Smiley LIVE! The Bells

Mary Lou Stuart, is an American blues, swamp rock and gospel artist. Born in LA, she was influenced by artists like Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, BB King, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. She was also heavily influenced by Dee Miner; lead singer of the Black Tongued Bells. A story teller who was heavily rooted in Sun-house, Booker White and Willy Dickson. To her credit she has helped with two The Black Tongued Bells albums, ‘Every Tongue Has A Tale to Tell’ and ‘That Great and Dreadful Day – Tall Tales of the American Swamp.’ Since the death of Dee Miner in 2021, she has carried on with her own style, bringing a New Orleans gumbo funk and with swampy blues/dixie roots.

Jeff Dutch Masters, born in Pomona 1951 and raised in Southern California, first began to play harmonica when he was 18 years old. He played in his first band when 20 in Northern California. He traveled to Chicago in early 70’s to see and hear the blues. There he meet many influential blues players and carried it back to California. He met and took lessons from virtuoso harmonica player Rod Piazza in 1973. He joined “The Midnight Creepers” blues band in 1980, began playing with “Stan West Band” in early 1990, again in 2000’s forming his own band “Tobacco Road” with Jim Clem on guitar. He then joined “The Hallablues Band” in 2000 with Brian Hall on guitar. In 2019, he joined The Black Tongued Bells

Roy Durnal, from Houston, TX, has been a rhythm section mainstay in Claremont for over 50 years, primarily as a drummer and bassist. After moving to Claremont in 1969, he began performing with local bands and quickly established himself. His drum work spans a wide range of groups, including Homefront, Occurrence at Owl Creek, the Strutters and collaborations with Chris Darrow and Dave Millard. Currently, he drums with the Squeakin’ Wheels, plays bodhrán with the Old Grey Cats, and occasionally supports the Claremont Community School of Music’s youth jazz program. Roy began playing electric bass in the 1970s and the upright in 2007. He has performed with bands like Downwind, Duck and Cover, and the Desert Croquet Band. Currently, he plays bass with the Claremont Voodoo Society, the Happy Neighbor Club, and the Swingin’ Doors. He’s also a regular presence at the Claremont Farmers Market, playing music and buying fruit.

Jerry O’Sullivan is an American guitar player/singer and songwriter born in Pomona. As a young man he pick up the guitar and fell in love with it.  He started his own band Rex Holmes playing various gigs throughout Southern California. He enjoys collecting guitars. He favors funky Japanese guitars from the 1960s cranked dirty through a vintage American tube amplifier, and gets both mournful blues and precise, vibrato-soaked rhythm tones, somehow at the same time. Throughout his music career he played with many artist like Robert Cray and Gin Blossoms. Jerry even wrote a song ‘Pomona Queen’ which inspired The Last Name Brewing flagship lager. Jerry also picked up the ukulele and teaches classes at The Folk Music Center where he has worked for 18 years. A Claremont favorite, his original work has included greats like Cougar Estrada and Bill Barrett . . . dabbling in traditional music and classic tunes.

Mike Jungman’s musical footprint. Surf Music took the Trombone out of Mike’s life and drumming became an obsession through his early school years.  The 1960’s and 70’s were a blur in the San Gabriel Valley rock and roll scene. Starting at age 14 Mike played and toured with numerous nameless rock bands. After experiencing a spiritual renewal, Mike and the Mates forged new paths. The power and style of the music stayed the same, but purpose changed. 1968 -76 “Agape” hard rock band was the first to take that genre to the street according to Joe Markko, author of the book, “Genesis of a Genre.” Markko chronicles two LPs and the touring years of that band. The years that followed were marked with playing with “A” players in Los Angeles, Caleb Quaye (Elton’s guitarist), Pee Wee Hill, (Rufus) and others. Mike continued to play with numerous bands from Pasadena to Riverside. He has recorded two LPs with the Heat Brothers and Stronghold (Greg Kramer and Jimmy McGrew).