Imagine a sound informed by the artistry and groove of the Funk Brothers, beneath a voice reminiscent of magical, bluesy Bonnie Raitt and coy, sultry Norah Jones. The result is the soulful rock of Chicago's Happy Butterfly Foot.

Formed in 2004 by Aaron Weistrop (guitar), Happy Butterfly Foot was meant to be a Midwestern instrumental version of The Meters. That plan went out the window after Aaron, Jeff Kelly (drums/producer) and Jim Cerceo (bass) heard Rachel Katzman (vocals) at an open mic. "What really stuck with me," remembers Jeff, "was the way she nailed so many notes inthat pitch-perfect way that makes my ear say to my brain, 'DING! That's it!'"

Once the line-up was established, the band quickly developed an identity. "Each song has that HBF sound due to the four of us," said Jim. "I can honestly say that if you replace any of us, the band would sound totally different." Happy Butterfly Foot is booking gigs throughout the Midwest anticipating the July 6, 2007 release of their debut CD, Beware the Foot, Vol. 1. Early reviews from garageband.com are glowing. "Wow....it's the complete deal." "Singer is phenomenal." "... has got real radio appeal."

Songwriting is a strong suit for the band. When only 25, Aaron won a coveted Illinois Arts Council Fellowship in Composition. Jeff and Jim scored projects for 20th Century Fox and A&E respectively. Rachel recorded original material for an independent label fresh out of high school.

Strong-willed and talented individuals often fuel ego-driven band disasters, but that hasn't happened with HBF. "We all really enjoy each other's company," said Jeff Kelly. "We laugh, make fun of each other, make s'mores. It's that kind of thing. I honestly and deeply respect the talent each member of this group has. There is no weak link."

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