Blue Beyond

Sarah Hastings, vocals & sax, is an inspirational talent in the Madison music scene. Besides being blessed with an ice blue voice, Sarah works a smoky sax that bumps and grinds with the best. She does not leave audiences guessing. Some of Sarah’s past projects include stints with Clyde Stubblefield and The Beatniks. She has contributed greatly to numerous original groups in Madison and Minneapolis. Sarah enjoys teaching saxophone to Madison area residents.

Bill Roberts, guitar & vocals, has been a fixture of the Madison music scene for years. He has played with such Madison luminaries as Clyde Stubblefield, Ben Sidran, and Butch Vig. His incredible technique, tone and touch has dropped jaws all over Wisconsin. Bill keeps busy playing with Blue Beyond, doing commercial and session work, and teaching guitar at Drums n’ Moore.

Although not obvious Bill & Sarah have played in many groups together. They continually craft original tunes for these groups by pulling from the familiarity of the New American song book. Rock and blues are the mainstay of their output. They sometimes venture into the realm of jazz and also like exploring African and Latin sounds. Blue Beyond is their current shared musical passion. They are excited to present their song book, unbelievable house shaking covers, and finely seasoned band to audiences.

Steen Traxler started playing guitar at 10. His interest lasted throughout high school rock bands but soon the entrepreneurial bug bit. Years latter a chance meeting with Bill Roberts at a local electronics shop renewed the dormant interest. So after 16 years of running a successful business Steen picked right up where he left off musically. Luckily for us Steen still loves to rock da’ house and he cooks his brand of blues up locally on weekends.

Don Keller has been an active drummer for over 30 years. The toy kits he received as a child were worn out in a matter of days. He began subbing in his dad’s polka band, Olé Gjerald, at the age of 12. In high school his attention was jazz and marching bands but soon after the “Killer Keller” groove was in demand from local rock and blues acts. Don has been part of many great Wisconsin groups including The Moon Gypsies and Cadillac Joe.

Jazz band, concert band, and choir are unlikely places to find a quirky bass player but these early influences are apparent. Matt Olson, originally from Park Forest, IL, learned to play bass on the job. Rock, blues and jazz bands are still a mainstay of his musical diet. His performance experience is extensive and he has been active in many local music scenes over the last two decades. In addition to playing, Matt teaches bass and guitar in Madison, WI.