Hailing from Sacramento, where they were formed in 2008, Rick Estrin & the Wildcats are a group of former Little Charlie & the Wildcats musicians, including vocalist and harmonica player Rick Estrin. Bassist Lorenzo Farrell, guitarist Rick Pettersen and drummer Derrick Martin, replaced in turn by J. Hansen and Alex Pettersen, complete the line-up, which signs with the prestigious blues label Alligator Records and records five albums, starting with Twisted (2009) and One Wrong Turn (2012). Following the release of the live album You Asked for It!... Live! (2014), the following studio recording Groovin' in Greaseland (2017) helped earn the Blues Foundation the title of "Band of the Year" at the 39th Blues Music Awards, while its leader won the trophy for "Best Traditional Blues Artist". Still very popular in concert, especially at blues festivals, the band, which favors the stage, nevertheless released the albums Contemporary (2019) and The Hits Keep Coming (2024).
