Patrick McAllister
Guitar, Vocals, Songwriter

Born in 1959, started playing Guitar on his 5th Birthday ( Guitar Teacher was Jimmy James, from Bartlett, Illinois ). 

I saw B.B. King at Ravinia Park when I was 5 years old, from then on I was hooked on the Blues.

First Band was at 7 years old, songs played were "Wendy" and "Louie Louie" ! !

At 13 I started to listen to The Siegel Schwall Blues Band
(www.chamberblues.com) and knew right then and there this style of music was what Chicago Blues was all about!

Patrick left Illinois when he was 15; moved to Massachusetts and formed
The Tobin Star Blues Band. Tobin Star was a 3 piece band that played in Pembroke MA, and Elgin, IL.

At 17 Patrick moved to Colorado and worked for Cinderwood Music, and Colfax Music selling Guitars, Amps, P.A. and teaching guitar. Living in the COuntry was written about this time - look for the release of the Video (coming in 2011)...

At 23 Patrick played with Renegade - Renegade won the KPKE "Colorado Rocks" contest in 1982 (dedicated to Tommy Bolin). Renegade's song " Dark Tower" was 15 minutes long! (click to listen to Dark Tower).

At 27 Patrick played with Exodus, a Prophetic Rock Band - and opened a Concert Hall called Simon The Lepers.  (Click to Listen to Exodus).

At 35 Patrick stopped performing to be a Dad!

Now at 46 Patrick is the Guitarist with the Once Removed Blues Band.

UPDATE: 52 Now, and has been with The Once Removed Blues Band for 8 years :-)

Lead and Backup Vocals

Ruth Israel has been making music since childhood. She aims to express life’s everyday beauty, joy, and sometimes sorrow through melody, lyrics, and sound. Appreciation of all-things-jazz and practiced vocal skill conceive and execute the tracks you hear today.

Her inspiration is drawn from artists such as Ray Charles, Eva Cassidy, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Sublime, and of course The Once Removed Blues Band. She was  vocally trained by Laurie O’Neil at the Center for Performing Arts Studies in Evergreen; her spirit is all her own.

 Ruth has performed at numerous venues in the U.S. and in Europe. She finds great joy in personalizing cover songs and occasionally writes her own music. Ruth graduated from Conifer High School in 2008, appreciative of the encouragement and instruction she obtained, particularly from Nelson Conway. She now majors in Illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design.

 She got soul!

Rachel has never drifted far from music. Starting in 1st grade, she began singing in local church children’s and youth choirs which prompted her to audition for the Evergreen Children’s Chorale with whom she took part in several successful musical productions including “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Annie.”

In high school, Rachel took part in the Chamber Choir, which mostly consisted of archaic a cappella Christmas tunes, but after being made to sing one too many renditions of “Silent Night,” she turned her focus to instrumental music.  

At the age of 7, Rachel began learning the piano but never got very far past “Hot Cross Buns” before she decided to experiment with the alto sax but gave this up because it was “heavy” and she was too big of a baby.

Not until age 9 did she get serious and picked up the flute and eventually progressed to All-State Wind Ensemble in 2007 and 2008 during which time she also played with masters Trevor Wye and Sir James Galway.  She alternated between flute and clarinet throughout high school marching band and soloed in the 2007 State Champion Lobo Regiment.

But Rachel is now taking a break for such regimented forms of music and has loosened up to sing the blues with the Once Removed Blues Band and has never had this much fun making music before.

Chris has been playing in bands around Denver for well over ten years. 

He has been a lead singer/guitar player for an original project (Unfound), guitar/keyboard/singer for Off the Hook, and now is going back to his passion in blues with the Once Removed Blues Band. 

Chris started playing classical piano about 25 years ago and picked up the guitar about 16 years ago.  “No doubt I was a better piano player when I was ten, but I have more fun now!” 

He resides in Littleton with his wife, Racheal, and two daughters (Charlotte and Elise).

   I was born in Wroclaw, Poland and lived there for almost 28 years. Prompted by my Mother's encouragement, I went to musical school at age of 7 years old. It was my Mom's ambition to see me develop into a violin virtuoso. My Father had different, more down to earth plans for me; he wanted to see me pursue a career that would ensure my proper economic and social status. Since I had always enjoyed reading, learning and a good argument, career in law seemed like a logical choice. Hence I enrolled in the University to study Law.

