by Bill Paige

A band of brothers. The Planetary Blues Band, a Valparaiso, Indiana quartet consists of three brothers and a friend. They are Martin Schaefer-Murray on guitar and vocals, Bobby Schaefer-Murray on bass Michael Schaefer-Murray on guitar and Joe Hengstler on drums.

All four members are in or near their twenties. Although they are relatively young, they play music well beyond their years.

They all began experimenting with music in their early teens. Martin, the oldest, was the first to pick up an instrument and his two brothers soon followed. As with many young musicians they learned the music of bands such as the Beatles and Led Zeppelin.

But it was the sound of B.B. King that really pushed the guys in a certain direction. And they put together where rock came from... the blues. The brothers soon discovered the likes of Luther Allison, Otis Rush, and Magic Sam just to name a few of their Blues influences.

Bobby Schaefer-Murray said, “Son Seals was a huge influence on us from the beginning and Live & Burning, his 1978 live recording, really made an impression. This man’s music is a big reason why we are a band.”

Another big influence on the band has been Chicago guitarist, Rocco Calipari (Howard & The White Boys, Big Blue). He has served as a mentor and a teacher to the boys.

The guys had been playing in their basement for years and first performed publicly about four years ago. One of their first “live” experiences was at St. Paul’s in Valparaiso. But it was Bottom’s Up in Lansing, IL where they began to find their way on Sunday jam nights over the past few summers.

The Planetary Blues Band sound is forged from their blues heroes yet is fresh with young energy. When asked what the future holds for the band, Murray stated, “that our goal is to resurrect the spirit of Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley.”

They have a CD out titled, Blues for Our Grandfather. Another is in the works and they hope to have it out in late spring or early summer.

The band has played gigs all over Midwest including stops at the Petrillo Music Shell in Chicago, The Bluebird in Bloomington, Indiana, The Popcorn Festival in Valparaiso, Sullivan’s in Michigan City, Indiana, and Wunderful’s Funky Basement in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The group plays every Thursday evening at The Court Restaurant in downtown Valparaiso. There is a scheduled show at the famous Slippery Noodle in Indianapolis on May 4th and a Valparaiso High School post-Prom concert on May 14th.

A major event is scheduled for March 27th at the Porter County Fairgrounds Expo Center featuring Son Seals, Big Blue, and The Planetary Blues Band.

Mike Boyle (Son Seals, John Primer) was instrumental in setting this up. Murray said, “This show is huge for us and it’s huge for Valparaiso. We are excited to play with Son Seals. He is a major reason we started playing. And it will be great exposure and a great experience for Valpo.”

For further information on the band, please go to their website at: www.planetaryblues.com

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