mighty Titans of Tone. During his long career Field has appeared on bills with such rhythm and blues legends as Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Gregg Allman, James Cotton, Otis Rush, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, the Righteous Brothers, Walter Horton, and Big Mama Thornton. He has appeared at the San Francisco Blues Festival, in New York City’s Central Park, at Portland’s Waterfront Rhythm and Blues Festival, at the Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival, and at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival, where he was a featured performer seven years running. Field’s songs have appeared in the soundtracks of two feature films, and he has been twice nominated for the Washington State Blues Society Hall of Fame.

vyasa dodson—guitar, vocals

Vyasa Dodson’s stellar guitar work, soulful vocals, and remarkable songwriting skills have made him a luminary in the Portland music scene. Vyasa fronted the popular Portland group The Insomniacs for several years, which earned a nomination for a 2008 Blues Music Award for best new artist. Originally inspired by guitar players such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton, Dodson’s approach to the guitar changed when he discovered jump-blues players such as Tiny Grimes, Junior Watson and Little Charlie Baty. Dodson has also toured the world as a featured performer in Curtis Salgado’s band and contributed to Salgado’s “The Beautiful Lowdown” album, released in 2016 on Alligator Records.

whit draper—guitar, vocals

Whit Draper’s many years of experience playing traditional and contemporary blues and roots music have made him a quadruple threat as a guitarist, songwriter, arranger and vocalist. From 1989 to 1993 Whit played acoustic guitar, arranged, and wrote songs for Back Porch Blues, a national touring ensemble specializing in pre-war acoustic blues that won several Muddy Awards from the Cascade Blues Association, including Best New Act, Best Traditional Act, and Best Local Recording. In 1995 his song “Ritzville” from the album Back to Basics was featured in the film Lewis and Clark and George starring Rose McGowan. Draper also has written for, performed with, and recorded with such notable Portland-based acts as The Sterno Kings, Alan Alexander, Johnny Ward and the Sharkskin Revue, The Reverb Brothers, Bill Rhoades, Sheila Wilcoxson, Lauren Sheehan, The Strange Tones, Will Vinton’s Freewill Band, and Ed Neumann. Besides lending his considerable skills to The Perfect Gentlemen, Whit is a regular member of A.C. Porter and The Live Wires (winner of the 2011 Muddy Award for Best New Act) and the Sportin’ Lifers.

albert reda—bass, vocals

Throughout his long and celebrated musical career Albert Reda has supported artists of all stripes with his incomparable bass playing, piano work, and singing. Reda began his career in San Francisco in the late 1970s as one half of the music and comedy duo Reda and Freda, who opened for or shared the bill with many up-and-coming comics, including Robin Williams and Dana Carvey. In 1979 Reda switched from guitar to the bass in order to join the seminal West Coast punk band the Mutants. A year later he joined the touring oldies act Cruisin’ as a bassist, pianist, and singer; the group toured with Wolfman Jack and backed up legendary groups like the Drifters and the Coasters. Reda joined the San Francisco r&b band MVP in 1984 and spent the next four years working with them and with several other Bay Area bands. Reda moved to Portland in 1988 and for the past 25 years has worked with countless artists, including Cascade Blues Association Hall of Fame inductees Terry Robb, Lloyd Jones, Duffy Bishop, Bill Rhodes, and Robbie Laws. As a sideman Reda has been honored with no fewer than 11 Muddy Awards, which led to his own induction into the Cascade Blues Association Hall of Fame. In 2002 Albert released a CD of his own, “Complicated Life,” to great reviews. Today Reda splits his creative efforts between performing with groups like The Perfect Gentlemen, recording projects, and his teaching practice.

Jeffrey strawbridge, drums

Jeffrey Strawbridge has been a mainstay of the Pacific NW music scene since the 1980's. Jeff's early days were spent in Eugene, Oregon, gathering up a robust roots-rock education while drumming with such acts as The Imposters, The Electric Flies, Henry Vestine (Canned Heat), James Bradshaw (Johnny Otis), Eagle Park Slim, The Smokin' Soles, The Hamhawks, and Inspirational Sounds Gospel Choir. Jeff has spent the last twenty-plus years in Portland, Oregon rocking along with such acts as The Strange Tones (eight-plus years, three albums, voted "Best Contemporary Blues Act" three times, "Best NW Recording," "Hall of Fame" inductees), Jim Wallace, and Suburban Slim (twenty plus years, one album, hosting the infamous "Duff's Blues Jam" in Portland), A.C. Porter, The JumpTown Aces, Bill Rhoades and The Party Kings, and Mitch Kashmar (Heavy Sugar). Jeffrey has also appears in the movie "Portland Mojo, How Stumptown Got The Blues.”