Hank Van Sickle

Hank Van Sickle (born December 31, 1961 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an electric and upright bassist currently living and working in Los Angeles, California. His father Rodney Van Sickle is a classically trained double bassist who graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music and played in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Sister Lucy Van Sickle is a well known singer and blues harmonica player still living in Pittsburgh.

Hank Van Sickle is best known for blues, blues-rock, roots rock, and jazz, but is experienced in symphonic, rockabilly, world music, pop, punk rock, experimental, and anything else he can get his hands on. He has been a member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers since 2000. Other credits include Jimmy Smith, Candye Kane, Guitar Shorty, Smokey Wilson, Denny Freeman, Don and Dewey, The Drifters, Rosie Flores, Wanda Jackson, James Intveld, Billy Swan, Yma Sumac, Judy Tenuta, Ray Campi, Floyd Sneed and Friends of Dean Martinez.

Recordings include

With John Mayall:
*"In the Palace of the King" (Eagle Records)
*"Essentially John Mayall" (Eagle Records)
*"Road Dogs" (Eagle Records)
*"70th Birthday Concert featuring Eric Clapton, Chris Barber and Mick Taylor" (Eagle Records) (DVD and CD)
*"Stories" (Eagle Records)
*"Cookin' Down Under" (Private Stash Records) (DVD)
*"No Days Off" (Private Stash Records)

With Friends of Dean Martinez:
*"Retrograde" (Sub Pop).
*"Keep Left, Vol. 1: A Benefit for David Barsamain and Alternative Radio" (Go Big)

With Skip Heller:
*"Couch, Los Angeles (Couch 2.0)" (Jewbilee)
*"Career Suicide: The Essential Skip Heller" (Dionysus)
*"Couch, Los Angeles" (Mouthpiece/Rounder)
*"St. Christopher's Arms" (Mouthpiece/Rounder)

With Steamin' Stan Ruffo and the Instigators:
*"Jump On This!" (Sho' Nuff)
*"Blues On Tap, Volume One" (Sho' Nuff)
*"Santa Cruz Blues" (Bluestraxx)
*"More Desaster City Blues" (Taxim)

With others:

*Todd Rundgren: "Todd Rundgren Reconstructed" (Cleopatra)
*Ian Whitcomb and Skip Heller: "Barenstark Bear Essentials" (Bear Family)
*Barry Levenson featuring Johnny Dyer: "Hard Times Won" (Storyville Records)
*The Blue Dahlia: "A Tribute to Frank Sinatra" (Cleopatra)
*Lisa Finnie: "Lisa Finnie" (Chirp)
*Dennis Herrera Blues Band: "Blues Well Done!" (JulDen)
*Bob Pacemaker Newham and the Blue Vanguards: "So Cal Barbeque" (Self Produced)
*Indigo Triangle: "Code of the Heart" (Mountain Castle Music)
*Claudia Russell: "Ready to Receive" (Radio Rhythm Records)
*Anny Celsi: "Little Black Dress & Other Stories" (Ragazza Music)
*Rip Masters: "Big Red '57" (Rattler)
*Rudy Rotta: "Some of my favorite songs for..." (Slang Records)
*Billy Sheets: "Please Tell Me Why" (Big Clock)
*Dennis Spencer: "They Call Me The Tall Guy" (Tall Guy Music)
*Farina: "Shots in the Dark" (Del Fi)
*Edwing Sankey: "Trapdoor" (Positone)

External links

* [http://www.hankvansickle.com Hank Van Sickle website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/hankvansickle Hank Van Sickle Myspace site]
* [http://www.johnmayall.com John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers website]