Five veteran bluesmen with long and storied careers playing America's original musical artform as handed down through the years by the black men and women whose lives were shaped by tribulation and hardship in the American south, largely at the hands of slavery, and refined and electrified in the big citys up north after emancipation. Long is the list of greats who formed and influenced these gentlemen today, and fortuitous circumstance brought them together while performing at Jamey's House of Music in Lansdowne PA, where they played with other well known blues acts.

Jamey's is one of the premiere blues rooms in the northeast with regular appearances by major national and international blues artists as well as regional and local players. AC Steel and the Perpetrators is one of the featured groups that calls Jamey's home. They are all highly accomplished players, and the band is tight and well oiled. AC Steel provides crisp guitar work and handles the vocals along with Glenn Bickel, and the combination of Hammond organ and Frank McKitty's tenor sax gives a distinct Chicago feel to the sound. Bassist Jamey Reilly and drummer Joe Biase drive a deep pocket for the band to swing in. We hope you'll join the loyal fans and visit Jamey's to hear AC and the Perps some Thursday night!

AC Steel (Steve Solotist) is one of America's preeminent blues players, who cut his teeth performing overseas during the British blues invasion in the early 70's. What do guitar legends Peter Green, Bernie Marsden and Michel Schenker have in common with Steve?

Bernie Marsden and Michel Schenker were the guitarists to join UFO after Steve won the audition but passed on the position due to another commitment. Peter Green joined the Brunning Hall Band with former Fleetwood Mac bassist Bob Brunning and Savoy Brown pianist Bob Hall, some years after Steve left that band.

Back in the USA, Steve's own band Stockyard opened for the Allman Brothers, Chicago, Humble Pie, Pink Floyd, Savoy Brown, Mott the Hoople (where Steve was practically a member) and many others.

During his many years with Philadelphia's oldest blues band, the Dukes of Destiny, Steve shared the stage with nearly every big name blues outfit in existence. It was at Jamey's House of Music, where Steve played and sang with the Philly Blues Kings and the Girke-Davis Project, that he subsequently joined with core players from both bands to form his latest effort, AC Steel and the Perpetrators. The Perpetrators features seasoned bluesmen Jamey Reilly on bass, Glenn Bickel on keyboards and vocals, Frank McKitty on tenor sax and Paul Albrecht on drums. AC Steel and the Perpetrators takes inspiration from many of the artists that Steve rubbed shoulders with, and reinterprets many old standards and brings out new and original compositions.

Saxophonist Frank McKitty grew up in Queens, NY. After receiving a Bachelor Music, Saxophone and Flute in New Orleans, Frank returned to New York where, while working as a teamster and later in Special Markets and AP/AR for New Line Home Video during the day, had the opportunity to work with groups including, The Lynn Oliver Orchestra, The Stan Rubin Orchestra, Los Tremendos de Colombia, Los Chevres de Columbia, Las Chicas and other latin and jazz groups in addition to his own small group.

Frank’s performance experience includes venues; Birdland, the Iridium, the Kat Club, the DuPont/Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, Chris’ Jazz Cafe and the premiere of an original composition at Merkin Hall, New York.

Since relocating to the Philadelphia area, Frank has been active in the Blues scene working freelance and as a regular with “Kitty Mayo and Venom Blues” appearing on their new release “Jamland” (2024) and being inducted into the Delaware Rock & Roll Society Hall of Fame in 2023. Additionally, until 2020, Frank was teaching Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet and Oboe privately. In 2023 Frank released his self-produced album “Praxis” available on all of your favorite streaming services.

Frank has jammed with the Philly Blues Kings for several years, and recently joined as a permanent member.

Glenn Bickel is a veteran of the piano and Hammond organ, as a respected keyboardist with numerous blues artists over many years on stage and in the recording studio.

Glenn is a founding member of Leroy Hawkes and the Hipnotics, opening act to John Lee Hooker, Robert Cray, The Commitments, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Chris Cain. Glenn was a part-time member of Chris Cain's band and was house keyboardist for Randy Lippincott at Warmdaddy's for 7 years.

He is father to two talented musicians, The Bickel Brothers who follow him in the music tradition, and is a software developer who enjoys fine woodworking in his spare time.

Joe Biase has been drumming since he began his studies at ten years of age with two professional drummers. As he got older and more exprerienced, he got hooked on disco, which helped form his rock solid sense of time, which led him to many years with rock bands, making a name for himself in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia.

His first high profile gig was with Flamin' Harry during their heyday from the late seventies to the mid eighties, both on stage and in the studio. Shortly thereafter, Joe hooked up with the Little Red Rooster Band, and worked with Tim Perks and the Perkolators, and several years with AC Steel and the Galvanizers, and as first call drummer for east coast bluesman Roger Girke.

Band leader Steve Solotist made the call to invite Joe back into his newest band, the Perpetrators, and the rest is of course, history!

Bassist Jamey Reilly was trained on accordian, piano and guitar at a young age, and has held down the low end since 1965 when he joined the pop group, "The Abstract Design." He has been an avowed blues lover since 1970 when he did a stint with legendary bluesman John Lee Hooker, and tried to coax Son House out of retirement. It was a reunion performance at Boston's Fenway Theatre that Jamey pulled together, with Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield that cemented his life long addiction to the blues.

Jamey has done gigging around the east coast and has backed some well known national blues names. His playing can be found on a number of CDs by various artists. He spent several decades in numerous roles in the professional audio engineering and live music industry. He pursued a degree in Physical Therapy after two separate accidents with a car and a power saw left his right hand partially paralyzed.

After spending many years on the road and living in various parts of the country, he finally set down roots in Philadelphia and joined the vibrant Philly music scene. Jamey opened the popular Jamey's House of Music, Livehouse, restaurant and bar in Lansdowne PA.

Jamey is an old school thumper and provides a solid bottom to the music on his 5 string bass. He fell in love with the low end while growing up listening to the great bass players of the '50's on his parents hi-fi, and spent a life-time seeking the holy grail of flawless bass reproduction during his many years in pro-audio. An hour long BLUES DELUXE interview may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm3hjBigBGg.

Contact Jamey Reilly at jamey@jameyshouseofmusic.com

All photos courtesy of Vira Sivachuk and Tom DeLorenzo