Andy J Forest Harmonica player - Singer Songwriter Born in 1955, Andy has been playing harmonica and singing professionally since 1977. He has 22 releases to his credit. These recordings feature Forest’s original songs. After living in Europe for several years he returned to his home New Orleans in 1991 where he now plays six regular gigs per week playing with a quartet, trio and also plays “solo” Tuesdays and Fridays at the Spotted Cat Music Club on Frenchmen St. Early influences were Sonny Terry, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Taj Mahal and Charlie Musselwhite - to name a few. He has played on stage with B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Johnny Shines, Champion Jack DuPree, James Booker and many other greats of the Blues. He has written scores of songs and one novel, which was published in 3 languages (Letter From Hell). Andy’s cd “Real Stories: of love labor and other man-made catastrophes” for Slang Records won “Best Blues Album” of 2007 in the Best of The Beat Awards of New Orleans. The CD “NOtown Story: The Triumph of Turmoil” was Nominated for another Best of The Beat Award for 2010 and he was nominated in three categories in 2012 - Songwriter of the year, Best Blues CD (Other Rooms) and best song "That Was Our Good Bye". The newest CD “Word Shadows & Ghost Notes” was released in August 2015 and was on the first round ballot of the Grammy’s.