   At the same time, however, I was becoming more and more active in the music scene in my city. In addition to violin I was playing guitar and beginning to learn bass. This versatility did not go unnoticed and one day someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse... - to join a successful, professional band, to work 7-10 days a month and make tons of money. Coincidentally, I was having second thoughts about rationale of a legal career in communist country.

   Subsequently, I made my choice (in favor of music) and never looked back.

In almost ten years of my pro musical career in Poland I've performed at a few festivals, worked as a session musician recording for local dramatical theatres, radio and TV shows and played hundreds of shows around the country.

   When I came to America, as a political refugee, in 1982, I didn't play music with anybody for the next 20 years. However, being away from my past life of "Sex, Drugs and Rock'n Roll", I finally took my bass practice seriously; within a few years I improved my skills in considerable way. Back in Poland, I was a good musician but a mediocre instrumentalist. Here, finally, I'm beginning to feel confident about my playing.

   Last but not least, a word about the Godfather of this band, this website and related projects:

Patrick McAllister.

   About two weeks ago I responded to his "Help Wanted" ad on CL and watched/listened to his band's online performance. I liked it and Pat was the main reason of my excitement.

(Oh. wait a minute - I forgot about Ruth and Rachel... Sorry girls about this faux pas ! Hey Patrick, when it comes to Excitement Department, you are still a solid runner-up, though!...).

   It doesn't happen every day that you meet a musician of Pat's caliber, with strong leadership qualities, great personality and sense of humor, who - on top of it all - thinks big and has got the means to act big.

   I think The Once Removed Blues Band, in its present incarnation, is a great bunch with a promissing potential and I'm looking forward to contribute to its success.

Kirk has played saxophone since the age of 11, at which time his hands were not large enough to reach all the notes, and it was only by good fortune that no one shot him in reaction to the terrible sounds he managed to create.  Although he never practiced enough, he also never quit, and he eventually made the transition from being chased and threatened to actually being asked to play.

Kirk has played with jazz bands and combos, rock and folk groups, and orchestras.  He has performed on orchestra and chorus tours of Europe, and while living in Vienna in 1984-85, he played in many clubs and as a street performer.  In 1985, he played at the Jazz Nad Odra Festival in Wroclaw, Poland.

While studying as a Rotary Scholar in Switzerland in 1989-90, he played in the “Elephant River Big Band” in Zürich and led his own group, “Fritz Schnellbahn und die Schwarzfahrer.”   One particularly fond memory for Kirk is playing in a jam session with top Czech jazz musicians at the Reduta Jazz Club in Prague on New Year’s Eve 1989, immediately following the Velvet Revolution.  On the night before at Reduta, he also had the opportunity to sit in with Jan Akkerman (Hocus Pocus).

Since moving to Colorado from Chicago/Oak Park, IL in 1988, Kirk has roamed the mountains looking for opportunities to play his alphorn, and he has had the privilege of performing with the Once Removed Band and with many other wonderful musicians, including:  Corky Siegel, The Roadcone Blues Band/The Jezibel Project, Tempa and the Tantrums, The Bill Wright Band,  Jennifer Lane, Lisa Bell, The Vindicators, Tobacco Road, Emilio Emilio, Detour, Sundance and the M.I.B., Genetic Fuzz/Tommy Ventura, Girls on Top!, Fringe Element, The Train Wreckers, The Clam Daddys, Michelle and the Book of Runes, The Red Hot Blues Catz/the 285 Band, The Lost Canyon Band, The Douglas Mountain Band, Revolver, Deja Blu, Scooter Barnes, Dominick Paoloni, Edee Gail, Roger Falter, Wayne Fennimore, Tony Medina, Go Junior, Local Disturbance, The Shane Stringer Band, and the Bill Wissing Jazz Quartet.  Kirk is also known for his music photography, and his work can be seen on numerous websites and CD covers.  He has designed several CDs for the Once Removed Band.

