Shari Puorto Band
welcomes Grammy award & Emmy award nominee Doug Woolverton (bio below)
to her heavy hitter band on bass and trumpet!
Shari Puorto Band is a Roots/Rock/Blues Band with a whole lotta soul who have been touring together for many years. Their combination of modern blues, Roots/Rock, and Funk grooves will turn your head as it does everyone. At first, it’s unexpected then they have you in their trance and there’s no turning back! Don’t just take it just from us, hear what others are saying:
Professor Johnny P's Juke Joint: "Let me say this as plainly as I can. I think that Shari Puorto could be the next big breakout singer. She’s got all the tools – a great voice, a top notch band, and superb writing skills. This latest album, Live At Bogies, shows that she can work a crowd extremely well and her song selection is quite moving.”
“Shari’s a road warrior touring non-stop across the USA and now, after some fine studio releases, those of us unlucky enough not to see her perform live can get a taste of the Shari Puorto live experience in full flight on a fantastic live album. Ms Puorto is a fabulous singer, right up there with Bonnie Bramlett in my pantheon of soulful blues singers and backed by a great band this record shows just how good she is.” Stuart Hamilton, Blues Matters! & The Rocker, UK
Puorto, is a dynamo packing a huge vocal punch combined with a high energy stage performance. There is a running debate as to whether she's more similar to Janis Joplin or Etta James. My money is on a mashup of the two. She has the stage presence of Joplin, but with vocals more similar to James.” Scott Cunningham, Oregon Music News
Their connection with the audience and their performance onstage is compelling. With notable nominations and awards under their belt they continue to electrify audiences from Coast to Coast and abroad. Shari and her band’s energy draws you in and allows you to escape and enjoy being in the moment. They know how to put on a show and cater to each and every audience. Shari’s well-written original songs blended with just the right mix of obscure covers are also what makes this band and Shari so unique.
Shari has released 7 albums to-date. One with her band called, Live at Bogie’s. 'Live at Bogie's' took home the WIN for Best Live Release at the LA Music Critic Awards.
Shari Puorto Band has performed up and down the coast of California, across the U.S., and abroad (from large festivals to Blues Clubs to local hangouts). Past appearances range from, headlining at the Phuket Blues Rock Festival (Thailand), San Giacomo Italy For A Two-Night Show “Evening Of The Blues”, Fiji Int'l Jazz/Blues Festival, Doheny Blues Festival, Waterfront Blues Festival, Headlined: NA Blues Festival, Headlined: Water Springs Blues Festival in Las Vegas, Blues Alley Jazz & Supper club in Georgetown DC, Silver Spring Blues Festival, Gator by the Bay in San Diego, Crawdaddy Blues Festival & The Animas Blues Festival in New Mexico, Beaver Creek Blues/BBQ fest, NAMM show Anaheim, Irvine Lake Blues Festival, OC Fair (So Cal.), Lexus Jazz/Blues Festival, Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, Las Vegas Bike Fest opening for Kansas, Long Beach Bayou Festival, King Biscuit Blues Fest (Helena Arkansas), Biscuit & Blues / San Francisco, TheTorch Club (Sacramento), Little Bear (Evergreen, CO), Knuckleheads (Kansas City), Cafe Boogaloo/Hermosa Bch, Harvelle's/Santa Monica, Powerhouse Pub / Folsom, CA, to name a few.
Band Bio's
Doug Woolverton - Trumpet & Bass (when not on tour)
Cultivating his smooth, soulful, and energetic trumpet sound for audiences around the world, Doug Woolverton has become one of the most in demand, versatile trumpeters of his generation.
Born and raised in Trenton New Jersey, Doug began playing the trumpet at the young age of 7 where he soon realized his love for music. Playing in ensembles, improvising all the way through high-school and continuing through college, Doug received a Bachelor of Arts for Trumpet performance at Northern State University, Aberdeen SD.
He continues to hone his skills of soulful soloing, songwriting, while also recording and performing with some of the biggest names in blues music, including; Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Bobby Rush, Victor Wainwright, and Roomful of Blues, which has led to his full-time career touring national and international.
Doug is currently residing in Annapolis, MD.
*In 2019, Doug was nominated for a Grammy award with Victor Wainwright and the Train, who’s record was nominated for “Best Contemporary Blues Album”.
*In 2021 a PBS Postcards mini documentary episode that featured Doug, and his life story, was nominated for an Emmy award.
*In 2025, Doug is one again nominated for a Grammy award with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band with Bobby Rush.
He is touring full-time with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd band and when not on tour with KWS, he also performs shows with Beginnings-the Chicago tribute band, the Bender Brass band, and the Shari Puorto Band (on bass guitar).
Doug has performed/recorded with:
Aretha Franklin, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Warren Haynes, Gov't Mule, John Scofield, Shemekia Copeland, Keb Mo, Bobby Rush, Roomful of Blues, Victor Wainwright, Duke Robillard, They Might Be Giants, The Temptations, Little Anthony and the Imperials, The Bender Brass, Donnie Dacus, Jerry Jemmott, Bernard Purdie, Delbert McClinton, James Cotton, J. Geils and many more.
Eugene Gorsky - Guitar - (Los Angeles Band)
Eugene was born and raised in the small town of Nikolaev, Ukraine. He began studying guitr at the age of 16 garnering musical inspiration from the likes of B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, and Joe Satriani. with roots in blues and rock music, his career has taken him on tours around the US, Ukraine, Poland, and Russia. He's also gotten the opportunity to share the stage with artists like, Robben Ford, Stu Hamm, Jonathan Mover, "the Animals' and "Nazereth. You will also see Eugene touring with the Shari Puorto Band!
Mike Sauer - Drums (Los Angeles Band)
Originally from Albuquerque, Mike Sauer studied percussion at the University of New Mexico and then moved to Los Angeles to attend the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. Graduating with Vocational Honors and receiving the Award for “Outstanding Stylist - All Styles,” he toured the U.S. drumming for the Bentley Bros. Circus. Returning to Los Angeles, he joined J.J. "Bad Boy" Jones and was featured in Los Angeles Magazine as LA's Best Blues.
Mike has performed with or recorded for artists including Mick Jagger, Keb' Mo, Edgar Synigal (Music Director for B.B. King), The Royal Crown Review, Will Ray (The Hellecasters), Jimmy Rip (Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger), and Todd Nichols (Toad the Wet Sprocket).
During his four years as the Music Librarian for The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Mike had the good fortune to work directly with many incredible musicians including Herbie Hancock, Bonnie Raitt, Dave Koz, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Rickey Minor, Paul Jackson Jr., and Nathan East. Since 2013, Mike has been performing and touring with the Shari Puorto Band.