Mike Montano ….Vocals/guitar.

Born 1950, in Los Angeles and raised in the San Fernando Valley

Mike began playing guitar in 1963, playing in bands during his Jr. High and High School days, and was first influenced by blues greats such as:
Freddie King, T Bone Walker, Albert King, BB King and the songs and vocal styles of Jimmy Reed , Muddy waters, and John Lee Hooker. Later influences include Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Mike was also influenced by several Jazz and classical guitarists, and studied "Jazz Fingerstyle Guitar" Privately with John Collins (Former Nat King Cole guitarist). And still to this day studies with other fine guitarists in the Los Angeles area . The guitar is a lifetime of learning, anybody that say's they've learned everything there is to know about this instrument is blowin' smoke.

The combination of his blues upbringing and his jazz studies incorporated to form the searing guitar style that sets Mike Montano apart from many others.

What follows is a synopsis of some of the experiences and opportunities Mike has had while performing in Southern and Central California for the Last Decade and a Half.

1987 ---- 1988 Guitarist for the CSUB JAZZ ENSEMBLE, which gave him the opportunity to play with Michael Brecker.
1989 ----1991 BLUE NOTE JAZZ SUPPER CLUB …Played regularly one weekend / month, A Blend of Jazz & Blues
Mike Montano Band formed in 1989.
1989 ----1991 BLUE NOTE JAZZ SUPPER CLUB …Played regularly one weekend / month, A Blend of Jazz & Blues

1993 ----1996 Played Straight Blues at various Clubs Festivals and Fundraisers like the "Cancer Relay for Life", The Southern San Joaquin Burn Survivors and others.
The band has Opened shows for many top Blues acts including James Harman, Poppa Chubby (winner of KLON Blues talent search and signed on the EPIC label).: White Boy James, Willie Big Eyes Smith and his LEGENDARY BLUES BAND. (Willie is a former drummer of The Muddy Waters Band).
Played at most of the clubs in town including:SUDS TAVERN, AL POLOWSKI'S BOOTLEGGERS SHARKEYS, BOTTOMS UP, THE PIG & WHISTLE, JELLY'S, SPIKES RED LION GOLDEN WEST CASINO And.others. Some even out of town, LIKE THE BAKED POTATO IN LOS ANGELES AND DOC'S INN IN VALENCIA FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE MALIBU INN , LOUISIANNA HOTS IN PALMDALE AND MANY MORE.
Mike has also had the opportunity to appear on Radio Blues Shows Like the "Mike Allen Blues Show which was on KMYX and then B-Rock. In which he performed live in the studio and gave interviews regarding the Blues scene in Bakersfield. Other Radio shows included "Ann The Raven KPCC FM in Pasadena and "Nothin' But the Blues With Host Gary Wagner KLON FM 88.1.
The band had the opportunity to perform on TV. A couple of times, once on the KERO TV 23 Friday Noon News and also for Time Warner Cable "Sight and Sound Review" which filmed us at Bootleggers Restaurant and Brewery where the band was booked fairly regularly.

1997----2000 VARIOUS NIGHT CLUBS, AND OUTDOOR VENUES SUCH AS: SILVER CREEK CONCERTS AND THE MARKETPLACE CONCERTS BY THE FOUNTAIN, THEY PERFORMED THEIR FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR AT THE MARKETPLACE ON JULY 27TH. AND ALSO APPEARED ON SEPTEMBER 9TH AT PIONEER VILLAGE FOR THE BREWS IN THE VILLAGE FOR THEIR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR ON THE MAIN STAGE .
2001 -- PRESENT LAUNCHING INTO CYBERSPACE WITH THIS NEW WEBSITE AND PLAYING LOT'S OF SHOWS.

