The Bullfrog Blues Machine, was 'hatched' in 1994, after which it became a foundation in January 2000. Hans Klerken, being a singer/guitarist, had developed more and more ideas for original material in previous bands like Hip Shakin' Mama. After the addition of keyboard player Mark Spronk, the well-experienced bass player Chris Janssen and drummer Harry Steverink the Blues Machine was a fact!
From that very moment there already was a clear vision of what the band was going to sound like stylewise.
The band plays mainly original material, inspired by legendary blues of Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson and Willy Dixon. Even though the band has developed a true style of its own, mainly by means of Klerken's intricate and forceful guitar playing, influences of the older and younger US blues generations are recognizable: Walter Trout, Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, Smokin' Joe Kubek and Coco Montoya, to name only a few.
The Bullfrog Blues Machine had been based in Wageningen, The Netherlands, but the musicians come from all over the country. For the past couple of years the band has played 20 to 25 concerts a year. They have played in local bars, appeared on (blues) festivals and performed on well known blues-stages in Holland and abroad, building up their thorough and professional live reputation.
In the press they are usually announced as "the new generation of USA blues" or "the blues cowboys from Holland".
