Artist: Tom Principato Band
Members: Tom Principato (guitar, vocals); Josh Howell (congas); Tommy Lepson (organ, vocals); Steve Wolf (bass); Joe Wells (drums)
Hometown: Falls Church, Va.
Sound: Some of the country's best blues guitar
Fact: This is Principato's first release of all originals.
Project: A Part Of Me is available now, featuring a ton of great supporting artists
Next gig: CD release parties — Rams Head On Stage, Feb. 17; The Birchmere, Feb. 18
More: tomprincipato.com
EMOTIONAL INFLUENCE
"B.B. King's emotional content is what grabbed me about the blues," Principato says. "He played at the old Cellar Door Club in Georgetown in 1969. He did three shows a night, three nights in a row and I was there for all nine shows. It was like attending a church service. It was a life-changing moment. I don't think I knew how I was going to do something that powerful, but I knew it would be the ultimate goal."
NIGHTLY ORIGINALS
"My goal on a nightly basis is to play something I've never played before," Principato says. "I want to play the music of the moment, not something that's pre-learned. I try to free myself up to completely improvise."
Photo courtesy of Tom Principato Band
