Chainsaw Dupont & the Blues Warriors have built a strong following in Chicago by swimming against the tide, performing original material rather than the slew of preferred “classic blues” covers that are favored on the touristy blues circuit. Updating the classic blues with modern sounds, they still retain the soulful underpinnings that have always made the blues work. Dupont has made his markand attracted some of the best young musicians in Chicago to his live band. His following includes both traditional blues fans and others who appreciate the songwriting and musicianship of the band.
He’s already achieved a great deal — touring worldwide as guitarist for the great Junior Wells; completing his own “blues street trilogy”, a series of CDs which celebrated the 3 great cities of the blues, Chicago, New Orleans, and Memphis; and now, bringing blues back to the historic Maxwell Sunday Market in Chicago with a weekly street session with the Blues Warriors. Dupont, however, is still young in blues terms, and has the potential to reach far greater heights as he hones his craft further.
His two live releases, “Acoustified/Electrified” and “The Real Guitar Hero”, nicely bookend the trilogy and set the stage for his next studio project, which will no doubt push the envelope for blues a little further. His dedication to craft and respect for tradition anchor his experimentation with blues and allows him to innovate within the idiom while retaining hard-core blues fans
