Little House Blues

Little House Blues plays a mix of standards and originals in the Chicago Blues, Jump and Swing and early Rock ‘n Roll styles, songs of life and love, struggle and joy, with a groove that will move your body.

Featuring Bill Blatner on vocals and harmonica, Matt Haenlin on guitar, Nina Rossi on bass, and Ben Sears behind the drums.

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Little House Blues is a collaboration of Bill Blatner on blues harp and vocals, Matt Haenlin on electric guitar, Nina Rossi on electric bass and Ben Sears on drums. We first got together to jam in the fall of 2017 and liked the chemistry so much we just kept going, building a repertoire and beginning to perform publicly about a year later.

Our sets draw much from the Chicago blues scene of the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s – iconic figures like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, James Cotton, Louis Jordan, John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson inform the spirit of our music. We interpret a range of standards from that period, honoring the inventors of the genre. We also play originals and covers of a few more contemporary surprises in a way that we hope sustains the essence of the blues: a good time, danceable antidote, however fleeting, to the feelings of self-doubt, weariness and despair so undeniably a part of everyday life, that are the blues as such.

Bill Blatner is a journeyman blues harp player and singer who also performs with Blue Shade, a collaboration with blues piano player Dr. Bruce Weinraub. Ace guitarist Matt Haenlin is co-founder of the band Cart Blanch, which had a huge following in Central New York and Boston in the 90’s and 2000’s. Fans of the band, She Said, will recognize local artist, musician and writer Nina Rossi holding down the groove on bass. Ben Sears is best known for his remarkable work as a painter and fine artist, bringing the same focus, professionalism and creativity to his drum work with Little House Blues.

Shows 2025

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