The Blues Party 's Home Page

Peter Giftos and The Blues Party

Peter Giftos and The Blues Party reigned in the '90's as New England's hottest Blues Jam/Party band, hosting countless sold-out Sunday jams, headlining numerous shows and festivals and often featuring special guests such as Shirley Lewis, Mighty Sam McClain, R.L. Burnside and the legendary Earl King, as well as having had the privilege of being selected to open the very first House of Blues in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA on Sunday November 29, 1992 with a gala 6-hour long standing-room only blues-party-extraordinaire! Though The Blues Party is still on "extended vacation", band members are actively pursuing their individual careers. Dave Wakefield is still tearing up the club circuit on his sax and harp in various New England blues bands. Cheryl Renee just released "I Believe You Know The Blues", her follow-up CD to "Sugar Coated Love" on Chickenbutt Records after packing up all her gear and moving to Tennessee. Teddy B joined K.D. Bell and hooked up with the incomparable guitarist Bobby B. Keyes who recorded and released K.D.`s new and very hot self titled CD on Bobby`s new Thrillionaire label. (Check out 2 other new Thrillionaire releases: "Amyl Justin"/Amyl Justin and "Lucky Stereo"/Bobby Keyes - all 3 are "killer!"). As for Peter . . . well, let`s just say Eric Clam is alive and well.

The Blues Party Reunion:

The Blues Party reunited March 26, 1998 to headline WHEB-FM's annual Redhook Concert Series at the Redhook Ale Brewery, Portsmouth, NH. Special guests John Gary Putnam (Used Blues) and Little Jimmy (The Homewreckers) joined original Blues Party band members Peter Giftos (vocals, guitar), Cheryl Renee (vocals, keyboards), Dave Wakefield (vocals, harmonica, sax), Teddy B (bass), and K.D. Bell (vocals, drums) for a raucous standing room only reunion celebration. (Sound courtesy Wayne Sanborn; MC'd by Chris Garrett, WHEB-FM's "Blues Doctor").

We will miss our bandmate and good friend, K.D. Bell, who died unexpectedly September 8, 2004.

Born Frederick Carver Bell June 15, 1943, KD Bell started out as a drummer and singer as a child in Union Springs, Alabama. As soon as he was old enough, he hit the road and wound up in Miami, backing and touring with the likes of James Brown, LaVerne Baker, The Coasters, Clyde McFadden, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, The Marvalettes, The Drifters, Ben E. King, Wayne Cochran and many more. He studied drums with Sonny Payne of the Count Basie Band and Dave Akins of the Dave Akins Trio. While still very young, some of these greats dubbed him the "King Drummer," hence the nickname "KD." KD left Miami to come to New England in 1968.

Please stay tuned for updates.

Links to other sites on the Web

Peter Giftos and The Blues Party - video/audio downloads
Peter Giftos and The Blues Party - video/audio downloads
Peter Giftos - video/audio downloads
Peter Giftos - video/audio downloads
member bios; photos
video downloads, reviews