Lead Vocals: Johanna Lawrence
Johanna has been singing most of her life and has a passion for Jazz and Blues music. As a founding member of the YellowHouse Blues Band, she leads the bands song choices with her soulful style and powerful voice. Johanna grew up in Burlington, VT and was the original vocalist for Burlington’s Pine Street Jazz Band. She and her husband Dave now live in Rye, NH with their children, who can almost always be found at their mother’s concerts as her biggest fans…
Vocals: Sophie Patenaude
Powerhouse vocalist and newest member of the YellowHouse Blues Band, Sophie joins us from Berklee College of Music in Boston where she pursues her Bachelors Degree in Music, specifically in Music Business Management and Professional Music Songwriting. A native of Maine, Sophie has become well known in New England for her collaboration in Meraki with guitarist John Edwards, her performances with Masterstroke queen Experience, and with her solo career. Her debut album, “Who You Are”, released in 2021, can be found on Spotify under Sophie Elizabeth. Her new band and music can be found under “Sophie Patenaude Band” and is currently on tour.
Tenor Saxophone and Vocals: Bruce Addison
The free spirit and founding member of the YellowHouse Blues Band, Bruce’s love of music and performing is both energetic and instantly contagious. Bruce played saxophone early in life, but after a long break, he picked it up again in 2016. His passion for music and playing live has led him to be a member of not only the YellowHouse Blues Band, but the Crabshack Band and Trubble, which is most known for its 2017 tour in Costa Rica. With his gritty voice and natural stage presence, Bruce started singing in 2020 and loves performing blues standards including St. James Infirmary, Boom Boom and Little Red Rooster. A longtime member of the Portsmouth community, Bruce was a regular guest at the Dolphin Striker with “Old School” and sat in with the best players in Portsmouth. When not playing with the YHBB, Bruce also is a member of The Meter Maids and Highway 20 Fried. Bruce and his wife Sally live in the South End of Portsmouth, where they both enjoy paddle boarding and sailing. Bruce is a long-term board member of the Piscataqua Maritime Commission and part of Sail Portsmouth.
Trumpet: Michael White
A formally trained jazz trumpet player, Michael has performed all over New England for the past 40 years. Michael is a founding member of the YellowHouse Blues Band and in recent years, was also a member of The Wildflowers and Trubble. A longtime member of the Seacoast community, Michael was a regular guest at the Dolphin Striker with “Old School” and sat in with the best players in Portsmouth. Michael is a long-term member of the Board of Directors at Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire and has also served as a Big Brother for several years. Michael has always cared about giving back to his community and is an inspiration to all of us.
Lead Guitar: John Edwards
John is a true Rock Star. He’s been playing guitar most of his life and has performed all over the country as the lead guitar player in nationally touring bands. More recently, he’s the lead guitar player for the YellowHouse Blues Band, but also for The Masterstroke Queen Experience and Meraki, where he performs with his granddaughter, Sophie. John has played on countless albums and is well known for his pure love of playing the guitar, and for his dedication to his family. When he’s not playing, he can be found at TuneTown Music Gear in Wells, ME, which he and his wife Pam have owned since 2004.
Rhythm Guitar: Matt Becker
Despite learning guitar later in life, Matt has shared the stage with a range of musicians from local to national acts and has sold out venues including Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club (Portsmouth, NH), The Music Hall (Portsmouth, NH), The Stone Church Music Club (Newmarket, NH) and The Word Barn (Exeter, NH). He is a founding member and rhythm/slide player for the YellowHouse Blues Band and prior to that, he was a founding member and rhythm guitar player for The Wildflowers. Matt has combined his passion for music with his passion for raising money for the non-profits that he serves. He’s been on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters since 2008, the Board of Directors of Seacoast Jazz Society since 2022 and is also a volunteer with Continuum Arts Collective.
Bass and Vocals: Karen Dicey
The heart of our rhythm section, Karen’s basslines are what drive the YellowHouse Blues Band. With a contagious smile onstage and off, Karen’s passion for music has led her to become a founding member of the YellowHouse Blues Band. A native of New Hampshire, Karen has been a long-term supporter and volunteer at the New Hampshire SPCA and has always had a deep love for animals. Karen and her family have also been long term supporters of The Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH.
Drums: Paul Bell
Being introduced to paradiddles at age 8 changed the trajectory of Paul’s life. From that moment on, drums and music would no longer be in the background. In high school Neil Peart and Buddy Rich happened. Then college became an excuse to join marching band, perform in packed football stadiums across the country, and meet his future wife -an alto sax player! About that time Paul decided to share his percussion passion and embarked on a long teaching and performing career. Twenty years ago Paul and his family moved to Wells, Maine, and as fate would have it, he met John Edwards(who you read about above) and has been inspiring young drummers at Tunetown ever since. John and Paul have been playing in various bands together over the last few years and Paul is really excited to be the new guy in The YellowHouse Blues Band!
Keyboards: Mike Harrison
Perhaps the most traveled member of the YellowHouse Blues Band, Mike has performed music on three continents, including North America, Europe and Australia. A passionate convert to jazz and blues (having been trained as a classical pianist growing up in England), Mike studied at Portsmouth Music & Arts Center and holds a Master’s Certificate in Writing & Producing Music from Berklee Online. In addition to being a founding member of the YellowHouse Blues Band, Mike plays frequently around the Seacoast as a member of Bucketlist Jazz Fusion and in a duo, trio and quartet ensembles. Mike currently serves on the Board of Prescott Park Arts Festival in Portsmouth, which brings accessible music and arts to the Seacoast community.
