Bio
The Fremonts are the exception to the rule, a band that evolves and redefines itself by consistently looking to the past. Modern purveyors of Gulf Coast R&B, the Fremonts harvest the fruits of vintage American roots labels like Excello, Vee-Jay, Imperial and Specialty to create a tapestry of sound that is at once both unique and refreshingly familiar.
Vocalist "Mighty" Joe Milsap, a native of Manhattan, Kansas, heads a lineup of talented and thoughtful musicians. Al West provides the vintage backbone of the band on the drums while Patrick Skog and Tony Tomlinson share guitar and bass duties with a sympathetic, "less is more" approach. Troy Sandow regularly appears with the band on both bass and harmonica.
A popular draw at regional festivals, the Fremonts have played the San Diego Blues Festival (2003, 2013, 2018, 2022), the Baja Blues Festival (2013), the Tucson Heritage Festival (2004), the San Diego County Fair (2003, 2005, 2006), the Adam’s Avenue Street Fair (2005, 2010, 2016, 2019, 2023) the SoNo Fest (2012, 2013, 2016), Street Scene (2004), Gator by the Bay Festival (2013, 2017, 2022, 2023), the Escondido Independence Day Festival (2017) and Tucson's infamous Club Crawl (2010).
In addition to sharing the stage with artists ranging from Otis Rush to Lazy Lester, the band has also backed the likes of James Harman, Johnny Dyer, Little George Sueref, Mark Hummel, John Primer and San Pedro Slim and was featured in a film documenting the Southern California blues scene.
The Fremonts are traditionalists in the truest sense of the word, a band that places the song before the solo. Numerous awards and accolades attest to the fact that the Fremonts' sound has not gone unnoticed. In 2003, the band was named, "Best Blues Band" by the San Diego Reader. In 2004, the Fremonts' debut project, "No More Doggin'" was featured in Blues Revue magazine and received airplay across the United States, Canada, Europe and South America. The band’s second record, "Mighty Crazy" was produced by Grammy winner, Mark Neill. The record won blues album of the year at the 2006 San Diego Music Awards and received critical praise around the world. In 2012, the Fremonts released "Live at the Wood Pit" on the Truax record label. In 2016, the band released "Alligator" which was nominated for a San Diego Music Award. The Fremonts enjoy regular airplay on XM Radio and continue to be nominated for numerous regional music awards.