Bill Wharton brings his kitchen with him wherever he goes. While playing slide-guitar licks onstage, Wharton and his band, The Ingredients, stir up the crowd as they stir up a mean pot of gumbo.

The idea to combine this traditional Louisiana dish with the blues was born out of Wharton’s datil pepper hot sauce. He first whipped up batches of it in his Tallahassee, Fla., home but soon realized that he could make money with his concoction.

“I said, ‘If all my friends are going to come over to my house and eat up all my hot sauce, then I’m going to put it in a bottle and charge ’em for it,'” he said.

Wharton’s Liquid Summer hot sauce eventually worked its way into his act after he started bringing bottles of it to his shows, which is how he got dubbed “The Sauce Boss.” Then, the bluesman decided to cook up some gumbo for his audience in 1989. Nearly 100,000 bowls later, his experiment has become the fixture of his performances.

“It’s biblical,” he said of his gumbo, speaking from the road in New York. “There always seems to be just enough.”

Donning his customary chef hat and white apron, The Sauce Boss will play at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 13, at the Waterville Opera House in Waterville and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 14, at The Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth.

When music and food are combined, Wharton says it creates a mixed media where anything can happen. During the show, he and bassist “Magic” John Jones and drummer “Big” Jim Jenness take musical interludes to throw in ingredients – chicken, crawdads, oysters, zucchini and, of course, the hot sauce. While the band plays a medley in the background, Wharton walks the audience through the cooking process before ripping back into song. He says the experience is somewhere between Emeril and B.B. King.

While gumbo is an essential part of the entertainment, the music is Wharton’s true passion and talent. He and his band aim to bring people together to forget about their troubles for a while. Having fun, not the kind of cry-in-your-beer- (or gumbo)-blues, is at the heart of the gig.

“We just want people to feel like they’re hanging out in the kitchen having a good time,” Wharton said.

That message has drawn fans to The Sauce Boss’ shows across the country. He is known for inviting audience members up on stage to help cook his renowned dish. Even fun-loving musician Jimmy Buffet, who sings about The Sauce Boss in his song, “I Will Play For Gumbo,” has been bitten by the gumbo bug.

Buffet first heard Wharton and The Ingredients during a show performed at his club, Margaritaville Cafe, in New Orleans.

“He came up to me after the show and said, ‘Bill, this is the best band I’ve ever heard,'” Wharton recalled. “I asked him if I could get that on record and he said, ‘Bill, this is the best bar band I’ve ever heard.'”

He laughs, but then in his deep southern voice quips, “I’m known as the guy Jimmy would like to be.”

For Wharton, gumbo is a metaphor for life.

“We are all a big pot of gumbo. We are all different ingredients. Forget about our differences for a minute and sit down at a table and eat a little supper together,” reflects the musician who founded Planet Gumbo, a nonprofit foundation that raises money for homeless shelters around the United States. While touring, he raises money and awareness for his cause, and encourages people to get involved.

Currently, Wharton is promoting his album, “Sky Blues,” which, like his gumbo, has an assortment of elements – from Delta in the tune “A Little Rhythm and Blues” to soulful Southern rock on “Down In Georgia.” No matter your taste, Wharton has something to feed you, musically and literally.

For tickets in Waterville, call 873-7000. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $13 for children 16 and under and seniors 60 and over for the March 13 show at the Waterville Opera House (873-7000). Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door for the March 14 Grand Auditorium concert (667-9500). To learn about The Sauce Boss and Planet Gumbo, visit www.planetgumbo.org and www.sauceboss.com.

The Sauce Boss’ Gumbo

Yields 11/2 gallons

1 chicken, cut and cooked in a gallon of water (save stock)

11/2 cups of oil

2 cups of flour

1 pound of smoked sausage, sliced

2 large onions, chopped

2 large green peppers, chopped

2 medium zucchini, sliced

1 pound okra

Half bottle of Liquid Summer hot sauce

Cajun spice to taste

1 pint oysters

1 pound shrimp

Salt to taste

1 cup cooked rice per serving

Heat oil and make roux with flour, stir constantly until brown.

Debone cooked chicken and add pieces, chicken stock, vegetables, sausage, hot sauce and spices. Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer until okra is cooked. Add seafood and cook until done, roughly 3 minutes. Serve over rice.