Kirk’s singing career, which has spanned nearly 30 years and several countries, has included the OPRF Singers, the Community Renewal Chorus of Chicago, the role of lead gangster in “Kiss Me Kate,” the Heritage Chorale of Oak Park, Confluence (chamber choir), and several shower stalls.  At the Univ. of Illinois, Kirk sang with the Varsity Men’s Glee Club and a played and sang in a rock band (with Jay Bennett of Wilco fame).  While at the Institute of European Studies in Vienna, he sang with the school’s chorus and the Akademie Gymnasium Chorus.  While a Rotary Scholar at the Univ. of St. Gallen, Kirk sang lead tenor with the Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra Chorus on the Orchestra’s 25^th Anniversary Tour through Switzerland.   He currently sings with the Golden Concert Choir.

Kirk has served as Entertainment Director and Marketing/PR Director for the Cultural Council of Park County’s Arts and Music Festivals and as Entertainment Director/Event Manager for the Mesa Music Fest in Golden.  He was Executive Producer of “Financial Matters,” a progressive financial talk show on AM 760, and he books musical talent for Blue Moon Entertainment, a nationwide corporate event entertainment agency. He is also responsible for graphic design for www.TURNSTILES.us.

 Jack Herndon

Harmonica

Jack was born and raised in the small town of Sedalia, Missouri, nestled in the rolling hill country just north of the Ozark Mountains.  With a highly skilled

Craftsman for a father and an award winning Musician for a mother, Jack lists his genetic makeup and the supportive encouragement of his family as reasons for his continuing efforts in both pursuits.

His High School years saw him become an award winning model designer and builder.  On the music side of things, Jack studied voice, “I didn’t have the “pipes” for singing, but it taught me breath control, a skill that serves me well with my harmonica playing”.  Also, he had piano training, “It didn’t take, too many moving parts, I guess” and he played Trombone in the marching band. “I’ve got to build up my lip again, I liked playing that horn.”

In his College years, Jack earned a B.S. degree in Commercial Art and “Tried like hell to make myself into a Guitar player”. Finally dropping the instrument because he wasn’t able to achieve the level of proficiency that he wanted...  “I leave the singing to the singers and the Guitar playing to

The Guitar players”.

Jack and his beautiful wife Kay, moved to Colorado in their Quintessential VW bus in 1973 after Jack proudly served his country in the U.S. Army, “I got drafted.  I told them I was a lover and an artist – not a soldier, but they

wouldn’t listen to reason. Turns out, that experience made me a better man, but it didn’t seem like that at the time”. Jack and Kay are proud parents of two lovely and successful daughters and doting  grand parents of two amazing grand kids.
 

Today, Jack enjoys his “day job” as a Graphic Artist-Designer and glass sculptor.  His artwork can be seen permanently installed In Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithfull Inn, Death Valley National Park’s Furnace Creek Inn and his 200 ft. plus long mountainscape can be seen prominently along the awards area in the promenade on the grounds of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Jack’s other main passion in life is his Motorcycles.  “I defiantly have the

need, the need for speed, and I try to abuse adrenalin and endorphins

as often a possible”.

Jack started playing the harmonica as “something to do with myself”

When he quit smoking in 1993, and has been fascinated with the little

Instrument ever since.  “Sometimes, what seems to be the simplest thing

can be the most difficult to master….nineteen years in and I’m still

learning and still amazed at the expressive qualities of this humble little

Instrument.”

After a successful eleven year run with the Rock band “Trickshot”, Jack feels like he has found his musical home with O.R.B. “Patrick auditioned me

at the same moment that I was feeling like my Rock had gotten up and

Rolled away J.  I’m tremendously excited about the future of this

Amazing group of Musicians and I’m super proud to be a part of it”.

Chris Picked up the sticks at the young age of 5. He played his very first performance on buckets for his school group at the age of 7 and brought down the house.

Being a completely self taught musician, he surprised his peers with his skill when he entered middle school as 3rd chair. When he started high school, he was the only freshman to make the drumline in the marching band at Conifer High School.

In 2006, a sophomore at the time, Chris was on the Number 1 ranked Drumline in the state of Colorado and again when he was a senior in 2008. Marching band increased his talent exponentially through all 4 years and helped his skills behind the drumset.

Chris played in a Alternative Rock band in high school, and a Hardcore/Metal band until the summer of 2011. Chris missed the music scene and is very glad to have been given the opportunity to play with Once Removed Blues!