BUDDY WHITTINGTON  |  JOE YUELE  |  HANK VAN SICKLE

JOE YUELE - Drums Joe was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts on January the 26th 1951 into an Italian, Irish, American family. His father, Joe Sr., got him interested in the music of jazz genius Django Reinhardt at an early age. He started playing drums at 14 and joined first band, the "Vee Jays", a year later. Joe left home at age 16 and hitchhiked to California to "make it big". He spent his first year in California hungry and homeless. With nowhere to turn, he formed his own band, and for a while made a living playing topless clubs in Los Angeles. The turning point in his career came in 1974, when he joined "The Juke Rhythm Band", an L.A. based blues band of the Chicago style. It was at a time when national blues artists could not afford to carry their own bands. So, when they came to LA, the "J.R.B." was kept busy backing artists such as Albert Collins, Lowell Fulson, Big Joe Turner, George "'Harmonica" Smith, Big Mama Thornton, and many more. Joe says of those days: "It was like a semester at the College of Blues Knowledge!" He toured the United States with Dobie "Drift-A-Way" Gray in 1976. But it wasn't until 1985 that, thanks to the recommendation of Coco Montoya, he hooked up with John Mayall and began touring the world over. For the last 21 years, Joe has been the driving beat behind sixteen John Mayall albums: - ARCHIVES TO EIGHTIES, BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN, BLUESBREAKERS LIVE, CHICAGO LINE, A SENSE OF PLACE, WAKE-UP CALL, SPINNING COIN, BLUES FOR THE LOST DAYS, PADLOCK ON THE BLUES, ALONG FOR THE RIDE, UK TOUR 2K, STORIES, NO DAYS OFF, 70TH BIRTHDAY CONCERT, COOKIN’ DOWN UNDER and the current ROAD DOGS. Joe co-wrote “Awestruck and Spellbound” and “Brumwell’s Beat” on this latest CD and "Pieces And Parts" with Buddy Whittington on the STORIES CD. Together, they also co-wrote 'Always a Brand New Road' on PADLOCK ON THE BLUES.