Since forming his first band in 2014, Joel Astley has established himself on the national Blues scene as a top frontman, harmonica player, singer and songwriter. His award winning four-piece band performs year-round, tours regularly, and appear on numerous recordings. They have amassed dozens of awards, nominations and other accolades, most recently sweeping the 2024 and 2025 Washington Blues Society Best of the Blues Awards. 

Astley made a splash on the International Blues Music scene with his 2023 debut album, Seattle To Greaseland, which received critical acclaim worldwide and came in at Number 7 on the Blues Billboard Top Ten, helping to set Astley on a meteoric rise. He is on the MoMojo Records label and is a Featured Artist with Lee Oskar Harmonicas. 

Joel Astley has been recognized with 26 "Best of the Blues" awards from the Washington Blues Society over the last 7 years, and he received the Silver Medal Award from the Global Music Awards in 2023, an Honorable Mention in the 2024 International Songwriting Competition for "Secondhand Kid", and has received nominations from Music organizations including the Blues Blast Music Awards,  the Independent Blues Awards, the Cascade Blues Society, and the Josie Awards. 

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Sutton-Pitman is a Pacific Northwest born and bred blues duo that is taking the Seattle area by storm. Kevin Sutton is a long-time Seattle area musician, who as a bandleader and front man, won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in 2012. Jonathan Pitman, from Spokane Washington, is impressing audiences with his signature harmonica stylings and crowd antics. They will represent the Washington Blues Society in the 2026 International Blues Challenge.

An interesting side note: Joel Astley came to music after many years working in the visual arts. He is still an active visual artist; his art has appeared on album covers and festival tee shirts, and his paintings, prints and drawings are in many private collections.