The Giant Killers
Swing Jive Band

Line up: 5 piece band: drums, double bass, keyboard/vocals, lead guitar/vocals, saxophone

In an amazing career so far they have toured the world. In Europe they have performed at most major festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival Leuven Festival and Arctic Blues Festival (Russia). In the USA they have played Dan Ackroyd's House of Blues Club in Boston the Brown Derby in Hollywood university tours, festivals in Connecticut, shows in San Jose and San Francisco. They have also enjoyed success in the UK, highlights have included appearing at the Reading Festival, the 1994 Brit Awards, Ronnie Scott's (London) and getting the chance to meet and play alongside: Ray Charles, B.B. King, Cab Callaway, Paul Weller and M-People (to name a few).

They have also been joined on stage by various "stars" including Van Morrison, Roy Wood and Steve Gibbons. On many occasions they have been brought together as the rhythm section for several American artists such as Plas Johnson, Hal Singer and Big Jay McNeely, Gene Connors and The Five Keys.

For the last ten years Dan, Al and Dean have performed together over 1,500 times and developed a musical understanding with each other that is astounding and quite rare.

This unique band is fronted by and features the great talent of James O'Hara, whose guitar playing, showmanship and voice have earned him enormous respect throughout the blues scene.

Born 1970 in Yorkshire, James O'Hara is said to be "the nearest you'll get to the pure undiluted spirit of the blues this side of Chicago" (Leeds Guide). He began playing blues guitar at the age of thirteen, influenced initially by such greats as B.B. King, Otis Rush and T-Bone Walker. By the age of eighteen James was already a part of the Liverpool blues scene. Meeting Joe Louis Walker was a great influence on him and led to the formation of his own blues band The Detonators in 1992, "O'Hara leads the hottest, tightest, new R & B band in the country" -Blueprint (UK).

Touring throughout the country the band drew large and enthusiastic audiences. At the Alexis Korner Memorial Concert in May 1995, James and the band stood in for Georgie Fame who had cancelled. Indigo records were there to record the event and shortly after the band were signed. The result was the CD "Sneakin' Around" (IGOCD2056).

Having played most of the major festivals, meeting and playing with more blues legends on the way he is now an integral part of any blues event in both Britain and Europe.

Paul Corey and Jools Greaves (the Horn Section) were both handpicked by the band because of their power, versatility and flair. Paul Corey is a graduate from the Leeds College of music, he has toured extensively with a number of blues and swing artists including recently Otis Grand, his soloing ability has been compared to the likes of Arnett Cobb, Frank Foster and Ben Webster, guaranteeing a pure shot of authentic Rhythm and Blues with a fiery edge. Jools Greaves has toured with Angela Brown and the mighty 45's a west coast American outfit. He also enjoyed a stint as lead Tenor Sax with the Biscuit Boys touring Europe extensively. Jools also plays a mean Harmonica and has even played with the Eurhythmics.

The band is currently talking to Ace Records and hopes to finalise a distribution deal for their debut CD in the near future. The band has agents in Spain, Holland and Scandinavia working on tour dates and has been offered a showcase on the Paul Jones Radio Show (BBC radio 2).

The Giant Killers often ask the delightful Sophie Garner to join them. So check out this girls silky sexy vocie.