The Nighthawks

BlackRock and DC-favorite, The Nighthawks, are an American blues and roots music band based in Washington, DC with a history that spans more than 40 years.

When Mark Stutso (drums, vocals), master of the deep groove, joined The Nighthawks at the beginning of 2010, the 21st-century version of the legendary American roots band was complete. With Paul Bell (guitar) and Johnny Castle (vocals, bass) in the band for nearly a decade, and founding father Mark Wenner (vocals, harmonica), this team outshines all previous incarnations. The current members bring decades of varied experience to the stage and studio.

Paul Bell has played in many influential bands around the Nation’s Capital and is the consummate DC guitarist, capable of soul scratching or country picking. He spent 10 years working with legendary blue-eyed soul man and keyboardist Tommy Lepson, who subbed for Mark Wenner on a number of dates this year while Mark recovered from open-heart surgery.

In 1984, Mark Wenner developed a repertoire of material with Switchblade and together they recorded Mark’s Fugitive – a project that mixed hard rocking country classics with electric blues instrumentation (think Kentucky Headhunters). Live versions of some of those tunes can be heard on Mark’s compilation, Runs Good, Needs Paint.

Johnny Castle started his DC career with Crank, popular early hard-rockers who opened for Jimi Hendrix. He spent journeyman time with Eddie and Martha Adcock in the heyday of DC Bluegrass, and before joining the Nighthawks, spent a decade recording and touring with diesel-billy legend Bill Kirchen.

Mark Stutso spent nearly two decades with former Nighthawk Jimmy Thackery. Before that he played in a number of big and small-time rock bands, including Ruffryder – a spin-off of Black Oak Arkansas – and Virginia Beach-based Trix. His vocals are a force to be reckoned with.