"It's
difficult these days to be truly original, but when you combine talent
with imagination, respect for tradition with a healthy dose of musical
innovation, The NIGHTSHIFT Blues Band creates a result both surprising
and refreshing." John Taylor "Blues on Stage"
Based
in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada, The 
has been together performing clubs and major events in Western New York
and Southern Ontario for more than six years.
Known
for their no holds barred, rockin' blues show, The
while paying homage to traditional blues artists, reaches out and explores
the outside edges of the blues universe by adding jazz, funk and R&B
into the mix creating a unique sound of their own. Still, they have
never forgotten where it all came from. Influenced by Marvin Gaye, Big
Joe Turner, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Robert Cray, Stevie Ray Vaughan,
and Chris Duarte, the band's music blends together a variety of blues
ingredients to create a unique sound of their own. Founding members
Jerry Salfi (bass) and George Tirpko (guitar)
sharing vocal, harmony and front-man duties, and Jason Code, on drums,
display a fearless willingness to push the blues boundaries to bring
to the stage a truly original and exciting show.
In the past six years, the band has produced two albums of original compositions blending together a variety of influences and years of performing experience to present a dynamic approach to the blues filled with superb musicianship and tight arrangements.
Their
debut CD, 
,
is a fine example of what it means to look beyond the traditional definition
of the blues. It offers everything from driving Texas style to the soulful
R&B of "What's
the Measure of a Man" (a tribute to the style of
Marvin Gaye).
Their
latest release,
continues the bands powerhouse approach to the blues and willingness
to push the boundaries. It includes a raunchy roadhouse grinder called
"Slip it In" and a soulful instrumental
featuring Tirpko and his guitar lamenting the loss of a fellow musician
in "Blues
for Billy C". The 10-track CD ends with a tug at
the heartstrings message of love torn apart with "He
Can't Love You".
Seasoned
professionals, The
knows how to put together a show and present it with flair and excitement,
or with smooth laid-back precision from small club settings to large
stages. The band has been featured at a variety of venues and festivals
including:
- Toronto International Festival of Beer
- Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights
- Fort Erie, Flamboro, Mohawk and Sarnia Casinos
- Pt. Dalhousie Summer Solstice Festival
- St. Catharines Grape and Wine Festival
- Canal Days Festival
- Beach Days Festival
- Fort Erie Friendship Festival
- Kingston's Limestone City Blues Festival
- Blues in the Park Festival
- North by Northeast Festival 2000
- Mudcat Blues Festival
- Tall Ships Challenge
- Niagara Falls Fireworks in the Park
- Hillebrand Blues in the Vineyard
is clean and crisp and can lay it down the way it's supposed to sound. It's
blues with an edge! 
