About Us
For over 20 years, Bay Area band Highwater Blues has entertained crowds with its unique mix of R&B, blues and rock. The band is a 5 piece group fronted by a powerful female vocalist. A keyboard player is often added for special events.
Highwater Blues has appeared at summer festivals and concerts throughout the Bay Area, from Sausalito Jazz & Blues By The Bay to the Sunnyvale Art & Wine Festival to the Gilroy Garlic Festival. The band has played at dozens of Bay Area clubs, festivals, parties and private events. (Click here for a complete venues list.) We can frequently be seen at The Saloon - San Francisco's world famous and oldest blues club - and at venues such as the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, Nick's Seashore Restaurant in Pacifica, The Rellik Tavern in Benicia and Downtown Joe's in Napa.
Band Members
Suzanne Rose
Singer Suzanne Rose, born and raised in Oakland, first took to the stage to sing at age 8 and has been performing ever since. Suzanne has worked with award-winning music producers such as Raz Kennedy and Roland Wyatt.
Simon Govan Smith
Originally from Australia, guitarist Simon Govan Smith now lives in San Francisco. Simon has been featured in numerous Bay Area bands and he is a popular fixture in the Bay Area Blues scene.
Valerie marchant
Bassist Valerie Marchant trained as a classical flutist while growing up near Chicago, then got her start on the bass playing with San Francisco blues icon Johnny Nitro and the Doorslammers.
Michael Pearce
Saxophonist Michael Pearce doubles on harmonica, and has appeared with The Delta Dogs, True Danger, Willy Roland and Johnny Nitro. Catch him in this short video on the Exploratorium's site, where he tests how different acoustic environments affect the feeling of a piece of music.
Robi bean
Drummer Robi Bean has played with numerous Bay Area bands. He’s also appeared with national touring acts, such as Chuck Berry and Buddy Guy.