TrainTime brings Chicago Blues
Excitement to the Audience

Bret "TrainTime" Pritchett began his musical training at the age of 7 with traditional piano lessons. At the age of 12 he wanted to change to the guitar but his father forbid it. "The guitar is a damn hippie instrument" he would say. Secretly he bought his first harmonica at the age of 14. His style was influenced by Paul Butterfield, James Cotton, Savoy Brown, Jimi Hendrix, J. Geil's Magic Dick, Muddy Waters, Seigel-Schwall, Jr. Wells, and Howlin Wolf. While still in High School, Bret took a job as a dishwasher. The other dishwashers were all adult black men. They would pick him up on their way to work and play BB King on their 8-tracks. Hearing BB, he was hooked on the Blues. He started improvising Blues Lyrics and practicing relentlessly on his harmonica.

At the "Ye Olde Fiddler Convention" in North Carolina, 18 year-old Bret met a 78 year old Blue Grass fiddle player who took the time to teach him some important harp playin skills. Before long Bret was Jammin with local musicians from bands like Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows, Skid City, and Code Blue. Bret's friend Matt took up the guitar and the two of them formed a small band with good friend Gary Gordon on vocals. Ultimately, the three moved far apart: Texas, California, and Chicago.

Bret found that losing the band really gave him the Blues. This was when he started playing the classic "Train-Time" Blues Harp solo which led to "TrainTime" becoming his nickname. Train-Time is a Blues song a harp player plays alone. Then Bret, Matt, and Dale formed the Blues Drifters which performed at clubs in the Chicago and Dallas Metro areas. The band's membership has changed but the focus on rockin' out to bring joy to audiences continues.