Chris D'Amato, aka Smokin' Opey, has been playing blues guitar professionally for the past 20 years. He is equally adept in acoustic or electric band settings, and is at home playing many styles of blues and slide guitar, from electric swing to Chicago blues, Piedmont and Delta blues with a mix of jazz, psychedelia and soul. Not one to rest on a single style, Chris is always searching for musical fluidity. Besides leading his own bands, Chris D'Amato is an in-demand sideman on the Connecticut blues scene, performing regularly with Pete Scheips Band, Dan Stevens, and others. He has also toured nationally with L.A. Jones and the Blues Messengers and Debbie Davies. Chris has performed or shared bills with several great blues musicians, including Albert Collins, Pinetop Perkins, Jaimo, Eddie Shaw, Big Time Sarah, Buddy Guy, Roomful of Blues, Ronnie Earl, Derek Trucks, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, John Mayall, Government Mule, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and the Marshall Tucker Band.