Jim McKaba brings his 30-year background in blues and R& B together with a group of veteran musicians to lead his current group, the After Hours Band.  Jim’s musical performance history dates back to the early 1970’s. At that time, Jim experienced great opportunities to perform with fathers of the blues idiom including Muddy Waters, Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Rogers, Pinetop Perkins, Big Walter Horton, Fred Below, and many others. The influence of his experience with these musicians guides Jim’s playing and arranging today. It also helped him develop the versatility that is often called upon when supporting other artists as a sideman or bandleader, and in leading his own bands on the piano or the Hammond organ. 

 

 In a recent project, Jim performed and recorded with 1940’s blues great Crown Prince Waterford and co-produced the critically acclaimed CD All Over But The Shoutin’ . (http://www.springingtheblues.com/index.cfm?page=waterford_CD)

 In 2006, Jim and his band toured France and headlined the blues stage at the Rendez-vous d l’Erdre festival in the city of Nantes. The band also released their second CD; The After Hours Band.

 

The band currently features Jim on  piano & vocals, with legendary musicians Calvin Newborn on guitar, Ben Champion, Bill Prince,  Al Waters, and Joe Yorio on horns, Jon Buck on drums, and Ernie Ealum on bass. The band delivers blues with influences from the1940-1950’s Texas, New York, New Orleans, and Los Angeles blues scenes.