Justin Torpey began playing guitar around 1977 under the instruction of Truman Lee in Dublin, California. A few of the classical pieces that Justin learned as a kid were recreated in Winter Music (1993) and can be found in the Extras section. Truman was a student of Andres Segovia and Glenn Campbell during his time in Los Angeles. Truman Lee was a truly great guitarist and teacher. Truman's son Christopher Lee was one of Justin's closest childhood friends, and an even better guitar player. Chris was a child prodigy and virtuoso on guitar, piano, and reed instruments. Chris did some of the piano and keyboard tracks on Rhapsody (2001) found in the Albums section.

Sativa Blue started out as a high school garage band in San Ramon composed of Mark Bohm (drums), Steve March (bass), and Justin (guitar) in the late 1980's.  Mark originally thought of the name Sativa Blue, and it stuck. This group made some recordings at Mr. Toad's in San Francisco: Mr. Toad's 1 (1992) and Mr. Toad's 2 (1993).  These recordings were never released on CD and are found in the Extras section.

Mark Bohm, San Ramon (1989)

Justin, (Mark), Steve March

Justin & Steve, San Ramon (1989)

Justin continued to write and record music in the 1990's while in college and play blues with the Willie Jaye Band in San Diego. The Willie Jaye Band (Willie Lawes) is a high energy gut-bucket blues band that became enormously popular in San Diego, and since then left a trail of fans in New Orleans, Las Vegas, and currently New England.  Willie is a showman from Corpus Christi, TX who was schooled by the likes of Philip Walker and Albert Collins, and he always lives up to his name - The Texas Hurricane.   

Willie Jaye - The Texas Hurricane, San Diego  (1992)

Justin, Claudia, and Willie Jaye at Blind Melon's  (1992)

Shortly after relocating back to San Francisco, Justin was introduced to Earl Thomas at a blues jam at Eli's Mile High Club in Oakland in 1993. Justin remembered Earl from Blind Melon's in San Diego.  While in graduate school at UCSF, Justin worked as Earl's sideman with the Blues Ambassadors performing up and down the coast of California. This was the beginning of a life-long musical collaboration and friendship.  Earl did the vocals on many of the songs on Rhapsody (2001) and has since recorded some of Justin's songs on his own commercial releases (Feelin' All Blue, Little Brother, Sweet Like Sugar). A fortuitous last-minute recording of Earl Thomas and his band Live at The Sweetwater (1998) is found in the Live Shows section. 

Earl & Justin, The Boom Boom Room, SF (2004)

By 1994 Justin began recruiting local SF musicians and booking gigs at many of the City's old haunts like the Paradise Lounge, the Blue Lamp, Blue's on Lombard, Biscuits & Blues, and the Sweetwater in Mill Valley.  Sativa Blue performed both originals and classic cover tunes including blues, R&B and rock. Elvis Johnson responded to a classified ad in Bay Area Music (BAM) Magazine and subsequently became a life-long Sativa Blue drummer and friend.