The Robert Hynes Band is an eclectic group of Chicago musicians led by prolific Chicago singer-songwriter and guitarist Robert Hynes. His band blends his crafty original songs, infectious rhythms, a wide variety of musical styles and retro influences. Smoothly shifting from floor stomping barn-burners to 30’s style Hawiian slide guitar, blues to rock, jazz to country the band changes like a chameleon.

Robert Hynes grew up in a house where music was always on. The Beatles from Dad and Elvis from Mom, but a also lots of other artists. Starting on piano, viola, then dicovering Dad..’s guitar as a young child. Dad could play any song by ear on the guitar and piano and did so fequently. Robert had early formal piano lessons from an elderly nieghbor, friend and musical mentor named George Krajecki.

Robert studied under many great gutiarists including the highly versatile Tom Sanchez (formerly of Liquid Soul), jazz-fusion guitarist Steve Ramsdell, classical guitarist Scott Johnston.

In 1996 Dragonfly was born, Robert’s first professional band. Largly considered a Jam Band, the group featured a large line-up including horn section, percussionist, organist, 2 guitars, drums and bass. A huge mix of styles was always present including Latin Jazz, funk influenced grooves, rockabilly and open ended improvisation. Robert has collaborated with many of Chicagoland’s top acts, and over the past 15 years has performed at almost every venue in the area.

Robert Hynes Band is a 4 peice group stripped down to feature the songs, more than the long winded solos of the past. The spontaneous spirit of the music is still alive but displayed in a crackling show of musicality. The band seamlessly manuvers it’s way through a myriad of genres without missing a beat. Prewar slide guitar, fingerpicking blues, stomp boxes, vintage guitars, and alternate tunings have made their way into the music over the past 2 years. This infusion of blues influences can be heard on the upcoming 2010 release “Rust Bucket”, the latest addition to Robert’s rapidly growing disograpy.

At the crossroads of American roots music, TURCHI blends slide-guitar boogie and kudzu-fuzz with storytelling and folk narrative. Emerging from a collage of influences including Mississippi Fred McDowell, RL Burnside, Randy Newman, Kenny Brown, and the North Mississippi Allstars, TURCHI embodies the scenes, sounds, and stories of the American landscape.

The band’s debut album “Road Ends in Water,” was released in March 2012 on Devil Down Records, and was compared to the early work of the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan terms of songwriting, vocals, energy, and spirit, as well as with the White Stripes, Drive-By Truckers, and Black Keys. The album was celebrated internationally as a prime example of raw North Mississippi boogie in a refreshed and modernized form. TURCHI finished tracking their second full-length album at Ardent Studios in December 2012, and recorded a live album in Lafayette, Louisiana during their November tour, making for two upcoming 2013 releases.

As a young man Carter saw a guitarist by the name of Jack Owens — of Bentonia, Mississippi — in a documentary that had been rented on video from the local public library. Carter, from that point on, was deeply influenced by the music of Owens; and the school of music that is native to the Bentonia region of Mississippi. By far, the most well known musician from Bentonia was Skip James. During Carter’s last decade of living and busking on the streets in Chicago, he earned the nickname “Mississippi” through his front porch, “down-home” style of playing. Today, Carter’s blues has remained firmly rooted in the blues tradition and style of Bentonia; and has grown into something completely original and unique to the genre. In the summer of 2009 Carter played at the now legendary Deep Blues Festival of Minneapolis. In March of 2010 he performed at the Blues Autour du Zinc, blues festival in Beauvais, France. In the spring of 2010 he toured the South American country of Peru. And he also traveled to Bari, Italy to perform at the Tra Blues e Avant-Garde, blues festival in July of 2010.