The first time I met Big Al Dorn was inside the raucous interior of Milwaukee’s Orson’s Saloon, a quaint but lively blues bar tucked away into the city's quieter south side. As we were introduced he approached me with a stiff confidence, hair slicked back, the collar of a blue pinstripe jacket popped, and a large pendant necklace hanging from his neck. The man before me was less than a decade my senior, but I could have sworn based on his old-school stylings and no-bullshit attitude that I was speaking to a longtime veteran bluesman. Our interaction in the middle of that crowded blues bar was brief, yet Al’s impression was lasting and enigmatic.
Two months later we sat down over a cup of coffee (one that he abstained from in preference for a glass of water) for a conversation at my behest. He arrived with a similar cool, reserved demeanor, wearing the same eye-catching pendant and a pair of sunglasses that he kept on the entire time. In the quietest corner of the cafe, we found seats, and in a severe deadpanned voice, Dorn said, “What do you want to know”— before cracking a smile.
The bluesman was born and raised in Milwaukee Wisconsin, brought up by a musically interested and involved family. A young Dorn would often find it difficult to fall asleep with the blaring music of his brother’s records playing a room away, such records that would soon come to inform the rest of his life. It was a John Lee Hooker compilation album that first fell into his hands at the age of three years old, where a lasting affinity for old-school delta blues began to take root. Dorn never stopped listening from that moment, becoming a lifelong musical omnivore with a sweet tooth for old Mississippi Delta and Chicago-style blues.
Two years after getting his hands on his first record, the five-year-old music lover would meet one of the most important figures of his life. Dorn recalls the night, 15 years ago, like a monument from his past: in the midst of the old John Hawks Pub, brought along by his father, Dorn beheld the long-respected Milwaukee Bluesman Jim Liban working the crowded pub interior into a riot with his bar walk.
“Five years old, and I go, that's it— that's what I want to do,” said Dorn, reminiscing upon the night.
At the turn of the 21st century, Dorn was still a young child, but his old-school tastes translated into old-school sentiments, and while the other kids were downloading the day’s latest pop tunes on their iPods, he was wearing down the grooves of his old blues records. With the sound of Liban’s soul-bearing harmonica stuck on repeat in his head, Dorn feverishly studied every blues harmonica record he could get his hands on, drawing influence from a slew of legendary harp players such as Little Walter, Big Walter, James Cotton, Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells, and Good Rockin’ Charles. Dorn never stopped listening, a fact made evident by the fondness he found in naming each song that played out of the cafe speakers throughout our conversation— a fact also made evident by the wailingly expressive and attentive sound on the harmonica he cultivated for himself.
That same sound, which he would become sought after, first caught the attention of a man who would prove pivotal in Dorn’s musical journey. On a summer evening on Milwaukee’s well-known Brady Street, where Dorn frequented for busking in his early teenage years, his playing caught the attention of resident musician and frontman for The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys, Reverend Raven. The encounter left such an impression on the established bluesman that he took the young Dorn under his wing, where his exposure in the Milwaukee blues scene has snowballed ever since.
He was 15 years old when he first went on the road with The Chain Smokin' Altar Boys, gaining his first insights into the performing industry as a roadie employee for the band, and later as the auxiliary harmonica player. Reverend Raven’s influence was crucial in broadening Dorn’s creative interests, with him citing his mentor’s insistence to go see Milwaukee’s Blues Disciples as the impetus.
“Rev is like my musical father,” said Dorn. “Rev told me, ‘Kid, there's this great group in town that I used to be part of back in the day, called the Blues Disciples, you'd really like them.’ I was a bit of a Chicago blues purist. I didn't care for any other style of blues, I didn't want to learn any other style of blues… seeing the blues disciples changed my whole perspective.”
Over the next few years, Dorn would continue playing for the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys, as well as accompanying Chicago Blues long-stay Paul Filipowitz for a two-week tour. Dorn cites Jim Liban, Madison Slim, William Clark, and Westside Andy as some of his biggest influences and mentors throughout this period, one that would culminate with the creation of his own band.
Dorn has been leading his Blues Howlers since 2015, with a lineup that has stabilized to include Paul Stilin on guitar, Bobby Sellers Jr. on drums, and Rick Smith on bass, with Dorn himself front-manning the band with lead vocals, harmonica, and guitar. Dorn met Sellers through his stay with Reverend Raven’s band, whom Sellers was playing drums for at the time, and he befriended Stilin through the Blues Disciples. Dorn crossed paths with Smith during his stay with Filipowitz’s band, for whom Smith played bass. The band formed naturally over time after a number of personnel changes. Dorn draws upon the music they play together, as well as the organic chemistry of his friends and bandmates for comfort and confidence on stage.
“When these guys came in [to the band], it clicked,” Dorn Said, “Offstage I'm a very shy, very reserved person. As soon as I get up on that stage a switch in there flips and I become this wild extroverted frontman, but that only comes out when I'm in the right company.”
Since their formation, “Big” Al’s Blues Howlers have recorded and released two records, with a third slated for release in the near future. Dorn’s 2019 release, “Get It While It’s Hot,” features vocals and playing from his longtime idol, Jim Liban. The upcoming album features primarily the core band, with guest appearances from Benny Rickun, a fellow harmonica player whom Dorn shares a close “brotherly” bond with, and Alex Wilson who lends his guitar to one track.
“We've been working on [the record] since 2024,” said Dorn. “We're pretty much done now. It's been two-tracked, and we're taking it to our contact who does all the mastering and the artwork. Then we send it off to get printed, and then the end result comes back.”
The Blues is supposed to represent life itself to Dorn, and his sentiments shine through with an unmistakable personality within his music— whether commemorating heartbreak or celebrating the good times, he writes his music to represent life as we all live it, filled with triumphs and defeat. When writing, Dorn draws from life experiences for songwriting inspiration. He has a strict adamance for authenticity in the creation process, often writing and rewriting multiple tunes before settling on a final draft.
“If it doesn't feel organic, why record it?” Dorn Said, “If it's an original song, it has to be true to you.”
Dorn’s persistence for authentic expression has established acclaim and respect from his peers. He has played on record for contemporary bluesmen such as Stephen Hull, and has earned the respect and admiration of blues veterans, including Liban and Filipowicz. His authentic sentiment can be heard within the music, which instead of phoning in on current trends in the industry, incorporates classic elements of delta blues and swing to create a uniquely personal blend of influences.
“I don't follow the trends,” said Dorn. “Make your own trend. Make your own way in the world.”
Dorn observes how the trend-oriented music industry has steered younger listeners away from classic genres like the blues, resulting in a shortage of young up-and-coming players from those within his generation and younger. He has witnessed the blues move people to tears and bring others together, and he has been inspired to reach younger listeners to share this same powerful experience that only music can convey.
“The younger generations need to hear the real blues,” said Dorn. “I feel like that's my job, for anyone of the younger generation that's willing to listen.”
Dorn can frequently be seen playing live in the Milwaukee area with his Blues Howlers and with Reverend Raven. He will be taking the stage at the New Glarus Blues Festival on Saturday, July 19, alongside acts such as the Jay Edward Band, Greg Koch, and Joanna Connor. He will also be seen at the Big Bull Falls Blues Festival on August 15. Keep an eye out for his latest record, on course to release in the near future.
Written by Brett Brose