Dutch blues vocalist and harp master Pieter “Big Pete” van der Pluijm may not be a familiar name to American blues audiences, but he’s already well-established in the Netherlands – his native home base in North-West Europe. At 23, Pete was handpicked for a European memorial tour to honor the music and memory of legendary harmonica player and vocalist Lester Butler (the Red Devils and Thirteen), backed by several of Lester’s original bandmates. The project was met with great success and critical acclaim, so more tours and a CD by the Lester Butler Tribute Band soon followed, securing Pete’s arrival on the scene as one of the premier next generation blues performers in the Benelux region. Since then, Big Pete has gone on to form and record many other successful projects including his debut release “Bathroom Acoustics” by The Strikes, a couple of CDs by the rockin’ 50’s Chicago blues outfit The Backbones, and most recently, the more progressive and forward-thinking group M.O.C.T. (Men Of Considerable Taste). Pete’s growing reputation has also led to tours and performances backing many internationally acclaimed blues artists including Alex Schultz, Mitch Kashmar, Monster Mike Welch, Hook Herrera, Matt Schofield, and Ian Siegal. Pete’s informal introduction to the U.S. market materialized in March 2010 with his appearance on The Mannish Boys’ 5th anniversary release “Shake For Me.” Pete closed out the album in style paying tribute to his hero Lester Butler on the storming New Or