Seattle Secret Music Showcase 13

He was the featured pianist on Cephas & Wiggins’ 1992 Grammy Award winning album, Flip Flop and Fly. In 1985, boogie-woogie pioneer Pinetop Perkins selected Davis to succeed him in the piano and vocal slot of the Muddy Waters Legendary Blues Band. Daryl is the Artistic Director for the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival. Joining Daryl for a rousing set of acoustic blues will be Kitty King on bass and Sonja Lee on vocals.
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Orville Johnson has a gift for finding the secret ingredient that makes a song sound letter-perfect, whether it's an R&B tune from New Orleans, a country blues or a jazz ballad. He moved to Seattle in 1978, where he was a founding member of the much-loved and well-remembered folk/rock group, the “Dynamic Logs.” Other musical associates include Laura Love, Ranch Romance, and the File' Gumbo Zydeco Band; and he’s shared the stage with artists such as Doc Watson, Bonnie Raitt and John Lee Hooker. Orville's guitar, dobro, and quavering, honeyed vocals have been featured on more than a hundred recordings, soundtracks and countless TV and radio commercials.

John Miller has had a forty year career as a professional musician thus far, achieving acclaim as a solo and ensemble guitarist, composer and teacher in a variety of styles, including country blues, old-time, jazz and Brazilian. By the time he was 27, John had released five solo albums to international critical acclaim. For the past 15 years, John has continued to perform in a variety of styles, but has returned again and again to the country blues that were his first love, releasing 10 instructional DVDs focusing on that music. Says Miller, "I've come to realize that everything I've played has been informed by my early involvement with country blues and the lessons I learned from that music: the primary importance of rhythm and the need to communicate with clarity and strength of purpose."

Grant Dermody is a harmonica player and singer known for his rich tone, tasteful solos, and solid rhythmic playing. Grant moves through a variety of musical styles while maintaining his own distinctive sound. A harmonica player, singer, songwriter, and teacher from Seattle, Washington, Grant has performed with blues legends Leon Bib, Honeyboy Edwards, Robert Lowery, Big Joe Duskin, John Dee Holeman, and Cephas & Wiggins. As a member of The Improbabillies, whose 1998 self-titled CD made a serious splash in the old-time world, Grant brought a unique blues sensibility and an innovative harmonica style to that genre. He has played on several of Seattle based singer/songwriter Jim Page's recordings, and was a guest artist on Dan Crary's, Renaissance of the Steel String Guitar. A dedicated mentor of the instrument, Grant has taught harmonica for many years in both private and group settings nationwide to students of all ages. Teaching venues have included Blues Week at The Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins West Virginia, the Telluride Acoustic Blues Camp in Telluride, Colorado, and Blues Week at The University of Northhampton in the United Kingdom.
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Winners of the WA Blues Society "Best of the Blues" award two years in a row, Son Jack and Michael will be joined by Jim DiIanni on harmonica, who says, "Live the blues, feel the blues, know the blues, sing the blues, play the blues. Keep on keepin' the blues alive."
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With eight albums under her belt, Mary has earned rave reviews from critics and audiences alike for her unassuming vocals, and her mastery of the difficult Piedmont blues guitar style. She continues to be a highly regarded teacher whose knowledge and technical mastery have inspired students at the Augusta Heritage Center and the Swannanoa Gathering, among many other educational venues. Mary has played shows all over North America as a regular on the blues and folk festival circuit, including performances at Merlefest, the Kerrville Folk Fest and the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Mary performs and teaches internationally, and has released several instructional DVDs, including the highly regarded Homespun Tapes.
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His style has evolved from early folk and rhythm-and-blues influences to his recent explorations of instrumental jazz. His recordings, which include the talented contributions of many local Seattle musicians, are creative metaphors from his personal journey and reflect his life-long love of music.
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