The Skyla Burrell Blues Band is a hard working full time traveling blues band playing local, regional, national and international venues. The band averages 200+ shows a year. With co-founder Mark Tomlinson on lead guitar and Skyla Burrell on vocals and lead guitar, the band's live show consists of all original high energy electric blues.
In July of 2004 the band released their debut studio CD, "Working Girl Blues", containing 12 original songs - several of the cuts topping the charts on independent music websites and internet radio stations. "Working Girl Blues" has received local, national and international airplay on blues and mainstream radio.
The SBBB was a top 25 finalist in the 2004 Blues Idol competition and "Working Girl Blues" was selected by WTMD 93.7 as one of the top 5 blues releases in 2004. In 2005 the SBBB was invited to play the King Biscuit Blues Festival under the Emerging Artist Stage and was a semi-finalist in the 22nd Annual International Blues Challenge. Also in 2005 Mark Tomlinson received an Honorable Mention for his track from the Working Girl Blues CD, "Bad Dream" in the 14th Annual Billboard Songwriting Contest.
So far in 2006 the band has toured in Europe and have released their sophmore effort, "Livin Day to Day". The new CD contains 14 all new original songs penned by Tomlinson and Burrell.
SKYLA BURRELL:
LEAD VOCALS / LEAD GUITAR
Skyla was born in Los Angeles and raised in Orange County, California. She had a guitar in her hands by the age of 10 and formed her first band at the age of 13, playing for free at parties. By the age of 15 she had a steady gig with a full time road band playing bars and clubs, and by 19 was doing session work at local recording studios in exchange for recording her original material. Skyla continued thru her early twenties playing in several local orange county bands and working for songwriters singing their material for demos. In '94 Skyla moved to the East Coast and continued working as a musician until meeting Mark and forming the SBBB in '03.
MARK TOMLINSON:
LEAD GUITAR
Mark Tomlinson has been in the Blues business for over 20 years. By the age of 21, Mark had scored gigs playing drums with John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley. After 20 years of beating the skins, Mark dropped the sticks and picked up the picks. Starting his career right on time, Mark is a double threat in the Blues world by writing great songs and playing guitar with the Skyla Burrell Band. Mark’s guitar style is nothin’ but the Blues from John Lee Hooker to Muddy Waters to Jimmy Vaughan.
EZEL JONES - DRUMS
Ezel started his drum career at the tender age of 8. Prior to joining the SBBB he toured the world with Tino Gonzales and Debrah Coleman among many others.
TONY RYDER: BASS
Tony brings the influences of Carol Kaye, Michael Poster, James Jamerson and Willie Dixon to the bands dynamic rhythm section. Tony has worked with Mr. KJ & the Late Night Boys, Texas Son, Reggie Wayne Morris, Pattie Labelle & the Blue Belles and Ruby and the Romantics. |
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