The Gary Backstrom Band

The Gary Backstrom Band is a high energy, innovative original act featuring the infectious licks and songwriting of nationally recognized guitarist Gary Backstrom, the mesmerizing grooves of award winning keyboardist Dave Osoff and the dynamic and soulful rhythm section of bassist Mike Miksis and drummer Jeremy Esposito.

This is music featuring clever, hook filled songwriting and arrangements, intense improvisation and interaction among the musicians and the excitement and unpredictability only found in the best of the jam bands.

Gary Backstrom - Guitar / Vocals:
"The Gary Backstrom Band started out as an idea many years ago. I had been playing with the Boston based band Jiggle the Handle, starting out as a kid in my early twenties, heavily influenced by the jam band greats, you know the ones, the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, Todd Rundgren and Santana, Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Jimmy Hendrix, Pat Metheny, Leo Kottke and John Scofield.

For ten years with Jiggle the Handle I was given great opportunities to play with such well known acts as Los Lobos, Paula Cole, Blues Traveler, Little Feat, Hot Tuna and the Allman Brothers. With Jiggle the Handle we developed a family of followers that would travel just about anywhere just to see us play and to help us succeed. It really was a whirlwind. I wrote some songs in that time that truly marked the day for me. We had successful tours and then we had tours where hotels caught fire, cars broke down, keyboard players got eaten by red ants and we were cold and we were hungry. We had gigs where thousands and thousands were there applauding, screaming, dancing so loudly the whole place shook with joy and music. And then we had gigs where we played to a handful. But we always played our hearts out.

As time went by there was another calling that I learned to pay closer attention to. Jiggle the Handle was moving on and I needed to evolve with the time. As one door closes another one opens and in my career I am blessed to have had three phenomenal men greet me at the door looking to play music with me. And play we have! I feel more on fire in my music than I ever have in my life. With this new quartet that I call The Gary Backstrom Band, a small spark has taken fire with the energy that we produce in our style, songwriting abilities and musicianship. Friends and strangers who have seen this act have commended it as the best new act in Boston, a truly "must see" performance.

The Gary Backstrom Band in a nutshell is a mixture of exceptional and unique songwriting mixed with consuming, high energy complex improvisational instrumentation. Original in origin, the GBB also has room for challenging covers and long intense improvisation."

Dave Osoff - Keyboards / Vocals:
Dave Osoff is an award winning keyboardist, songwriter and instrumental artist based in Boston, MA. A long time original member of Jiggle the Handle along with Gary Backstrom, Dave is a "musical chameleon" according to internationally distributed Keyboard Magazine, who named him "July, 2002 Unsigned Artist of the Month". Equally adept at genres as wide ranging as Rock, Funk, R&B, Blues, Boogie-Woogie, Acid Jazz, Electronica, and Jazz-Rock-Fusion, his palette of sounds, colors and grooves is equally wide ranging, incorporating acoustic and electric piano, organ and clavinet as well as an array of vintage/modern synthesizers and samples into the music.

Dave's debut instrumental album 'Mosaic', with it's innovative mix of contemporary and jazz, funk, rock, pop, blues and electronica was awarded '2004 Instrumental Jazz Album of the Year' as well as the Gospel flavored Boogie-Woogie track 'Never Enough' as '2004 Instrumental Jazz Song of the Year' by Just Plain Folks, a worldwide community of over 25,000 Songwriters, Recording Artists, Music Publishers, Record Labels and other members of the Music Industry.

Dave's music has also been used in productions by the New England Sports Network, United Airlines, The Fuel Network, several Boston area public access television stations, and dozens of websites and corporate presentations.