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Walter Hand began his love for music at the age of ten when he won the School Talent Show impersonating Jerry Lee Lewis with Great Balls of Fire. He bought his first Hohner harmonica at thirteen, around the same time played saxophone with the School Band. In school he learned the basic fundamentals of music. At home with his harmonica is where he learned to express and feel the music. In 1970, after two years in the army, he joined the Choir at Contra Costa College, took voice training and sang with a Babershop Quartet. Still playing his sax he hooked up with his good friend John Doukas, the lead singer for the rock group Earthquake. They played local clubs, like Keystone, Long Branch Saloon, and Bimbos, along with local colleges like U C Berkeleys Sproul Plaza and Contra Costa college. Walter got a real job as a Merchant Marine from 1975 to 1985 and would practice his harmonica when at sea. From 1985 to 1990 he pursued his music playing the Jazz saxophone, performing with the Jazz Band for the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts. From 1990 to 1995 he went out on his own to do the Blues, taking his vocals and harmonica and hitting all the Open Mics at local blues clubs. There he sang and played harp with Larry James, Stave Gannon, Tommy Castro, Freddie Hughes, Rick Kellogg, Raymond Victor, Lucky Strikes Richard Milam, J. J. Woods and the Blues Commandos, and many other great musicians. In 1995-96, with his own band, the Blue Hand Band, he played the local venues, and also hosted the Open Mic at Fantasys Lounge. From 2002-2004 he was Frontman/Lead Vocalist for local band Wall of Blues. Continuing to play with local artists like Freddie Roulette and the legendary Harvey Mandel, Walter has brought back the Blue Hand Band from 2004 to the present date, playing the local venues and beyond, doing benefit concerts for the United Servicemens Organization (USO) and the annual Homeless Veterans Benefit in Sacramento, Ca. All the while Walter has been working hard to put the Blue Hand Band on the map alongside those other Bad Ass Blues Men Paul Staubus has been handling keyboard duties for numerous Bay Area bands for years, playing piano, organ, clavinet and synths of all kinds. Born in Oakland, Paul was originally trained in classical music under noted concert pianist Lois Cassel Evans. After relocating to London, England, Paul shifted from the classical material to contemporary music, meaning rock and, particularly, blues. During this time Paul worked with legendary British producer Clive Langer, later to produce records for artists such as David Bowie, Elvis Costello, and many others. Upon his return to the US, Paul continued developing musically, playing with various Bands doing Rock, Blues, R&B and Funk material, and generally having a lot of fun doing it. Paul originally met Walter Hand in the _90_s, playing for Walters band for a couple of years, and is very happy to be back in the fold again, doing his thing and playing those keys in his own inimitable style! |
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Please check back soon...we're still working on this page!...and while you wait - come see Walter Hand and the Blue Hand Band at one of their upcoming shows.,.. Call Walter now for info at (510) 233-2732 | |||||||||||||||||