Mr.Bluesman & The Hammond Groove's Page

About us!
Mr.Bluesman & The Hammond Grooves is a bluesband from Askim, Norway. We are special happy to play gigs for a small amount people at pub as well as many people at big festivals. The band was established in 2001 in Fredrikstad and in 2003 the band played as a warming act for master guitarplayer Knut Reiersrud at the Kraftfestival in Askim Norway. After this, the band went in the studio at Høgda Soundstudio in Moss and NRK Studio in Fredrikstad and recorded own stuff and a version of Robert Johnssons Crossroads. The Crossroads song was put out on Acidplanet.com and went on to the 1 place on their blueslist, voted by fellow musicplayers. The band was put to a rest in 2004.

In the summer of 2008 Stig-Ole Skaldebø (Guitar and Vocal ) and Fritz Hunstad, Master Hammond player , met each other at a cafè in down town Askim, and decided to start up the band again. They had annoncement on net and in the local newspaper because they wanted new blood in the rythmesection. Thru this activity they found drummer Luke Holton from Australia, and Stig Adolfsen from Norway on Bass.

Mr. Bluesman & The Hammond Grooves played their first concert with the new band at Askim Kulturhus, Askim, Norway on 24.01.2009 for full house. The band have booked many concerts for the spring 2009. See our list of concerts.

Our playinglist consist of song from Albert Collins, Robert Johnsson, Otish Rush, Dizzie Gillispie, Jmmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton and our self a.o.

Since the band consist of both jazzplayers and bluesplayers the battle against jazz and blues are always there. Much of playing is bare improvisation, and we do not play the songs as they are on records, or the same way every night. We take care of the soul of the blues, and see to so it comes from our hearts..

There are no plastics in the band either. A original Hammond B3 from 1937/1964 and a Hammond C3 from 1958 see to that. On the guitarfront we use a Gibson ES 335, handbuilt from Gibson, and a Fender Twin Reverb from 1970. The B3 is named ”Dronninga” and the C3 ”Prinsessa”. The Twin is named ”Olga”. The Gibson VOS 1960 Les Paul Standard has got the nickname "Lesley", because she is so pretty and hav her one soul. So you see we have a good relationship with our instruments.

Members

Fritz Jarle Hunstad (Norway)

Fritz Jarle Hunstad is a Master Hammond Player from Norway who have toured Europe with his Hammond playing. This includes Russia with Troskji Jazzband. He have played with bluesplayers like Vidar Busk and others in Norway. He is mainly influenced by jazz, and ave played on both the jazzfestival in Kongsberg four times ( also on the main stage) and the jazz festival in Arendal, Norway. He is strongly influenced by Kjell Øhmann and Joey DeFrancesco. He can play fboth the sweetest to the strongly overdrived tones on his Organ. He is using a Hammond B3 from 1937/1964 and a Hammond C3 from 1958. He also has the organ that Procol Harum recorded their hit Whiter shade of pale with, a Hammond M100.

Stig "Mr.Bluesman" Skaldebø, (Norway)

Stig-Ole Skaldebø are a Norwegian bluesguitar player. He have played his guitar in many bluesband and coverbands. He is also a songwriter. Stig-Ole is playng on a Gibson ES 335 and a Fender Stratocaster with a 1970 Fender Twin Amp. Its sound sweet and tuff when it needs to. He is also the singer in the band.


Musicians
We hire professional musicians for the gigs we play. We can play form 4 peices to 6 pieces band.