Over the past twenty-five years, Keith Doder has emerged as a dominant Harp & Vocals presence on the St. Louis blues scene and a rising national talent. Keith Doder formed The Blue City Band in the early 1980’s along with drummer/vocalist, David Tims. But the seeds of Doder’s love of blues and harmonica were planted much earlier when Doder honed his harp-playing skills as a regular harpist with St. Louis blues great Tommy Bankhead, and was featured on the 1983 debut album Tommy Bankhead and the Blues Eldorados, produced by Tom ‘Papa’ Ray.

PAPA RAY – ‘Keith was giving some powerhouse harmonica to Tommy Bankhead’s the Eldorados, with a sound that suggested the virtuoso Big Walter Horton was on the scene in St. Louis. That single take he cut with just Bankhead’s vocal on Cummins Prison Farm was a combination of great feel and technical mastery, stark and soulful’.

Doder was recruited by the late Chicago blues legend Jimmy Rogers in 1997 and travelled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe as a featured harpist. Doder filled the shoes of a long line of blues harpists who backed up Jimmy Rogers. Rogers remarked that,“Keith, you get up underneath me on that harp just like Little Walter used to do.”

Doder has captured the trademark Chicago blues harp sound and refined it into his own distinctive style. Check out the Blue City Band release, “By Invitation Only”, which showcased Doder’s lyrical and instrumental prowess. Doder recently released a new CD, “Blue To Bright”, which truly captures his rich-toned harp style, songwriting and insightful vocals. The Blue City Band is moving forward along with Doder as this ensemble steadily moves forward regionally and nationally.