Author: Doc Span
Born: 22 August 1948
Bio: Doc Span is renowned for his unique warm grainy voice, expressive harmonica tone, inspiring dynamics and exciting stage presence. His blues style is drawn from a personal pilgrimage through the blues with years of jamming with many of Chicago’s Blues greats while a paramedic at the notorious Cook County Jail – hence the “Doc“. There, he met ‘Little Eddie’ Newell who invited him to play with Willie Kent and the Bee hives, at Ma Bea’s, a club on the windy city’s west side. These influential formative experiences set the scene for Doc's special sense of blues as he learned, first hand, the intrinsic history, dynamics and feel of the genre.

A veteran traveller, Doc had a stint in the US Navy, hitchhiked alone south to Peru acquiring many Latin influences, finally making Santa Fe, New Mexico his base for touring with his own band. The band performed extensively throughout the Rockies, Canada and Alaska for nine years.Doc wails with passion and resonates a special intimacy that has one him a spot in the prestigious Hohner Harmonica artists Calendar

Home in Australia since 1987, except for a few sojourns back to the States and the UK, Span has been up with the leading edge of Oz blues performers and is one of our top harmonica players. 

In the late eighties Doc’s Sydney based band, The Doc Span Blues Band, played gigs around Australia. The band members included luminaries of the Australian music business, including Mark Kennedy, Glyn Mason, Dennis Wilson, Mark Punch, Jimmy Doyle and James Rattray. 

The charismatic, American born Span has been thrilling Australian audiences for over a decade. He lays out a truly exciting stage show that‘s direct from Chicago! He and his harp are one, as is evident by his interaction with the instrument. Doc‘s harmonica playing is passionate, soulful and obviously from the heart of blues culture.

A ten year partnership with Ross Williams led to several albums and awards, including Entertainer of the Year, winners of the Noosa Song Contest (Lazy Noosa Sunday) and a Sunnie Award for their collaboration, 
“ The Last Train”. 

 


Recently, Doc has worked and toured with the extraordinary, Andy Cowan, the Memphis Blues Challenge winner, Fiona Boyes and, the brilliant James T and Dirk Dubois. Doc is also still working gigs with Ross Williams. Their cd/book, ‘Blues Grooves For Harmonica’, is published internationally by, Mel Bay Publications.


 
He also continues to write music with UK producer/composer, Matthew Cang. In December 08 they released their second record on the Little Diablo Music label, ’The Treatment’ (MGM Green Music. They are published by Trackdown Music (UK).

For Further information
www.myspace.com/docspan or www.myspace.com/littlediablomusic
www.myspace.com/docspanband 
www.docspan.net  or www.littlediablomusic.com