Chris Fitz Band

Artist Information

Biography

Chris Fitz is already part of the conversation with current rock/blues artists Kenny Wayne Shepard, Jonny Lang, Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Chris Duarte and Tommy Castro and other contemporary guitar stalwarts. National recognition for the Chris Fitz Band still awaits but at every major regional blues/music festival,The Chris Fitz Band always has the longest line at the CD merchandise table including the national act headliners!

Chris Fitz broke into the Boston music scene back in 1994 after a 5 year stint in the San Francisco area. Chris honed his guitar chops by floating around the music clubs in the Bay Area and finding inspiration in the local and national artists who frequented them. He would then spend countless hours holed up in his apartment, guitar in hand and record player by his side, tirelessly teaching himself to sound like the great players he loved to watch live. Upon moving back to Boston, his hometown, he wasted no time hitting the various open mic jams around the city with a guarded confidence that he could play well enough to find his way into a working band. The singing and songwriting would come a little later but the blistering guitar work soon began to make an impact!

Over seventeen years and 3000 plus gigs later, the Chris Fitz Band, with Chris as band leader / singer / songwriter / guitar player, Jeffrey Majeau on Bass, and Steve Wolpe on drums/harmony vocals has become one of the premier rock blues acts in all of New England. Since 2002, The Chris Fitz Band has received more than a dozen music awards including a 2002 Boston Music Award, 2005 Boston Blues Challenge Winners Award, as well as numerous songwriting and best guitar player awards. The band has toured around New England for the last 15 years and has also spread it's wings as far as Europe, Memphis and California.

The latest and best line-up heads into 2012 with Steve Wolpe on drums, Jeff Majeau on bass, both formerly with the Bruce Marshall Band, and the amazing Ken Clark guesting on Hammond B3 Organ. It's a thunderous band with grooves that pay homage to all areas of American Roots and British Classic Rock. Chris' songs can be heard on 4 all original award winning studio CD's and a 5th "double live" CD "Live at Dodge Street Bar & Grill" which has been hailed as the bands best effort yet since it's March 6th 2010 release, finally capturing Chris and his band in their element, burning up the midnight stage.

Instrumentation

Chris Fitz - Singer/Songwriter/Guitar player
Jeff Majeau - Bass Player
Steve Wolpe - Drummer
Ken Clark - Hammond B3 Organ

Discography

Singer/songwriter, blues guitar master, and band leader Chris Fitz has self produced four award winning full length all original studio albums and in March of 2010 released the long awaited Double Live CD "Live at Dodge Street." The raw but sizzling debut Just Getting’ Started was released in 1998. “Blues Record of the Year” winner This Is My Church hit the streets in 2000, and the highly acclaimed Journey of Hope, who’s single “Never Been to Memphis” was a finalist and runner up in the prestigious International Songwriting Competition, came out in 2002. Finally, after 5 great years of tours and awards, the band released it's fourth studio album self titled The Chris Fitz Band. Debuting in May of 2007, the new record contains 15 more Chris Fitz original songs ranging from funky blues/rock to rock-a-billy, to foot in the bucket back porch delta style blues. The newest "Live" album features the band doing what it does best, knocking audiences off their feet.The longtime Chris Fitz Band faithful are unanimous in agreeing that "Live at Dodge Street" is the bands best!

All five albums have received and continue to receive major radio airplay in the bands hometown of Boston, on 100.7 WZLX, 92.9 WBOS, and 92.5 The River. The records have also had considerable play on college radio, satellite radio, webzine’s and blues programs worldwide and are available at CDbaby.com/ITunes/Isound/Amazon and many other internet and digital locations. The Chris Fitz Band has sold over 10,000 records at their live shows alone.

