Photo by Cyndy Payo

Holding down the bass parts and writing most of the songs is Jose Payo. A band leader and self-taught musician, Jose has been playing music most of his life, making music on bass, guitar, drums, mandolin, banjo, sax and piano. He first picked up the bass the year Jessie was born, when he bought a $15 bass from a pawn shop in Denver (it might have been hot). He's played in the bands Blues Garage, Fools, and the 9th Street Vato Loco Band.

Growing up in San Francisco, Germany, and Colorado, his musical influences are varied, but his passion ultimately became the blues. In Denver he had the opportunity to work with Herman "Harmony" McCoy, one of the vocal arrangers for Duke Ellington and spent a good deal of time singing and arranging for jazz vocal groups.

With a degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Northern Colorado and Colorado State University, he's also been an actor, director, writer, set designer, and filmmaker. For the band, he writes the songs and manages the web site. He produced their album "House Broken."