Mr. Chill and The Witnesses is a Canadian blues

Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

band. The band consists of Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe

Kelly Hoppe

Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe is a Canadian musician from Windsor, Ontario. From 1994 to 2004, Hoppe was a member of Canadian blues rock band Big Sugar. He is currently a member of the roots band Mr. Chill and The Witnesses. In 2010 Hoppe rejoined Big Sugar....

 (lead vocals

Singing

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

, harmonica

Harmonica

The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...

, saxophone

Saxophone

The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...

, rhythm guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

), Greg Cox (guitar, mandolin

Mandolin

A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...

, banjo

Banjo

In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...

, vocals), Luke Pelotte (drums

Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

), and Josh Zalev (bass

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

, vocals). Hoppe, who had previously been a member of Big Sugar

Big Sugar

Big Sugar is a Canadian blues-rock band, they were active from 1991 to 2004 and again since April 2010. The band has sold more than half a million albums in Canada.-History:...

, formed Mr. Chill and The Witnesses after Big Sugar's demise in 2004.

Mr. Chill's debut album, 2007's 'Cold Testament', was recorded in Windsor, On. at 'Sharktank Studios'. It includes songs written by Patrick Ballantyne, who also penned songs for Big Sugar and The Trews. The album was engineered by Mark Plancke and was mixed by Gordy Johnson at Willie Nelson's Pedernales Studios near Austin TX.