Executive Producer - Daniel Ray Bacon
dan@bluesexpress.com
Daniel Ray Bacon, founder and CEO of Blues Express®, Inc. is a lifelong fan and supporter of the blues. Born in Hammond, Indiana in 1952 and raised in nearby Gary his love affair with the blues blossomed as a young man after seeing Howlin' Wolf on stage. Dan, who has a B.A. from Baylor University and is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and the University of San Francisco School of Law, has dedicated his professional life to representing the disenfranchised and discriminated in his 19 year legal career.
Dan's advocacy for artists' rights has often paralleled his personal crusade to promote and popularize the blues. Blues Express®, Inc. was founded as a means to produce and distribute the best blues music available for television and new media. Now with Blues Express® TV and Blues Express® Records Dan's dream of a lifetime has come to fruition.
Producer - Patrick Firpo
patrick@bluesexpress.com
Born a French citizen, Patrick Firpo hails from New York City and has been involved in various aspects of the entertainment industry for over 35 years, having directed, acted in or produced over seventy five stage productions both in the US and in Europe.
Since moving to San Francisco in 1980, he's been primarily involved in the production of television commercials, documentaries and Independent feature Films, serving as Producer, Line Producer or Director. Some of his commercial clients include Levi's, Ford, Pepsi Cola, Xerox, Pacific Bell, and IBM. Independent feature films include: "Chimera House," "Suitcase," "The Victorian Story," "I-5," "Skeleton Woman", and the "The Sculptress." Television and documentaries include "Hincus Pincus" for Showtime, "The Richest Cat in the World" for ABC, and "Future Zap" with Peter Max for GSA.
Producer/Director - Skip Twitchell
skip@bluesexpress.com
Producer/Director Skip Twitchell has logged immeasurable thousands of miles since 1980 touring with and producing video for music's greatest stars, most recently producing programs for Elton John, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson and the Eagles.
"Bringing music closer to the fans has always been a goal for me. When you visually connect with an artist, no matter if it's rock or classical music, it deepens the experience. That visual connection brings people a closer understanding of the music and the artist. The Blues Express® television series is an extension of that goal. It allows us to introduce an international audience to the musicians who are the roots of so many of today's musical genres in an intimate setting."
His video art piece "The Z National Forest" was exhibited at the Chicago Museum of Modern Art, and his camera work contributed to the Emmy award winning KQED production "Sing Out San Francisco", as well as the Cable Ace awarded Disney special "Gloria Estefan-Coming Home."
Producer/Art Director - Eric Goodfield
ericg@bluesexpress.com
In addition to his duties as Art Director, Eric serves as the Director of the Interview and Host segments of Blues Express®. He has directed and shot numerous commercials and documentaries. His work has appeared on HBO's Aspen Comedy special, the Cable ACE nominated Discovery Channel special "Beyond Tomorrow", Disney Channel's "50th anniversary of the Blue Angels", PBS's "This Old House", and MTV's comedy showcase "Comikazee". He has a rich background in documentaries writing, producing, directing and shooting a wide variety of topics including politics, sports, music and new technology. In the past he has worked with King Crimson, edited Todd Rundgren's music video retrospective for the Mill Valley Film Festival, and served as the director of photography for one of the last performances of the musical pioneer John Cage.
Writer/Segment Producer - Brian Leonard
brian@bluesexpress.com
Brian Leonard began his career in broadcasting more than 20 years ago as morning show host and music director of WDEK - Rockford, IL, where he also hosted a jazz show. Brian moved West to co-host and write 'NightMusic', KSTS-TV, San Jose, a live show mixing music and comedy.
In 1985 he started his career as a stand up comic, traveling coast to coast and appearing on Comedy Central, "Evening at the Improv" and other TV shows. The San Jose Mercury News says that Brian is "...one of San Francisco's most intelligent and funniest comedians."
Brian's writing career has won him several awards, (2 Telly Awards, Crystal Communicator Award) writing for such clients as BBC Radio ('The Treatment'), Fox Television ('On the Road' pilot), 'World Business Review' (hosted by Caspar Weinberger), NBC (America's Talking) and Sony Entertainment (PlayStation). He's also had an animated series ('Silicon Valley') optioned by Universal Television and been hired by Pixar as story consultant for 'Theatrical Release 2002.'
Writer/Segment Producer - Eric Predoehl
ericp@bluesexpress.com
Eric Predoehl is a multi-talented writer/producer/director with a passion for roots music. While completing a degree in broadcasting from San Jose State University in the mid-1980s, he ran Orange Records West, a record label specializing in eclectic folk punk music.
For over a decade, he has been involved in producing and directing a comprehensive documentary on the song "Louie Louie" which he hopes to release sometime within the next year. In the course of producing this ambitious project, he's conducted interviews with songwriter Richard Berry, the Kingsmen, Johnny Otis, Arthur Lee, Jerry Garcia, Paul Revere, Michael Doucet of Beausoleil, Dick Dale, Toots of the Maytals, director John Landis, and countless other individuals. His extensive research has been acknowledged in such publications as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The (U.K.) Independent, and various music-related magazines.
With a great love for music that doesn't involve synthesized drumbeats, he is honored to be a part of the team of this exciting new television program highlighting authentic blues music.
