ABOUT THE BAND
Full Service Blues, Played Like It Still Matters
The James Pitts Band is a Full Service Blues band led by guitarist and vocalist James Pitts, built around Traditional Blues, Blues Rock, Soul Blues, Funk Blues, and Original Music.
The sound is guitar-driven, blues-rooted, soulful, and shaped by nearly three decades of live performance. The goal is not to imitate the past or chase whatever is popular this month. The goal is to carry the blues forward with a show that feels alive in the room.
JAMES PITTS
James Pitts
James Pitts is a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and bandleader whose musical identity has always been tied to the blues. His playing carries the fire of blues rock, the emotional pull of soul blues, the bite of electric blues, and the stage experience of someone who has spent years learning how to hold a room.
Over the years, James has performed in clubs, festivals, concerts, rallies, blues events, and shared-stage situations across different regions and different kinds of audiences. That experience shaped the band's current direction: a Full Service Blues show with enough range to serve the room without losing the roots.
What The Band Is
The James Pitts Band is not a narrow shuffle band. It is not a generic cover band. It is not a hard-rock act using the blues as decoration. It is a Full Service Blues band. That means the show can move through traditional blues, blues rock, soul blues, funk blues, contemporary blues, and original songs while staying connected to one clear identity: real blues, played with feel, fire, groove, and purpose.
THE LINEUP
Diane Pettipas
Diane Pettipas brings bass, vocals, feel, and presence to the James Pitts Band sound. The bass role is central to the Full Service Blues experience because the groove has to live underneath everything: the guitar fire, the vocal phrasing, the danceable moments, the soul-blues feel, and the push of the live show. Diane's role helps anchor the band's sound and gives the music the foundation it needs to move the room.
THE LINEUP
Mike Ingold
Mike Ingold is the band's current drummer, bringing drive, feel, and live energy behind the kit. He has played with The James Pitts Band off and on since 2020, adding the push and pocket that help the Full Service Blues show move — from deep grooves and soul-blues moments to blues-rock fire when the room calls for it.
A Band Built Around The Live Experience
The James Pitts Band is built for stages, not playlists alone. The recordings matter. The songs matter. The guitar matters. But the live show is where everything comes together. The band's identity is shaped around the feeling of a room responding to real blues-rooted music played with conviction.
Selected Career Highlights
James Pitts and the band's history include performances and appearances connected to regional festivals, blues events, major venues, and shared stages. Selected highlights include appearances connected with the Kansas State Fair, Bike Week Laconia, Wichita Blues Bash, Barnful Of Blues, The Jewel, The Village Trestle, Strange Brew Tavern, 9 Wallis, Auburn Pitts, DC's Tavern, and more.
James has also been connected to bills or stages involving artists such as Eric Gales, the Chris Duarte Group, Popa Chubby, Tinsley Ellis, Johnny Winter, Pat Travers, Brian Howe Band, Luther Guitar Jr., and a memorable performance where Bill Murray sat in with the band for two sets.
Awards, Press, And Recognition
James Pitts has earned multiple awards and recognition over the years, including Blues Tone Magazine honors and regional blues recognition. Press coverage has described him as a blues-rock force, a blues virtuoso, and a guitarist with serious tone, authority, and command.
The point of that history is not nostalgia. It is proof. The band has earned its identity through years of playing, writing, recording, and standing in front of real audiences.
- 2016 Blues Tone Magazine Award Winner — Instrumentalist, Guitar
- 2016 Blues Tone Magazine Award Winner — Best Emerging Artist
- 2017 Award Winner — Best Song, "Misery"
- 2018 Granite State Blues Challenge Winner with MoGuitar
- 2019 Blues Tone Award — Blues Rock Artist Of The Year
- Top 50 Guitarists recognition, 2021
The Mission Is Simple
- Keep the blues alive by playing it with honesty.
- Bring original music into the tradition.
- Give audiences a real show.
- Respect the room.
- Play like the night matters.
That is The James Pitts Band.
Experience Full Service Blues live.
Listen to the catalog, watch live clips, and book the band for your room.