Carondolet

The Big Boy Little Band was formed in 2000 by harmonica player/ singer Bret Littlehales and guitarist Rusty Bogart, two blues musicians with more than sixty years of playing time between them. The band was originally an outlet for the two friends to play the blues tunes they loved. They played monthly at the Zoo Bar in Washington DC and began hosting a weekly blues jam every Thursday, also at the Zoo Bar. The band is now in its 10th year of the blues jam and still going strong. Over the years, the personnel has changed. In 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans guitar legend Irving Banister, 71, joined the band until his home was rebuilt. In 2009, the band's current line-up consisted of Bret Littlehales aka Big Boy Little, young gun Matt Kelley on guitar and vocals, Wolf Crescenze on bass and Robby Leebrick on drums. In 2010 they won the D. C. Blues Society’s annual “Battle of the Blues Bands” and earned the right to compete in the International Blues Challenge held yearly in Memphis, Tennessee. The band made it into the top 10 in the finals, competing against over 125 other blues bands from all over the world. Matt Kelley was awarded the coveted “Albert King Award” for best guitarist. A subsequent CD, “Live From the XM Satellite” earned a Best Blues CD mention from WPFW Radio in Washington DC, and reviews from both the Washington, DC Blues Society and the Baltimore Blues Society. Today the band appears at Chef Mac’s and Bare Bones in Baltimore and Ellicott City as well as the Blue Parrot in Wilmington, Delaware. Their CD, Live From the XM Satellite is available on iTunes, CD Baby or the band’s website. Contact the author.