Eric Steckel

Eric Steckel played the Blues with a feeling and natural ability that could not be explained for someone so young. By the time he was 10, Eric delivered a Freddie-BB-Albert King influenced performance with an intensity and skill that belied his youth. His passion for music and natural command of the stage enabled him to regularly share the stage with national touring artists and he quickly became a local favorite as music fans around his then Pennsylvania hometown packed the clubs and festivals to see and hear this new young gun of the Blues.

The Eric Steckel Band's debut CD, "A Few Degrees Warmer", was recorded live in April 2002 when Eric was just 11 years old. A Few Degrees quickly became a top selling Blues album as the record delighted Blues Guitar fans across the globe.

In 2003 the "ESB" appeared at the Sarasota Blues Festival where Eric's powerful set became the talk of the day. Before the night was over Eric was introduced by John Mayall as the youngest guitarist ever on stage with the Bluesbreakers. Eric left a lasting impression on Mayall and in 2004 Eric appeared in Sweden, Norway and Denmark with Mayall and The Bluesbreakers during their Scandinavian Tour. In early 2005 Eric traveled to Los Angeles where he joined Mayall for session work on the "Road Dogs" record.

The ESB developed a faithful fan base through years of club gigs and festival appearances including opening sets in support of Tommy Castro, Shemekia Copeland and B.B. King. The band released a studio record titled "High Action" in 2004 and traveled to Holland and Belgium in 2005 for a 10 concert tour.

After relocating to Jacksonville, Florida, Eric was introduced to Duane Trucks who joined the band in late 2005 on drums. In celebration of Duane's arrival, the ESB released their third record, "Havana". Deeply rooted in the Blues, this live recording recalled the sound of the 60s and 70s Blues Rock era. With the European release of "Live at Havana", the ESB returned to Holland in 2006 where they opened for Johnny Winter at The Paradiso in Amsterdam and appeared at the Tegelen Blues Rock Festival.

The Summer of 2007 marked another milestone as the ESB played several American music festivals and earned rave reviews and new fans during tours in Holland, Germany, Belgium and Italy. The Italy tour was highlighted by a main stage performance at the legendary Pistoia Blues Festival where Eric shared the prime time bill with John Mayall and Gregg Allman.

With the release of “Feels Like Home” in 2008, Eric began his transition from teen Blues phenom to a matured guitarist with an equally impressive talent on the Hammond B3 organ. The international release of “Feels Like Home” was well received with several tracks receiving regular airplay on XM Radio Bluesville.

Eric developed a road band with Craig Thatcher and toured "Feels Like Home" in Italy, Holland, Belgium and Germany. With Don Plowman on Drums and Wayde Leonard on Bass the band also cut a few demo tracks now known as "The Soundmine Sessions".

In 2009 Eric was back on the Continent for a Blues Guitar Heroes Tribute Tour with Bas Paardekooper. The Heroes Tour was a significant success and by popular demand an extended 2010 Tour was booked. Highlights of the 2010 tour included appearances at the Grolsch Blues Festival in Germany, the Highlands Festival in Holland and a headline performance at the Zoetermeer (NL) Blues Festival.

Eric returned to the States on a mission to put the feel and soul of the Blues into a modern day rock record. His quest took him back to the Pocono Mountains and led to the all new "Milestone" release. On Milestone, Eric steps forward with a new sound that incorporates a wide variety of musical influences and styles while retaining the feeling and honesty that is missing from much of today's rock music. Backed by the powerful performance of new drummer Sergio Pajaro, Eric reminds us that you can still rock out without losing your soul.

With the addition of Peter Lewis on Bass Guitar, Eric tore it up during a December
2010 promotional tour of Holland, Belgium and Germany. And the journey continues......

Eric has been featured in The Allentown (PA) Morning Call, The Doylestown (PA) Intelligencer, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The (NY) Times-Herald Record, Music Head Magazine, The Warren (NJ) Reporter Forum, Guitar World Magazine, The Easton (PA) Express, The Bridgewater (NJ) Courier Times, The Sarasota (FL) Herald-Tribune, the Lancaster (PA) Sunday News and The Florida Times Union. International press includes features in the Haagshe Courant, De Telegraaph, BluesMagazine (NL) and a MusikMaker (NL) feature. Eric was also featured in a Comcast CN8 TV News Extra and he has appeared on NBC 10 in Philadelphia, Comcast CN8, Fox Philadelphia, SNN6 in Sarasota and Reuters TV.