Our Story

Barry & The Blasters is a group of eight local musicians who have been playing sold out shows in Ottawa and the Outaouais since 2005. The band delivers a high-energy performance, merging blues, rock blues and classic R&B from across several decades. While members come from a variety of musical backgrounds and experiences, their common bond is a love for great music. The Blasters are proud of their contributions over the years to the National Capital Region and the opportunities we have had to share our passion for music with our fans.

Our Music

The band has drawn inspiration from a variety of classic blues and blues rock artists, including Otis Redding, Elmore James, Robert Johnson, Sam Cook, Jimmie Smith, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Jimmie Reed, Jimmie Vaughan,  Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Joe Bonamassa, to name a few.

BARRY BICKERTON
BARRY BICKERTONguitar, vocal
Born and raised in Ottawa, Barry leads The Blasters with his strong vocals and electrifying solos. His playing is influenced by Delta, Chicago and Texas blues and draws from artists such as Jimmy Vaughan, Otis Rush, and Taj Mahal. Barry once played on a bill with David ‘Honeyboy’ Edwards.
CHRIS HERDMAN
CHRIS HERDMANorgan, piano, sax
Originally from Toronto, Chris has performed since a young age with various groups in Toronto and Ottawa and was a founding member of The Blasters. Along with New Orleans and Chicago styles of piano, Chris brings a mean Hammond organ sound with influences ranging from the likes of Al Kooper and Booker “T” to the R&B and jazz techniques of Jimmy Smith.
MURRAY GAMBLE
MURRAY GAMBLEguitar, vocal
Raised in Montreal, Murray provides energetic vocals to many of The Blasters’ songs. Over the years Murray has been involved with numerous bands spanning a broad variety of musical styles including rock, ska and folk
KATIE HERDMAN
KATIE HERDMANvocal
Katie is a guest Blaster and hails from the GTA. Katie normally performs with the “Blue Moose” band when she is back home.
BRIAN KIRK
BRIAN KIRKsax
The Blasters would not be complete without their horn section. Brian hails from Windsor, Ontario and plays tenor, alto and soprano sax with influences including Dave Brubeck, Stanley Turrentine and Jimmy Smith. Brian has also performed in recent years with various R&B/Blues and jazz combos in the Ottawa area.
BRIANNA HERDMAN
BRIANNA HERDMANtrumpet
Brianna is the most recent addition to the Blasters and provides depth to the horn section.
PATRICK BICKERTON
PATRICK BICKERTONtrumpet, harmonica
Patrick has been playing trumpet and harmonica since high school. His musical influences include Little Water, Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson and fellow Ottawa native Steve Marriner.
LANCE SCHWERDFAGER
LANCE SCHWERDFAGERbass
Lance is a talented Ottawa-born bassist who has performed with bands of various musical styles over the years, ranging from rock and pop to R&B, country and jazz. Among influences he credits are Sting, John Hiatt, Cream, Los Lobos and jazz bassists Jaco Pastorius and Marcus Miller.
TIM LEAH
TIM LEAHdrums
Tim Leah keeps us all in time with with a steady driving beat. Originally from London Ontario, Tim is a talented percussionist who has played with a variety of bands over the years, ranging from pop and rock combos, to jazz, country, and big band. Tim’s musical influences include Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Doors, Paul Butterfield, John Mayall, Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny.