Alan Hager, Allen Markel & Jimi Bott!

Alan Hager, Allen Markel & Jimi Bott!

Powerhouse blues!

Alan Hager first picked up a guitar at age ten and became a blues and jazz prodigy. He was playing local clubs as a teenager before heading to Boston’s Berklee School Of Music, where he studied under the tutelage of jazz guitar legend Pat Metheny. A year later he was studying classical music at the famed New England Conservatory of Music, where he graduated in 1979. During the 1980s he toured as part of a classical guitar duo and took up teaching, which he still does. But he never fell out of love with the blues, especially the old Delta sounds of Charlie Patton, Tommy Johnson and Skip James.

Bassist Allen Markel has been a "working stiff" since he graduated from William Paterson University (NJ) in 1990 with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance. While living in the New York area, he performed with high-end wedding bands such as Topaz and Black Tie Music. Later he also backed up and recorded with many singer-songwriters including Edie Carey, Meredith Levande, Steve Tannen (The Weepies), and Greg Tannen, with a focus on fretless bass.
In the early 2000's Allen spent many years performing and recording with acclaimed Latin Jazz vocalist and percussionist Raphael Cruz. He performed on Cruz's star-studded release "Bebop Timba," which received a Grammy nomination in the Latin Jazz category in 2005.
Moving to Portland, OR in 2007, he immediately found work in the vibrant blues scene. He spent many years working with Vizztone recording artist Kevin Selfe, as well as the Blues Music Award nominated ensemble The Insomniacs. His solid timekeeping work with these artists, as well as regional favorites Rae Gordon and Robbie Laws, gained the attention of the Cascade Blues Association which nominated him multiple times for the Muddy Waters Award for Bass Player of the Year.
Today you can find Allen backing up soul man Sugaray Rayford, performing for audiences world-wide. Sugaray made his mark performing in the Tony Award winning play "Ain't Nuthin' But the Blues" and has since gone on to front his own high-energy blues and soul band. They recently wrapped up a whirlwind tour, with performances in more than 15 countries in Europe, as well as the Montreal Jazz Festival in Quebec.

Although Jimi's first love is blues, as a drummer he excels in many other genres. Check out his now-defunct band, Mad Hattie (Soul Fishin'), and hear him play different styles that bridge jazz, country, punk and electric bluegrass. Jimi is also one hell of a rock drummer and he has played with several mainstream players including rock guitar hero, Marc Ford (The Black Crowes & Ben Harper). While on hiatus from The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1998 to 2000, Marc and Jimi, along with Luther Russell and Fred Trujillo, formed the crushing rock band Federale. A blend of The Band meets Neil Young, Federale never made a commercially released CD, but they became a cult Internet sensation and toured the country with other underground greats Government Mule and The Mother Hips. Sadly, their record deal was scuttled when Interscope was bought out by Universal. Only a handful of demos and live recordings remain. Jimi is currently working on gathering these together as another possible archival project.