Gradoux

Kevin O'Day, Westbank Mike, and Scott Jackson have known each other and jammed together for years in their hometown of New Orleans, playing music in a variety of situations. After doing a casual Sunday evening gig in September of 2006 that went exceptionally well, they decided that the time was right to officially join forces and form a new band. The result is Gradoux, a blues, rock and funk act with tight bass and drum grooves, hard driving guitars and blues inflected vocals.

Gradoux now does regular shows at The Maple Leaf, d.b.a., The Banks Street Bar, and their neighborhood bar, The Old Point Bar. The band is also touring in the south and nationally. No strangers to the studio, the band members have been recording lots of new material and their first album will be ready for release by Mardi Gras of 2007. Visit their website at www.gradoux.com.

Kevin O'Day

If you could only use one word to describe New Orleans drummer Kevin O'Day, that word would have to be "versatile." He is skilled in a plethora of styles from traditional jazz to the hip hop beats of the 21st century.

Kevin is now full time with Gradoux, a new project that is a power trio in the style of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, or Cream, but that also is heavily influenced by the funk, blues and Indian chants of the band's hometown.

In 2005 and 2006 O'Day held down the drum chair for soul and blues legend Walter "Wolfman" Washington's Roadmasters, taking over the seat that was held for many years by Wilbert "Junkyard Dog" Arnold. In addition to his work with Washington's regular band, from time to time O'Day leads an all-star quartet that features Washington, trumpeter James Andrews and keyboardist Brian Coogan.

In recent years, Kevin has also worked with uber-sousaphonist Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove and Funky Meters guitarist Brian Stoltz's solo project. His resume also includes stints with the groove jazz of Have Soul Will Travel; the roots rock of Anders Osborne and Eric Lindell; the hoodoo blues of Papa Mali as well as the contemporary jazz of saxophonist Robert Wagner.

In a town filled with great drummers and renowned across the globe for percussive innovation beginning with the great traditional jazz drummer Warren "Baby" Dodds, O'Day stands out as the go-to guy for gigs of any variety. He is regarded among his peers as a drummer's drummer with a passion that never wanes and a sympathetic ear that defines musical telepathy.

Mike Doussan a.k.a. West Bank Mike

A native of New Orleans, Mike Doussan got his start on the New Orleans music scene singing and playing first with Eric Lindell. Lindell's funky soul singing and guitar playing were a big influence on him, with Lindell at one point pulling Mike aside and encouraging him to become a full time musician. Advice heeded, Mike began a stint with the nationally touring band Juice, expanding his repertoire of New Orleans standards and developing a funky and soulful style of his own. Mike also claims Walter "Wolfman" Washington as a mentor and influence on his music. Washington has been a guest artist with Gradoux and the results were electrifying.

It was a Monday evening at the Old Point Bar in 2004 when Marc Stone introduced Doussan as simply "West Bank Mike". The name stuck and that is now how he is commonly known in New Orleans.

After working with Juice, Doussan ventured off to start his own band which he called "The Fisher Project". Blending the styles of New Orleans Funk, gut wrenching blues, and improvisational jams, West Bank Mike & The Fisher Project explodes live with an untamed energy.

In June 2005, Mike traveled up to Chicago to jam with Elmore James Jr, Piano "C" Red, and Silver Fox. This experience helped Doussan get to the blues root of his guitar style. Upon returning to New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina forced Doussan to evacuate to Houston, Texas. After ten months, Doussan returned home to New Orleans, where he hooked up with Kevin O'Day and Scott Jackson to form Gradoux

Scott Jackson

Bassist Scott Jackson grew up in a musical household in the Midwest where the sounds of his mother's Motown records were constantly mixing with his Father's Led Zeppelin, The Who and Charlie Parker discs. A promising career on trumpet was cut short by braces, but he made the switch to bass and hasn't looked back since.

While in college, Jackson toured with the funk/rock band, Bus and began to do sessions at Rivertown Studios, where he was exposed to a huge variety of musical styles ranging from country to roots reggae. During this time he began to log miles on the road with Midwestern, blue eyed soul star, B.J. Rogers. Later, a year's stint with jam band Groove Soup led him to pack up his Fenders and head down the Mississippi to New Orleans - it was inevitable that he would wind up there after he had discovered the Meters as a teenager.

Once in New Orleans, he spent time as Meters bassist George Porter's bass tech. There he got a chance to learn first