ALTHOUGH MIKE'S SPECIALTY IS BLUES, HE PLAYS VARIOUS STYLES OF MUSIC WITH THE BAND FOR THE SAKE OF VARIETY. AUDIENCES SEEM TO ENJOY THAT., or if they want, we can sure blow some of the Best, Leanest,and Meanest Blues ALL NIGHT LONG.
MIKE USES VINTAGE INSTRUMENTS AND TUBE AMPS FROM THE 60'S TO GET THAT WARM SOUND, TONE AND IN SOME CASES CONTROLLED FEEDBACK AND SUSTAIN THAT ALL GUITARISTS OF THIS GENRE OF MUSIC LIKE TO GET.
INSTRUMENTS: 60'S Gibson SG, Gretsch Tennessean (Open tuned for slide work), a Fender Strat. 1965 Fender Bassman Amp, Black face Fender Reverb unit, Original Cry Baby wah pedal from 60's ,and some distortion and chorus pedals.
Mike is also a Songwriter/Publisher with ASCAP and is currently working on original material.
Thank you for taking the time to read Mike's bio, I hope you found it interesting.

Eddie Montano... (Mikes Brother Bass)

Eddie started playing bass in 1965 when he was 16 yrs old.

Played in the same bands with Mike through out High school years.

Influenced by Larry Taylor aka "The Mole" from Canned Heat and Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones.

Plays Bass with The Mike Montano band when they do shows in Southern California where he lives. Still plays the same Fender P bass and amp he got in 1965.

Help write lyrics for some of the bands original songs. EarthQuake Blues, (while fleeing from the Northridge Quake) and Railway Express.

Dennis Hamm... Keyboard

Dennis Hamm studied jazz piano with Doug Davis and Billy Childs. While in high school he was awarded "best soloist" at the Wasco Jazz Festival which also made him the 1994 recipient of the Bill Burton Memorial Scholarship. To complete his high school career, Dennis was selected to play at the state-wide California Distinguished Schools Award Ceremony at which he performed his first jazz composition.Hamm is presently a senior at CSUB where he is studying music. He has performed with guest artists Carl Allen, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, Mike Lee, and Terrance Blanchard at CSUB concerts. In 1996 Hamm placed among the top 20 in Jazziz magazine's international "Keyboards on Fire" contest with his composition "April Song." Also in 1996, he won the top pianist award at the largest west coast collegiate jazz festival and his compositions led his group to being named top combo as well. He also received an "Outstanding Instrumentalist" award at the CSU Fullerton jazz competition in 1999. Dennis is currently the recipient of the Fred McDonnel scholarship at Cal State.Hamm has been a member of the Latin/Ska band Mento Buro since 1995 and has brought an extraordinary facility in both jazz improvisation and Latin piano tradition, a result of his dedicated efforts and investigation of the jazz piano master Chick Corea and the Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. He also appears with his own jazz trio Dennis Hamm and the Citrus Allstars, Bakersfield's country band, The Smokin' Armadillos.And in September of 2000, began performing with "The Mike Montano Band"also.

Michael VanShoonhoven ...Drums

Began playing drums in

Was a high school classmate of Mike and Eddie

Influenced by

Played in bands with Mike and Eddie Montano 1965-68 and still plays drums when The Mike Montano band does gigs in Southern California.

Plays on a Old Vintage Ludwig Set

Rick Reid Neufeld... Drums

Started playing drums at age 16 in 1970

Influenced by Buddy Miles, John Bonham, Ginger Baker, Frosty and later on Keith Moon.

Early when he first started, Rick played a little jazz then got into Blues & Rock and toured through out California and Arizona.

Rick plays a set of Pearl drums with Vintage Zildjians.

Rick prefers to have control over how his drums sound so he does a sub mix with a 16 channel Carver and sends that signal out stereo to the main board for the mix.

Wil Hamilton Jr... Bass

Wil Hamilton Jr. has been playing bass guitar professionally since 1975 starting his career with U.S.O. Show's for the Armed Services in Europe with a group called:"The Sofisticates!

Favorite musical genre's are Blues,Rock,Funk, Jazz and R&B.

Influences: Everybody!

Wil first started playing with "The Mike Montano Band" in 1993 and have played at many venues with Mike.
During this time, Wil has also performed with other local bands,Bobby Warren & Dangerous Band, and Keith Galloway Band, which help to keep his chops up.

Wil plays several different types of Bass guitars including a "Music Man Bass Guitar".