- J u m p i n' J u b a -

Hand-made music, presented live and in real time. Jumpin' Juba is my outlet for my rootsy-bluesy side, allowing me to write new material inspired by many flavors of American blues music. New Orleans swamp-rock, classic boogie-woogie, folk, Memphis rock & roll, and a playful use of everything from calypso to country are stirred into the band's blue stew.

Bruce alternately pounds and glides over his piano keys. He's been playing blues and boogie piano for over 3 decades. His musical heroes include Prof. Longhair, Otis Spann and Jimmy Yancey. I get to bend the guitar strings a little harder and sing with a little more pepper than your average folkie. On stage and record, we're often joined by drummer Brian Flan, a dynamically aware player who beats out blues, jazz and rock grooves with real taste and precision. We work the arrangements so that each of us gets a chance to showcase our natural abilities.

In early 2004, the band released its first studio-recorded CD, Bumpity Bump, a diverse collection of original blues and roots-rock tunes (along with a couple of traditional blues numbers). We kept a live feel throughout, because much of it was actually recorded in real time. Editing was kept to a minimum, and none of that "pitch correction" software was used on the vocals. We did get to play through an odd assortment of vintage amps, though (some belong to Bruce). Oh yeah, and we used 100% real acoustic piano, nuthin' digital.

On stage, Juba adds many a re-arranged R&B classic to their sets. People listen, people dance.