JT Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters
J.T. Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters have many reasons to celebrate in 2026.
With 30 years on the road, the band is now better than ever – and more than ready to demonstrate it to audiences at home and abroad. In addition to a big anniversary party, the anniversary will be marked with an anniversary tour and the release of the band's tenth album "Still Be Friends". "Still Be Friends" has in a short time experienced receiving a lot of praise and radio play at home and abroad.
J.T. Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters is one of our most sought-after blues bands with its "blue eyed soul". Jan Tore Lauritsen, or just J.T., stands out as a towering frontman, sometimes with a "squeezebox" (accordion) on his stomach or a harmonica in his mouth. The Hammond organ is occasionally used.
In 2014, he received the Notodden Blues Festival's blues prize, and the following year, together with the band, he took third place at the European Blues Challenge (EBC) in Brussels. In 2017, the band reached the semi-finals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, USA, competing with over 260 bands from all over the world. With the album "Blue Eyed Soul Volume 1" (2018), J.T. & Co. also received their first Spellemann nomination.
Over the years, J.T. has honed his soulful voice, and the band, with some of the country's best musicians, has come together like few other bands. It is always interesting to hear how the two eminent guitarists Arnfinn Tørrisen and Ian Fredrick Johannessen complement each other. Jon "Big Jon" Grimsby (drums) and Morten Nordskaug (bass) elegantly control the heavy groove that has become a trademark for the band. In addition to the permanent line-up, the band is occasionally expanded with Bjørn Asper (trumpet), Svein Greni (saxophone/flute) and Tarjei Grimsby (trombone).
Among the live favorites are standard songs such as William Bell's "Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday" and Tom T. Hall's "That's How I Get To Memphis" mixed with original material such as "Play By The Rules", "Bald Headed Woman" and "Back Pain Shuffle". And of course, songs from the critically acclaimed new album "Still Be Friends".