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Blues Traveler

America’s Jam Band

Listen while you read 

 (Psycho Joe)         (Run-Around)

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Blues Traveler was formed in 1988 by singer/harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, bassist Bobby Sheehan, and drummer Brendan Hill. Because of their insistence that they perform better onstage than in the recording studio, Blues Traveler were able to maintain a loyal fan base throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, despite their virtual nonexistence on the music charts. The Blues Traveler’s were part of a revival of the extended jamming style of '60s and '70s groups like the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin.

Signed to A&M, they released their first album, "Blues Traveler", in May 1990 and followed it with "Travelers & Thieves" in September 1991. Unlike with Blues Traveler's previous albums, sold solely from the promotion of the band's tours, A&M Records decided to add to their marketing efforts to release of their newest album “four”. To get the attention of radio stations and expand recognition for the band the company released the singles "Hook" and "Run- around".  "Run-around" even broke into the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart in May of 1995. Top 40 radio airplay earned Blues Traveler increased popularity and spurred sales of “four” and catapulted the band into mainstream success. As the group prepared the follow-up to “four”, Blues Traveler released the live double-album “Live from the Fall” in the summer of 1996.  The group returned in the summer of 1997 with its fifth studio album, “Straight on Till Morning”.  

In 1999 Popper, who'd been experiencing chest pains for months, underwent an angioplasty. Just weeks later, on August 20, 1999, Bobby Sheehan the bands founding bass player was found dead of a drug overdose in his New Orleans home. He was just 31 years old.

In November of 1999 the group unanimously made the decision, to hired bassist Tad Kinchla, brother of the group's guitarist Chan, to replace Bobby Sheehan. Tad joined the group in January of 2000 to work on a follow-up to 1997’s “Straight On Till Morning”. A permanent keyboard player was also hired, a role of which Sheehan had often been a proponent. Ben Wilson of the band “Big Dave and the Ultrasonics” was chosen, and has since become a central contributor to the band's songwriting.

In 2001 Blues Traveler released the album “Bridge” a tribute to Bobby Sheehan, followed by “Blues Traveler Classics" and the live album “What You and I Have Been Through.” Both Released in 2002.

2003 brought the release of “Truth Be Told” and “Live on the Rocks”, followed by “Bastardos” in 2005, “Cover Yourself” in 2007 and “North Hollywood Shootout” in 2008.

Blues Traveler has been featured on VH1's Behind the Music, A&E’s Private Sessions and Austin City Limits and several appearances on Late Night with David Letterman (see video below). They continue to be “America’s jam band”, encouraging fans to record and trade live performances, provided that no money changes hands and no profit is made. 

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