The Whiteley Brothers

With over 150 cumulative recording appearances under their belts, Chris and Ken Whiteley teamed up as The Whiteley Brothers last year to put out their first album of completely original material. Called Sixteen Shades of Blue, it features the brothers on 20 different instruments-from 12-string guitar to trumpet-playing a wide range of blues styles, such as New Orleans Swing, zydeco and rockin' Chicago blues.

The Whiteley boys have careers spanning over 30 years. They started out in the early '70s forming the original Sloth Band, when their repertoire encompassed folk, old-time jazz, country gospel and traditional blues. Throughout the '80s, Ken led the R&B band Paradise Revue, and Chris wrote and performed country music with his wife, Caitlyn Hanford. The '90s brought the brothers back together to play the blues.

Their 1993 album, Bluesology, brought them accolades. They were nominated for a Juno, won the Jazz Report's Blues Album of the Year award, and were the first Canadian group to be invited to the world-renowned Chicago Blues Festival.

Ken and Chris continue to flex their songwriting muscles, having had their songs covered by Prairie Oyster, Chad Mitchell, Penny Lang, Cindy Church and the R&B band Fathead, to name a few.

Joining Chris and Ken are Dan Whiteley on guitar and mandolin, and Victor Bateman on bass and string bass.