About Alvin Jett & the Phat noiZ

A native of East St. Louis, Alvin Jett has been entertaining audiences throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area for twenty-five years. Although Jett came from a musical family, he didn't seriously start playing guitar until he was 20 years old. Jett quickly learned the rudiments, and received his formal blues education playing with Tommy Bankhead & the Blues Eldorados honing his skills into his own fiery brand of hard driving St. Louis blues.

The Phat noiZ is Jett's means for delivering to the audience his brand of in-your-face, hard driving blues. The band performs its own unique style of original blues music as well as blues, R&B and rock standards. Currently operating as a four-piece, the Phat noiZ consists of Alvin Jett on guitar and vocals, Frank Bauer on saxophone and background vocals, Corey "Woody" Woodruff on drums and Matt Davis on bass and background vocals.

Saxophonist Frank Bauer led his own band, Blues Attitude, for some five years before hooking up with Jett in 1999. A fan and player of both jazz and funk; Bauer is rooted in the blues sounds pioneered by Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, Maceo Parker as well as local St. Louisian's Oliver Sain, Corky Blake, and Dennis "Chicago Slim" Lansing. Having given up playing sax for sports as a child, he returned to his true love back in the early 90's and has been performing in front of audiences ever since.

Literally a student of music, bassist Matt Davis, who joined the band in 2003, is a graduate of the Webster University music program. Describing his music as Saikyou-Ryuu, Davis toured with nationally renowned jazz vocalist Erin Bode, the Mighty Big Band and Stoned Walls.

In 2007, Corey "Woody" Woodruff began drumming with the Phat noiZ. In his 22 years of playing, Woody has performed with an eclectic mix of artists including political funksters 9-1-1, guitar-pop whizkids Big Red G, and alt-country rebels Whiskey Daydream. A student of the late Ren Hoeck, Woody is also a professional drum maker and an avid writer.

In addition to a demanding regional tour schedule, over 200 gigs a year, Alvin Jett & the Phat noiZ performed at the 2005 King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas, in addition to festivals throughout Missouri, Michigan, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and the Pacific Northwest. Alvin has also been a part of the Guitar Masters Concerts promoted by the St. Louis Blues Society.

Alvin Jett & the Phat noiZ were semi-finalists at the 2006 International Blues Challenge, sponsored by the MO Blues Association, and their first CD, Wet My Beak (Self-released 2005), made the final five for the title of Best Self-Produced CD. The band also participated as semi-finalists of the 2007 International Blues Challenge sponsored by the St. Louis Blues Society.