About DHB

Neil Elwell is a Spokane, WA native who got his musical genes from hisdad, who played guitar, and his mom who played violin. His interest inthe guitar carried from childhood musical toys until his 1st real guitar in1963 or 1964. Neil Elwell’s current acoustic duo, The Doghouse Boyz,with bassist Ramiro Vijarro, continues to make their brand of blues, jazz,folk, and rock a welcomed and exciting sound throughout the Spokaneand Inland Empire. Elwell gets away from the electric sound and plays acoustic guitar and Dobro as a highlight to this duo. The Doghouse Boyz have received the Inland Empire Blues Society 2003, 2004, and 2005 Empire Award for Best Acoustic Blues Act. In 2005 and 2007 Neil received Empire Award honors as ‘Best Blues Slide Guitar’ a well deserved acknowledgment of his performance and dedication. The Doghouse Boyz are now inducted into the society’s ‘Hall of Fame’ for achieving the award 3 consecutive years. The duo has opened numerous shows throughout the region for the acoustic duo Roy Rogers and Norton Buffalo. The Doghouse Boyz show can be heard throughout Spokane and Inland Empire Region. In 1987, Elwell took over the blues radio program at Spokane’s public radio station KPBX, and produced that show for 7 years. During those years, many attempts at getting back into music were met with varying degrees of success. Bluesosaurus and The Smokestack Blues Band were two of the more satisfying examples he has been a part of. Elwell also met bassist, Dave Turner while working in the Lindell Reason’s Group, and the seed of Elwell’s current electric band ‘Laffin’ Bones’ was then planted along with his acoustic group ‘The Crawdaddies’ which also received honors from the Inland Empire Blues Society Empire Award as ‘Best New Acoustic Band’. With ‘The Crawdaddies’ evolution to ‘The Doghouse Boyz’ Neil’s ‘Laffin Bones’ band, which commenced in late 1994, has grown musically into a close family of like-thinking players of today.

Ramiro started his musical career at 16 playing acoustic upright bass in his high school jazz ensemble, studying electric bass and playing with the top-40 cover band ‘Prestige’. After a 10-year hiatus, Vijarro began playing the Spokane area in 1987 with the classic rock group ‘The Breaks’. Three years later the blues bug bit him and he joined the Spokane band, J.R. Boogie gaining experience working clubs, festivals and shows allacross the Northwest;opening for many national acts, including Delbert McClinnton, Charlie Musclewhite, Edgar Winter, Mick Taylor, Jimmy Rogers and Johnny Clyde Copeland.

Since 1997, he has worked with ‘D.C. Black and The Healers’ strumming up their brand of rockin’ blues throughout the Northwest, followed by taking the helm at bass in Spokane’s popular top-40 band, ‘Legend’. Vijarro then joined ‘The Pat Coast Band’ in early 2002 touring all around the Northwest region and completed a studio project titled, ‘Don’t Touch My Guitar’. This album received the Inland Empire Blues Society’s award for 2003 ‘Best New Album’. Vijarro also performed with reggae singer Benville ‘Raggs’ Gustaffe and his reggae/RB band, ‘Bush Doktor’ throughout 2005-2006. In addition to performing with the touring band, he continued to expand his fretted and fretless bass skills freelancing and playing with his blues, jazz, folk, and rock duo ‘The Doghouse Boyz’ as well as with the jazz-funk improvisational ensemble ‘Pressure Groove’ which featured guitarist, and friend, Ken Luker. Vijarro is considered one of the most solid bass musicians in the region, for which he received honors from the Inland Empire Blues Society and fans as the 2002, 2003, and 2004 ‘Best Blues Bassist’. ‘The Doghouse Boyz have also received the Inland Empire Blues Society’s 2003, 2004, and 2005 Empire Award for ‘Best Acoustic Blues Act’ putting him in the I.E.B.S. ‘Hall of Fame’ for three consecutive Empire Awards; for Best Blues Bassist and Best Acoustic Blues Act. Ramiro is also currently performing with friend Richard Taylor, singer/songwriter, and the Planetary Refugees playing mostly original progressive Reggae with an emphasis on reggae beats and socially conscious lyrics addressing human rights and environmental issues. You can also find Ramiro occasionally sitting in on bass with his duo partner, Neil and his electric blues rockin' band Laffin' Bones.

In addition to his DHB project and through the wonders of craigslist.com, Ramiro met up with rock and roll band The Stranglers of Bombay in November of 2008. He's been rocking and rolling ever since with fellow musicians Rich Hein,guitar/vocals, Steve Gavin, guitar/vocals, and Tony Samuel, drums/vocals.