JIM BUKIET - Harmonica and Vocals Vocalist/harmonicist and Chicago native Jim Bukiet has paid his dues in the blues, R&B, and rock 'n' roll over the past few decades. His interest in music was fueled in the 1960s by the rhythmic sounds emanating from Chicago rock 'n' roll and R&B radio during those years. In the early 70's he began playing harmonica, slowly mastering the intricacies of blues harp, influenced by Little Walter, Junior Wells, Paul Butterfield, and Corky Siegel. Under the moniker Cicero Slim (inspired by the blue collar Chicago suburb where he grew up) he sat in with blues artists Luther Allison, Fenton Robinson, and Lonnie Brooks, and opened shows for Albert King, Son Seals, and Mighty Joe Young. Bukiet's musical career hit high gear in the late '70s when he formed Cicero Slim And The WWIII Blues Band in Springfield, Illinois, featuring two guitarists and a pair of saxophonists along with the leader's harp. The band toured the Midwest, playing the college circuit along with central Illinois and Chicago clubs and festivals, including ChicagoFest. In 1979, he participated in the "Blues In The Schools" program with Fenton Robinson who had taken up temporary residency in Illinois' capital city. Playing with several bands in the '80's, Bukiet played for a few months with guitarist and Delmark recording artist Dave Specter in the group Prisoners Of The Blues. In the '90s, Bukiet led his own outfit named The Kingpins. Now based in Tampa, Bukiet has played with The BackBreakers, Larry Garner, Tomcat Blake, and The Accelerators. His enthusiasm for the blues and his impressive vocal and instrumental skills are clearly inspired by the Sunshine State.