The New Orleans Suspects, a seasoned group of accomplished musicians from N.O., will be doing their thing on the beach.

New Orleans Suspects began playing together in 2009 as a pick-up band at the Maple Leaf in New Orleans. Comprised of some of the most seasoned, highly respected players in NOLA, the group called themselves The Unusual Suspects. 

Their chemistry was undeniable and by the summer of 2011 they decided to tour full-time, renaming the band New Orleans Suspects. They quickly began attracting large crowds from San Francisco to New York. They have currently released five albums and established themselves as one of New Orleans’ best supergroups.

Eddie Christmas played his first gigs in his hometown of New Orleans at age 9. Eddie is know for his Fatt Pocket, Backbeat and Second Line Drumming, with a distinctive New Orleans sound.  He has played with John Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Tab Benoit, The Black Crows, Chris Robinson, George Porter Jr., Big Chief Bo Dollis and The Wild Magnolias and Bonerama to name a few.

Eric Vogel, born and raised in New Orleans, is inspired by the sounds of the city.  Inspired by his relationship with Regi and Victor Wooten, Eric has played with everyone in the music business from blues with North Mississippi Allstars to funk with the Great Fred Wesley.   Eric is a Jedi on the bass.  His Kung Fu is VERY STRONG!

Jake Eckert was the longtime lead guitarist in the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Traveling the world, he has performed everywhere from Palace Square in Russia to 2009 Grammy Awards ceremony. He has other talents as well, receiving a Grammy Award in 2011 for recording engineer and producing albums for John Mooney, Cedric Burnside, and New Orleans Suspects, among others.

CR Gruver is a classically trained pianist who immersed himself in New Orleans piano styles after touring with national bands such as Outformation and singer/songwriter Angie Aparo. Adept at James Booker-style piano and the swelling B-3 stylings of Art Neville, Gruver has also become a well-regarded sideman for Leo Nocentelli of The Meters.

Jeff Watkins is an accomplished sax player, engineer and producer. He spent twelve years leading the James Brown Band, including Brown’s induction into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame. He also worked for six years with Joss Stone as her producer, engineer, and bandleader.

The five albums New Orleans Suspects have released since 2011 include their eponymous debut studio album and a live  recording, Caught Live at the Maple Leaf, which made it into the iTunes® highly competitive “New and Noteworthy” page.

The band’s third recording Ouroboros, released in October 2014, is an all-original studio album that characterizes the band’s sound and puts a contemporary twist on the funk, rock, and R&B traditions of New Orleans music, placing them in a class of their own.

The fourth album, Kaleidoscoped, released in September 2016 on both CD and vinyl, is being hailed as their best and most original to date, being added to over 100 radio stations in North America and receiving rave reviews. Both of these last two albums appear on New Orleans label “Louisiana Red Hot Records”.  Their fifth and latest album, “Live at The Hamilton” captured the best of a two night stand at The Hamilton in Washington DC on Dec. 30 and 31 2018.  This album also features a special guest appearance by the Bonerama Horns.