DEACON BLUES was born in the twelfth year of the 21st century.  Eleven stellar musicians, composers, and educators based in Chicago, they share a unique passion for the Becker/Fagen repository, better known to the world as Steely Dan.
The genesis of Deacon Blues began when Steven Kikoen, Jonathan Hey, and Cash Michaels formed an original jazz/rock collective known as Bebop Daddys.  The Daddys also featured the renowned rhythm section of Tom Mendel (bass) and Tom Hipskind (drums).  Considered a Daddys fan, Donald Fagen can be seen in many a YouTube video sporting his Bebop Daddys “tee.”
Steve, Jon, and Mike formed a bond within the Daddys which has followed them into Deacon Blues.  Under the leadership of Steve, musical partner Thomas Linsk and arranger Jon Hey, the group reads as a \"who\'s who\" of world class musicians. Chicago luminaries and Grammy® winners such as Howard Levy (Kenny Loggins, Paul Simon, Bela Fleck), Chuck Webb (Aretha Franklin, Ramsey Lewis, and Al Di Meola),  Sugar Blue (The Rolling Stones), Billy Branch (The Sons of Blues), Khari Parker (George Benson, Destiny’s Child), Richard Patterson (Miles Davis, Boz Skaggs), and Bob Lizik (The Beach Boys; Brian Wilson), have been featured as special guests with the band.  Most recently, original Dan session musician and legendary drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie appeared with Deacon Blues at their sold-out Arcada Theatre show over the past Thanksgiving weekend.