Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues lean heavily into Chicago Blues, with a dose of roots, rock, & Americana. Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues originally formed in 2016 as a few musician friends coming together to play a fundraiser at Carmel High School Street Scenes, but after a couple appearances were chosen from 50 acts to play the main stage! Crowd excitement & engagement convinced the band to take the next step & make this a permanent thang…
Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues features Chicago Blues veterans Low-reen on guitar, bass, & vocals; Jim Harpdog Hellen on harp, guitar, & vocals; Jimmy Upstairs Murphy on bass, guitar, & vocals; and Steve Bass on drums for an evening of HOT Chicago Blues!
Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues bring sizzling hot Chicago Blues, hokum, swing, & classic blues covers, along with originals ranging from humorous to more serious social commentary. A mixture of originals as well as Chicago Blues, Rock, & Folk Standards. From Chicago’s own Robert Nighthawk to Muddy, Honeyboy to Wolf, Little Walter to Jimmy Reed, as well as rock’s bluesier side Grateful Dead to Rolling Stones, the music keeps on rolling. Time to shake it & have a little fun!
Low-reen shares front-person duty with Harpdog, one of the best Chicago Blues harmonica players, vocalist, & songwriter, and Jimmy Upstairs,
Low-reen on growling vocals, telecaster, and bass guitar drums songwriter is a songwriter who brings her sizzling hot Chicago Blues to entertain old and new fans alike. Low-reen on Telecaster Low-reen has a voice carefully curated by smokes & whiskey 🙂 that has been compared to JanisLow-reen has a soulful sultry voice carefully curated by smokes & whiskey 🙂 that many have compared to Janis. Low-reen picked up guitar later in life, influenced by her friendship with her mentor David Honeyboy Edwards. Low-reen took a few classes at Old Town School of Folk Music with renowned guitarists Eric Noden & Chris Walz. Low-reen honed her skills as a musician and vocalist as well as an entertainer, sitting in with and playing alongside legendary Chicago Blues musicians such as Tail Dragger, Elmore James Jr, Little Scotty, Tony Brown, Charles Delta Blues Hog Hayes, Peewee Hayes, Bobby Too Tuff, Paul Petraitis, Rockin’ Johnny, Eddie Taylor Jr, Willie Buck, Killer Ray Allison, & LT McGee. All that good mojo has rubbed off!
Harpdog vocalist songwriter guitarist on Hohner Special 20’sJim hung out at the blues clubs in Chicago before he was old enough to even get in, sneaking time & learning a few riffs from Junior Wells. Later he played with Tawl Paul & the popular Tin Pan Alley while in Carbondale, and has played extensively in the Lake County area in Blues and Dead outfits. Low-reen & Harpdog, the dynamic blues duo, have both played Chicago Blues Festival.
Jimmy Upstairs bass guitar vocals drummer harp songwriter began his Blues Journey with the Blues crew at the early Smokedaddy, where everybody who was anybody in Chicago Blues dropped in to sit in. He then toured briefly with Nate Turner, before going on the road extensively with Muddy Waters alum Willie Big Eyes Smith. It was with Willie that Jimmy honed his chops as a traditional style Chicago Blues player.
Steve Bass lays down the groove. And does he ever. And he’s been laying down the groove for years with some of Chicago’s best Blues Masters, from Eddy Clearwater to
When these four join forces, you have a BLUES POWERHOUSE that just won’t quit! Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues are READY to BRING IT!