The Blues Orchestra featuring Honeyboy Turner

The Blues Orchestra, based in Lincoln, NE is the latest vision of bluesman Harvey Brindell. In addition to Harvey on vocals and guitar, the "Orchestra" currently consists of John "Honeyboy" Turner on harmonica and vocals, Don Holmquist on drums and vocals, Keith Cornelius playing bass and singing, and Brian "B" Hull on keyboards.

The Blues Orchestra has been busy playing festivals, parties, clubs, and other private events. They recently had the opportunity to open for international blues artist Bernard Allison.

The Blues Orchestra songlist is heavy with Chicago blues standards but on any given night you may also catch a set of The Blues Orchestra's original songs, all of which come out of that same Chicago Blues bag. The Blues Orchestra wants to get the crowd jumpin' and dancin' and they do a great job of that.

Honeyboy - Harmonica & Vocals
John "Honeyboy" Turner and Harvey Brindell go back two decades to when they put together Honeyboy Turner & Cryin' Heart. They toured together throughout the nineties opening for Mighty Joe Young, James Harman, Jimmy Thackery, Magic Slim and many others. Honeyboy embodied the spirit of the great front man harp players that he so idolized. They released "Preachin the Blues" on the ismest label in 1994. Honeyboy moved to Madison Wisconsin in 1997 and joined Cadillac Joe and the Blind Wolf Blues Band. They released an album and quickly began getting attention in Mad Town. Honeyboy moved back to Lincoln in 2000 and had a short run with a band called the Blues Cruisers who jammed with Magic Slim, Nick Holt and Chubby Carrier. During his playing with the Cruisers, he joined forces with Sean Benjamin and recorded Sean's fantastic self-titled cd "Big Highways". Their harmonica and guitar duo were featured on River City Folk with Tom May. When Honeyboy and Harvey realized their paths were crossing again, they both jumped at the opportunity for a blues reunion that's been a long time in the making.

Harvey - Guitar & Vocals
Harvey learned his craft by listening to some of the local guitar players while he was living around Macon, GA. Not a bad place to get educated considering that it was the early seventies and Capricorn Records/Studios was in full swing and homebase for such bands as The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Wet Willie. What that meant was that on any given night you could walk into one of the local clubs, places like Grants Lounge and run into Duane or Dickey or ........ Harvey took full advantage of this by hanging on every opportunity to see these guys playing live and asking question about style, technique, playing in a band, and life on the road. Several attempts at local bands and a move in 1985 to Lincoln, NE. led to Harvey's first success as a guitar player in a blues band, The Honeyboy Turner Band. After the demise of Turner's band in the late 90s, Harvey joined with several other local musicians to form The Hydramatics, a successful jump blues band. The Hydramatics underwent several band member changes and eventually became Jukehouse. After a couple of years of constant gigging, Harvey decided it was time for a break. BUT NOW HE'S BACK !

Don - Drums
Don grew up on a drum throne, providing he has grown up at all. His dad was on the UNL drum line in the 50's and was a jazz drummer when Don was growing up in Lincoln. Childhood idols were Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Keith Moon, John Bonham, and, unbeknownst to him, session drummer Hal Blaine. Don played in school bands and stage bands, and debuted his rock 'n' roll talents at a junior high assembly with the Overland Vegetable Stagecoach Band playing the same 4 songs over and over again.
Since then, he has played with a variety of bands and musicians including the Specs with Matthew Sweet, The Community Concert band with his father (tag-teaming in the percussion section), the Execs, King Korn, the Rotating Power Tools, Blue Collar, Rockin Billy & the Redhots, Mac McCune, Jim Williamson, Andy Hall, Tom Larsen and for the Lincoln Community Playhouse. He is also currently in a rock & blues band called The Cronin Bros.
Don has attended seminars with Ed Shaunnesey, Buddy Rich, Steve Gadd, and Glen Valez, to name a few. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society and has enjoyed the PAS international conventions.
Blues music introduced Don Ho to a new musical learning curve, a surprise because Blues music is not as easy as it sounds to play well. He loves the diversity in The Blues Orchestra and enjoys the high energy on stage and his fun-loving band mates, some of whom he has known since his youth (a long time ago). Don plays Yamaha, Slingerland, and Tama Drums, Zildjian cymbals, Remo heads, and Vic Firth Sticks and is currently working toward endorsements with these companies.

Brian Hull- Brian has been playing gigs as long as he can remember. He would get up in front of assemblies in the auditorium in elementary school and play the songs that were hits of the day. He never stopped ! H