Doni, Chris and Regi Harvey had years ago made a local name for themselves with their hard rock metal band "Harvey," releasing three successful records and touring extensively.

Regi was invited to go to Texas to play guitar and drums on a recording project. He returned with a tape of the sessions (during which he blew up Stevie Ray Vaughn's amp), which he played for his father. The elder Harvey closed his eyes, cocked his head back and exclaimed, "Listen to that good old Texas thunder blues."

Over the years, "Harvey" took a hiatus and other bands formed. Musicians came and went but the name -- and the distinctive sound -- stuck.

Today, Regi Harvey's Thunder Blue, a raucous, high-energy rock, blues and dance band, continues to leave its mark on the San Francisco Bay Area blues scene.

"HARVEY," from their 1985 album "Survivor."

Enjoying the camaraderie and spontaniety of new faces sharing the common language of blues, Regi and his band have hosted one of the longest running, most successful jam sessions in San Francisco. Every Sunday since 1996, Thunder Blue has held court at Skip's Tavern in Bernal Heights, sharing the spotlight with a parade of talented musicians, many of whom went on to form their own groups based on connections made there.

In 1996, Thunder Blue released its first CD, "Live at Skips," a compendium of recordings made during those Sunday sessions. A second CD is currently in production.

The original "Thunder Blue."

In addition to the Skips jam, Thunder Blue hosted a popular Monday night jam in Oakland's venerable blues cathedral, Ely's Mile Hi Club. In late 1998, the group focused its efforts in San Francisco, moving the Monday jam to a new Potrero Hill club -- Cafe Cocomo.

For Harvey, the jam session suits his temperament, his musical ambitions and, ultimately, the music.

"I'm trying hard to succeed and I know that I can't get over without other people," he says. "I'm sick of some of the best musicians in the city working so hard and not getting recognized.

"That's why I'm running jams; to hook the musicians up. Hopefully they'll make something out of that."