FWIW, I have played (in a large group) with Jay Gaunt, and I've met Brendan Powers (in fact, I saw him in St. Louis last month).
I also met LD Miller the year after his stint on America's Got Talent. He was all of 17 then.
Those late-night jam sessions are magical. And you get to see a side of professional performers you'd normally not see.
There's an Austin musician, J, who was the leader of the blues jam circle one night. He played guitar and rack harmonica from 10 PM to 2 AM, and still smiled. There was a blind man, G, who was having the time of his life. Everyone decided to call it a night, but G wanted one more. J sat down next to him, and the 2 of them did "Scotch and Soda".
I'm pretty sure all those players have made youtube videos of more formal performances.
Other names to check out:
Jason Ricci
Charlie Musselwhite
Dennis Gruenling
Adam Gussow
Michael Rubin
RJ Mischo
Steve Guyger
Peter "Madcat" Ruth
Kim Wilson
Rod Piazza
I'm fortunate enough to have seen all the above in live performances, except Rod Piazza.
