Gandy Gumbo

d. His songs are filled with characters, rough-around-the-edges, and filled with longing and desire. They seem to jump off a boxcar and step onto an old wooden dance floor. He was born in Minnesota but moved to Chicago 33 years ago for the weather. His influences run from Celtic to Cowboy from Woody Guthrie to Guy Clark. He plays the guitar, piano, ukulele and drums. Since he wrote his first song at 15, which he can't remember, he has penned over 130 songs and continues to work on new material. Here are some Highlights from his musical journey: His song "Elbow Grease" was featured on the NPR show CarTalk, He released and produced the album "The Darktown Waltz" in 2006 and taught songwriting at a community college. Call it Folk, Roots, Americana or western, for Albie, it's all about the song. Sometimes called the “Swiss Army Knife of guitar players,” Mark Blank (lead guitar) always strives to add something different and interesting to the music he’s picking and strumming. From instrumental surf to country and western, folk and bluegrass to blues, Mark enjoys playing and singing and entertaining in his hometown of Chicago. It all began when Mark was four years old; he took to playing a four-string banjo he discovered in a closet at his grandmothers Indiana home. A few years later, he started on guitar taking weekly lessons from a local high school guitar hero, and later began playing in a garage band and teaching guitar to several fellow students at his junior high school. From that point onward, Mark has performed with a variety of bands and genres over the years. Mike McCue (bass) lays down the foundation of Gandy Gumbo's sound with his workman basslines and infectious grooves. His rhythmic precision and melodic sensibility provide the backbone for the band's hard-hitting compositions, driving the music forward with unwavering energy. Danny Yo (drums) has been playing drums since the age of 10 and has studied with many Chicago drummers including Herb Lawrence, Joel Spencer, Rick Shandling and Marty Binder for Rock, Jazz, Latin and Blues drumming. He has also studied other percussion instruments including congas and timbales. He has most recently played Chicago Blues Style drums. He has had the good fortune to play out with the late Koko Taylor in the Chicago area and jam with the late, great Bo Diddley. He has had the pleasure to play in several Chicago bands including Panama (a Latin rock band), Avondale Electric, the Slackdaddies, 6FM, The Racket, and The Nickel Blues Band.