Biography

Some people are born with a song in their heart. Don Paul Way is one of those people. D.P. grew up in Morrisville, a small town in central New York. He picked up guitar and bass and tried his hand at songwriting while still in junior high. Throughout high school he played in bands, mostly with his pals guitarist Denny McKaig and drummer Lou Wissenbach.

After graduating, D.P. started playing with Morrisville friends George Deveny (vocals, guitar and slide), Paul Crandall (vocals and guitar), Oscar Crandall (drums), Dave Stewart (piano) and Syracusan Bruce Tetley (vocals and guitar), in a band called Homegrown. The band played CNY’s club circuit for five years, and opened shows for artists like blues legend Freddie King and folk-rock legend Roger McGuinn, before quitting in the mid-70s.

 

Homegrown

The early 80-s found D.P. in Alaska, along with a couple of dozen friends, former cental New Yorkers who were in the land of the midnight sun homesteading. The oil boom was on, and roughnecks coming off a long arctic stay spent their money in the bars around Talkeetna. There, D.P. played bass with the group Sockeye, along with fellow Homegrown alumnus Bruce Tetley and vocalist-guitarists Steve and Jonny "Slick" Durr, brothers who also grew up in Morrisville in the 1960s.

Returning the CNY in the late 80s, D.P. spent a couple of years with Deveny, Ed Rosenburgh ((vocals and guitars) and Mike Stone (vocals, guitars) in the Dust Devil Band, before Blueprints formed in 1988.

 

Sockeye

Blueprints is back- Originally formed in 1988, Blueprints was one of central New York’s favorite blues-rock bands, playing clubs, concerts and festivals through the mid-90s. They released an all-original CD, "House of Cards," in 1991, receiving two SAMMY nominations, for Best CD and Producer. Original Blueprints members, guitarist George Deveny, bassist Don Paul Way and keyboardist Dave Liddy are joined by drummer Oscar Crandall, returning to the CNY music scene. Now, original member, Bruce Tetley, is again living in the area, playing some solo dates and shows with Blueprints.

Way, Deveny and Liddy played with Blueprints during its original run, and were united to record "Burning Daylight," Way’s solo CD, released in October 2004 to strong reviews. Now, along with Tetley, they are out performing again as Blueprints, promoting the CD and reconnecting with their old fans as they gain new ones.

Blueprints has appeared at the New York State Blues Festival, Chenango County Blues Festival, Fireworks Over Central New York, Fireworks Over Utica, Little Falls Canal Days, BalloonFest, Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute, Kirkland Art Center. The band has opened for Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson, the Nighthawks, C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Asleep at the Wheel and many other national acts.

David Liddy (vocals/keyboards) - Dave is a dedicated practitioner of boogie-woogie, stride, blues and ragtime piano. The Camden, N.Y. native was a founding member of the legendary Mossback Mule Band, and a featured player in Out of the Blue, String Bee, Don Paul Way and Friends and Blueprints.

Dave has a wealth of real-world experience matched by few players, from the concerts and clubs of CNY to Mickey Gilley's in Houston, TX. Dave also is an experienced songwriter, contributing tunes to Blueprints' "House of Cards" CD and to String Bee's two discs. He has opened shows for Jerry Portnoy, John Mooney, Orleans, Commander Cody, the Nighthawks, Buddy Rich, Freddie King, Pure Prairie League, Asleep at the Wheel, Hank Williams, Jr., George Thorogood, Charlie Daniels, and Harry Chapin. Dave also has played on stage with Buddy Emmons, John Tichy, (Commander Cody) Charlie Daniels and Mark Wenner. (the Nighthawks)

George Deveny (vocals/guitar/slide guitar/Dobro) - George is widely recognized as one of the top blues/roots players around. His slide and guitar playing, singing and songwriting and producing continue to gain him new fans. Over the years, in CNY bands like Homegrown, Slidewinder, Dust Devil Band, the Gary Hunt Band and Blueprints, and the Capital Region's Tom Healey Band, George has a lifetime of musical experience, playing in concerts and clubs from CNY to Beale Street.

As a songwriter, George contributed songs to Blueprints' House of Cards, and has had tunes on both "WOUR Rock of Central New York, Vol. 1" (Dust Devil Band) and "Vol.2" (Blueprints). He produced and played guitar on "Burning Daylight" for Don Paul Way and John Savage's eponymous EP. George played at Woodstock 99, and has opened shows for such lumineries as Freddie King, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Eddie Shaw Band (featuring Hubert Sumlin), Roomful of Blues, Jim Weider and the Honkey Tonk Gurus, Peter Tosh, Kenny Neal, the Nighthawks, Mark Wenner, Lucky Petersen, The Kinsey Report, Roger McGuinn, Eddie Money, Black 47, Wolfman Jack, and others.

Don Paul Way (vocals/bass/acoustic guitar) - A gifted songwriter and bass player, DP played with top regional bands Homegrown, Dust Devil Band and Blueprints in central New York, and for several years with the band Sockeye in Alaska. His solo CD, "Burning Daylight", was released to strong reviews in 2004. Donnie also contributed songs to Blueprints' "House of Cards."

DP has opened shows for national artists like Little Feat (with Lowell George), Freddie King, Roger McGuinn, Eddie Money, Kenny Neal, Lucky Petersen, and more. For more info on Don Paul Way.

Oscar Crandall (drums) - Oscar has played with George Deveny and Don Paul Way since they were kids growing up in Morrisville, NY. He played CNY clubs with Homegrown, starting at age at age 17, and appeared on several concert shows, opening for blues great Freddie King at the Jamesville Grove, and folk-rock pioneer Roger McGuinn, and one-hit wonder, Stories. After Homegrown disbanded in 1976, Osc took time off for family and work. He now returns to the music scene on the kit for Blueprints.

Bruce Tetley (vocals/guitar) - Tetley has spent most of the last decade in Florida. Earlier this year, his song, "Dodgin’ a Hurricane," won first place in the "Best New Florida Song" contest, held annually by the Will McLean Foundation. Will McLean was a famous Florida folk singer and songwriter.