Links

• Chris Fitz Band Website
• Facebook
• MySpace
• CDBaby

Audio

• One More Beer
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• Travelin' Wheel
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• This Is My Church
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• Never Been To Memphis
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• Crown of Thorns
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• Recession Blues
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• Love Has Faded
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• Gotta Make Things Right
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• Dirty Wide River
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• Midnight In Barcelona
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Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• 2009 "Most Charismatic Entertainer"
  

  Chris Fitz voted most charismatic entertainer by the readers of the Blues Audience Magazine

• 2008 "Outstanding Acoustic Musician" [+ Show ]
  

  Chris Fitz voted New Englands best acoustic blues artist by the readers of the New England Blues Aud...Chris Fitz voted New Englands best acoustic blues artist by the readers of the New England Blues Auduence Magazine.

• 2007 Boston Music Awards
  

  Chris Fitz Band 2nd Nomination "Outstanding Blues Act"

• 2007 Readers Poll Awards [+ Show ]
  

  Chris Fitz Band - "Outstanding Blues Band" Chris Fitz - "Outstanding Guitar Player" Greg Silva - ...Chris Fitz Band - "Outstanding Blues Band"
  Chris Fitz - "Outstanding Guitar Player"
  Greg Silva - "Outstanding Bass Player"

• 2006 Readers Poll Awards "Outstanding Guitar Player"
  

  This is Chris' 2nd New England Blues Audience Readers Poll Award!

• 2006 Songwriting Competition Winner [+ Show ]
  

  Chris's song "This Is My Church" from the album of the same name placed 11th overall and 1st in the ...Chris's song "This Is My Church" from the album of the same name placed 11th overall and 1st in the Blues Category.

• 2005 Boston Blues Challenge Winner [+ Show ]
  

  "Chris Fitz Band wins 16th annual Boston Blues Challenge. Off to Memphis to compete in 2006 Internat..."Chris Fitz Band wins 16th annual Boston Blues Challenge. Off to Memphis to compete in 2006 International Blues Challenge".

• 2004 Blewzzy Award [+ Show ]
  

  "The Chris Fitz Band's self produced release This Is My Church, is the best CD I reviewed this year,..."The Chris Fitz Band's self produced release This Is My Church, is the best CD I reviewed this year, and that includes several W.C. Handy award nominated CD's".

• 2004 readers poll award "Outstanding Acoustic Musician" [+ Show ]
  

  "Not only is Chris racking up awards for his high powered electric band, but he has now been recogni..."Not only is Chris racking up awards for his high powered electric band, but he has now been recognized by blues fans for his deeply soulful gutbucket solo acoustic music".

• 2003 International Songwriting Competition Finalist and Honorable Mention [+ Show ]
  

  "Chris' song, Never Been to Memphis, captures the essence of Blues, soul, funk, and classic R&B all ..."Chris' song, Never Been to Memphis, captures the essence of Blues, soul, funk, and classic R&B all in one fell swoop. A great story about untraveled roads".

• 2002 Boston Music Award Winner [+ Show ]
  

  "First time nominee the Chris Fitz Band has been recognized by the music industry and fans alike as ..."First time nominee the Chris Fitz Band has been recognized by the music industry and fans alike as this years "Outstanding New Blues Act".

• Steve Morse [+ Show ]
  

  "Chris Fitz is an immensely talented guitarist who plays with the drive of a young Stevie Ray Vaugha..."Chris Fitz is an immensely talented guitarist who plays with the drive of a young Stevie Ray Vaughan, and is one of the most underrated musicians in town. Check him out soon if you can."

Setlist

The Chris Fitz Band draws heavily from their 4 studio albums as well as many new songs from the latest "Live at Dodge Street" CD Each album delivers over 10 original songs penned and arrainged by band leader Chris Fitz. Along with an occasional cover by Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Cream, and few other Classic Rock era songs Chris is constantly adding new original songs to the live show as he writes them. In a typical performance, two 75 or 80 minute sets, the audience can expect to hear over 90% original music. For a shorter festival set, the Chris Fitz Band will drive home all its own music!

Basic Requirements

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