Chris’s musical background includes duties as lead singer and front man for rock and roll hall of famer and Grammy award winner Levon Helm’s band, The Barnburners. During the 6 years that Chris and Levon played together they toured across the US and Canada lighting up stages everywhere they went. Chris has appeared on stage with: Legendary Rolling Stones sideman Bobby Keys, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimmy Vivino, Jeff Healy, Dan Akroyd, Albert Lee, Dave Edmunds, Dave Maxwell and the great James Cotton to name just a few. Chris has also recorded with Bill Perry and Hubert Sumlin, among others.
The Chris O’Leary Band’s debut CD “Mr. Used to Be” won the 2011 Best New Artist Debut CD Blues Blast Award and was nominated for best new artist debut at the 2011 American Blues Music Awards.
The regular members of the band include:
Shiela Klinefelter — bass
Pete Kanaras — bass
Mike Lynch — guitar
Andy Stahl — tenor sax
Chuck Cotton — drums
Brooks Milgate — piano/organ
“Chris was the lead singer and front man for Levon Helm’s Barnburners for six years as well as fronting his own band. He has also taken the stage with such luminaries as Bobby Keys, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jeff Healy, Albert Lee, James Cotton and more…making him a bonafide seasoned professional. We live in an age when every hotshot guitarist, harp player, vocalist and so on, is touted as the “real deal”, and the greatest thing since sliced bread. In O’Leary’s case, the roadwork, and all that goes with it, bears witness to his love for the music and his determination to pursue a career doing what he loves. 7 Minutes Late is, in my opinion, his strongest work to date. Accompanied by his stellar band and a trio of guests, Chris burns his way through a dozen tunes, totaling over 70 minutes. Often in albums of this length, there are a couple tunes thrown in just as filler. That is not the case with this one. There is not a single weak tune on the disc. O’Leary’s songwriting is stronger than ever, his harp playing is off the charts, and his vocals are passionate and powerful. While this may not be strictly a blues album in the traditional sense, it is every bit a blues album. Chris draws from deep wells of experience in various blues and blues-related styles. This is the music that has filled roadhouses for ages…thought-provoking, danceable and incredibly entertaining, 7 Minutes Late is masterfully done, from start to finish. From houserockin’ tunes to soulful ballads, Chris & company deliver a set that is sure to be listed among the all-time greats.” — Bill Wilson, Reflections in Blue
“With ‘7 Minutes Late’ again Chris O’Leary delivers a versatile and very varied top blues/rock album. Ninety minutes he fascinates, while digging in all the musical roots that he owns. All grooves come loose and, YES!, this O’Leary continues to amaze!” — Excerpt from www.rootstime.be
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“On their second release [Waiting for the Phone to Ring], Mr. O’Leary and the band are a blues force to be reckoned with. The songs, all originals, show a range of influences from Los Angeles to New Orleans to New Jersey street corners. Complementing that range of songs is a band that treats each one with respect, always highlighting the music and not their own considerable talents.”— Nick Delay, WVKR
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“Chris O’Leary’s got it, man, he’s got it. From rollickin’ rock (Give It) to weekend stomp (Without You) to slinkin’ down-lo back-alley swank (Louisiana Woman) to barrelhouse balladry (Pictures of You) and well beyond…and, lord, that’s only the first four of thirteen cuts [on his second CD, Waiting for the Phone to Ring,] delivered with pizzazz, panache, plenty of pig’s feet n’ gumbo, and more than a little pugilistic punch-up all through the blues’ back yard. His ace band knows how to center O’Leary’s vocals while parading all around him, hot and hip but perfectly in control, ac-cen-tu-atin’ the positive, the negative, the questionable, and even the downright nasty.”— Mark S. Tucker, the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange
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“Levon Helm’s singing harmonica man leads his crew through a sophomore set [on Waiting for the Phone to Ring] that is anything but sophomoric. With a jungle blues vibe and powered by non-stop energy, this crew has got the blues right in the pocket delivering a fun, high octane set that makes the only color in blues blue. If you aren’t interested in hearing about picking cotton and fighting boll weevils, this is the stuff for you. Hot stuff.”— Chris Spector, editor and publisher, Midwest Record
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“Front man Chris O’Leary carries the group .….with a huge shout and force of nature harmonica sound… he generates authority.”— Griel Marcus
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“O’Leary, formerly with Levon Helm’s Barnburners, is a more than capable singer and Chicago-style harmonica stylist; the proof comes in the shuffles and jump numbers he handles with suave assurance on his debut recording. It’s really the slow tempo of Blues is a Woman that draws out his best singing, reminiscent of Jimmy Witherspoon. His Hudson Valley-based cohorts stir up the all-original material without faltering. Young guitarist Chris Vitarello merits notice for his technical powers and imagination, his reach extending to rockabilly and swinging jazz.”— Frank-John Hadley, Downbeat Magazine
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“O’Leary and company have a laid-back sound, but their solid groove and tight ensemble playing and O’Leary’s superlative songwriting make them a powerful unit.”— J. Poet, Rovi
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“This cat spent a long time as Levon Helm’s side kick and you can tell he outgrew the outfit. A first class singer/harp player, [Mr. Used to Be] is more in the tradition of Butterfield but without the Chicago edge … A winner throughout.”— Chris Spector, editor and publisher, Midwest Record
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