Paula & the Pontiacs, led by multi-talented instrumentalist and singer Paula Rangell, features a hefty repertoire of post-war blues, R&B, and catchy, soulful originals. The band is a New Orleans staple, and as they move towards their 50th anniversary, the Pontiacs continue to please audiences at festivals and venues around the region. Rangell was born and raised in Colorado, studying clarinet as a young girl and picking up the harmonica as a teen after hearing blues artists like Janis Joplin and Muddy Waters. She added the saxophone to her arsenal after being inspired by Charlie Parker, but carved out her own Americana-inflected style. In the 1970s, she was an integral member of the thriving Boulder music scene, playing with then-Coloradan, now New Orleanian Washboard Chaz Leary before forming her first iteration of The Pontiacs in 1978. After a stint in Austin, Texas, Rangell headed east to New Orleans in 1984, whre she clearly found her musical home.

Paula and the Pontiacs have performed with legends like Earl King, Deacon John, and John Mooney, and are regulars at the Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival, and similar festivals around the Gulf South. For years the Pontiacs were staples at the fabled after-hours joint Benny’s Bar, where they earned an enthusiastic following. Many musicians have been Pontiacs, including long-time guitarist Jack Kolb and bassist Jack Carter. The group has released several albums, including 17, Cadillac Love, Louisiana Bride, Live at Ruby’s Roadhouse, and the under-appreciated 30 x 90, which includes the superb, equally undersung tunes, “The Way That You Walk Tall” and a tribute to her father, “I Got it All From You,” with her brothers, smooth jazz sax player Nelson and jazz flautist Bobby. (Brother Michael is a concert pianist.) In addition, her recording of “Harmonica Girl” was selected as the lead track for the critically acclaimed two-disc set Blues Harp Women (Ruff Records).

In 2016, Rangell received the annual Slim Harpo Music Award in the Pioneers category, which recognizes “one who has endured and carried blues music forward.”