Michael Wong - Guitar: Michael began his music career as a classically trained pianist.  However, the British Rock Invasion of the mid 60s left an indelible impression on him and by the time he was 12 years old, the guitar had replaced the piano as his favored instrument. His early influences included Clapton, Hendrix and Page, and once he heard the clean and tasteful Blues phrasing of Mike Bloomfield, and the expressive string bending of Albert King, Michael knew he had to play the Blues.

Over the past three decades, Michael's funky R&B-flavored rhythm textures, and Blues-based solos, have been featured at venues across the Bay Area with bands that have ranged in size from power trios to eleven pieces.  His playing experience has encompassed several other musical genres; including Classic Rock, Latin Rock, Funk, Soul, R&B, Smooth Jazz, Pop, and Country.  However, playing the Blues is still his passion.    

Scott Malcolm - Bass: Scott has been playing Bass professionally for over thirty years. He joined his first band at the age of thirteen and has been playing ever since. As a child he wanted to be a guitar player, until the day he first heard John Entwistle of the Who playing The Real Me. Scott has been a Bass player ever since. His primary influences were players like John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Roger Glover, and Roger Waters. Growing up in Chicago, he was exposed to the blues early listening to artists like James Cotton, Junior Wells, Muddy Waters, Junior Walker, and Buddy Guy who all frequently performed in the area. His first bands were rock and roll cover bands playing the music of bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who, Cream, Deep Purple, Kiss, and Grand Funk. In the late 70’s he formed an original punk rock called the Urge and toured the Midwest with them for ten years. 

Since “retiring” from his career as a full time musician in the late 80’s he has continued to play in club bands out of a love of music. Since moving to California, and prior to the forming of Sinister Blue, he has been seen performing as a substitute with many local blues favorites. Scott is probably the least “gearhead” musician in the band. Rather than collecting boutique equipment, his opinion is that if you take an old Fender – plug it in to lots of all tube power – and turn it up till it growls at you – it’ll be all good.

John Warmouth - Drums: Inspired by the swing drumming featured in the movie “The Gene Krupa Story,” John began playing drums at the age of 12. He had no idea at the time that drumming would become a life long passion/obsession. John spent only a year “wood shedding” before he joined his first band.  It was that band, and every band after, that John honed his craft to becoming as best a support player as he could—although showboating on a solo ala Gene Krupa was another part of the drummer’s “tool box” that soon became a staple in John’s performances. Equally comfortable supporting any of the various rock music forms, blues is what John loves best…swing still rules, but as John says: “Unfortunately, I don’t think I could afford a seven piece horn section!”

Within the blues genre, John has played with a variety of popular, bay area bands and artists including: Black Cat Bone, Blues Syndicate, Forrest Frick, Allen Vega, Kathleen Cairns & Tattoo Blue, and Michael Onesko.  Now it’s Sinister Blue, and a whole new chapter of Big Top Blues begins! 

Patty Marie - Vocals: Patty is the strong, yet soulful vocalist out front. She sings  with an energy and authority that few can match. Her musical career began in her pre-teen years in Santa Cruz, and she has blessed numerous bands with her vocal talents over the past 20 years.  Coming from a musical family, she grew up watching and listening to her parents, aunts and uncles perform together in local venues around Santa Cruz for many years.  She joined her first full band at the age of 16 and has been going strong ever since. Patty's early influences consisted primarily of classic rock and country, but she has always had a taste for the blues. Her powerful vocals helped to establish  her as a local favorite throughout the central valley and Sierra foothills as the founder and lead singer of the popular country-rock band "Stateline", and later with the bay-area R&B band "The Fabulous Jukes".