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Mojo:Saint . Billy Earl McClelland, David Brazeal, Jack Hall & Roy Zito
The contemporary blues band Mojo:Saint features guitar-slinger and singer Billy Earl McClelland at the helm, top-drawer drummer David Brazeal, legendary bassist Jack Hall, and astounding Roy Zito on B3 and harp. McClelland, best known for his time spent as a Nashville session-player, has teamed with Brazeal, life-long friend and veteran drummer, new friend and veteran bassist Jack Hall, and Roy Zito to play the music that moves them most -- the blues.
Cusseta, Alabama native Billy Earl McClelland has garnered for himself a hard-earned reputation as a top-notch singer, songwriter, session guitarist and producer during his prolific four decades. Billy Earl's songs have been recorded by Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker, Delbert McClinton, Lacy J. Dalton, Sawyer Brown, Billy Branch and T. G. Sheppard. As a session guitarist, McClelland has performed on recordings by Jerry Boogie McCain, B. J. Thomas, Hank Cochran and Willie Nelson, Tony Joe White, Brenda Lee, Chet Atkins, Hank Snow, Elnora Spencer, Mel Tillis, Ronnie Spector, Dr. Hook, Townes Van Zant, Nancy Sinatra and Billy Joe Royal. McClelland has also performed with rock n roll legend Bo Didley, Blues God Father Robert Jr. Lockwood, and toured with Blues great Delbert McClinton. Through it all McClelland maintained his lifelong passion for the Blues.
Veteran drummer David Brazeal has played in country, pop, R&B, and rock bands since he was 13 years old. Not a note-reader, but a feel player, it is Brazeal's natural pocket that meshes so nicely with the Blues, his personal choice of the musical genres. David has played from Canada to Key West and all points in between, working in run-down bars while also performing in some of the best around. Brazeal has drummed with singer/songwriters Bruce Channel, ("Hey Baby") and Kevin Welch even with Little Jimmy Dickens while living in Nashville. He recently had the opportunity to travel to Memphis to jam with Steven Seagal and Robert Jr. Lockwood, one of the greatest Bluesmen of all times. David Brazeal has devoted his life to drumming, and has the mature chops to play the beat with the very best.
Jack Hall is best known as bassist and founding member of Wet Willie, one of the most regarded bands of the Southern Rock era. Wet Willie recorded 10 albums for the Capricorn and Epic labels, chalking up four top-twenty singles along the way, including “Streetcorner Serenade”, “Countryside of Life”, “Weekend”, and, of course “Keep On Smilin’”, a top ten anthem that made CMT’s list of all-time Southern Rock hit songs. Wet Willie toured almost non-stop with, as Jack puts it, “everyone from A to Z -- Allman Brothers to ZZ Top”, playing shows in the country’s biggest venues. Wet Willie is featured in both the Alabama and Georgia Music Halls of Fame. After the band’s breakup in 1980, Jack added his distinctive bass to Jimmy’s first solo album, Touch You, for Epic, which included Jack’s tune “Easy Street”, a song Wet Willie fans still enjoy today. He also toured throughout the US and Europe with Terri Gibbs [“Somebody’s Knockin’”]. Fast-forward to 2005, Jack was asked to play with The Renegades of Southern Rock, a Nashville-based all-star project. The group included George McCorkle [Marshall Tucker], Danny Toler, [guitarist - Allman Brothers, Gregg Allman and Dicky Betts Band], and John Townsend [vocalist - Sanford-Townsend Band]. In addition to his Mojo:Saint focus, Jack lends his bass talents to several locally-produced CD projects and bands, and when schedules permit, plays concerts with Wet Willie.
Roy Zito remembers the afternoon in 1970 when he first listened to a friend’s albums by Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Little Walter and Etta James. He went home, borrowed his father’s harmonica and has been playing blues harp ever since. Also teaching himself keyboards, Zito played in bands in Florida, South Carolina, Texas, California, and Alabama. Zito was an original member of "Fresh Squeezed", a popular mid ‘70's Florida band, that later merged with Henry Paul to form the Henry Paul Band. Zito first met Billy Earl when he played with him in the Billy Earl McClelland Band in 2000 at the time of Billy Earl’s Judgement Day record. When the opportunity to be reunited with Billy Earl came Zito’s way he jumped at the chance. Zito notes, “All I ever wanted to do is be in one of the best working blues bands around and this has all the ingredients of fulfilling that dream".
