StaffordCountySun.com
2006 Article: Blues Brothers
Ten-year-old twin musicians wow crowd at Bella Bagel Café
Radio Show
"Tell Us A Tale" at WTJU 91.1 FM Radio
"Despite playing only for four years, these boys sound as though they started straight out of diapers."
—Peter Jones Host of the Show
Click here to view Tell Us a Tale Web site.
Click here to view WTJU 91.1 FM Radio Web site.
June 2008
Everyone gets the blues. Sometimes it’s a relationship gone bad; other times it’s the consequence of a bad decision. Sometimes, it’s when a musician meets a couple of fellow musicians who happen to be better than he is and they are only eleven years old. I got the blues the first time I saw the J & B Blues Project. I was at an open mic promoting an upcoming show and these two young kids were in the back 'warming up' with a Taylor and a Fender. They came up to me asking about my Martin and I remember talking shop to them the way a grown up would talk to a couple of young kids. Then they got up and started to play… "Pride and Joy" from Stevie Ray Vaughan. Then the room got really quiet and the "oh, this is going to be cute" smiles on the adults turned into "What the …." Then the adult musicians stopped talking and started watching… closely, the way you watch a really good pro or famous player. And that’s when I got the blues. These kids ceased to be kids when I met them after the set, when I had to wait in line to shake their hands. I got up in time to hear them talk about the benefits of an "American" Strat over a "Squire" and the tonal qualities of a Taylor over other acoustics. I got the blues when I realized a sad truth that I've known before, that I'll never be a great guitar player. I can play my songs and write a good one every now and then, but I'll never play a lead solo or throw a riff down jamming with someone else. Only this time I had to be reminded of this fact not by a seasoned professional, but by eleven year old twins who can out play me even on their worst day.
The next few times I played with them on the same bill, I stopped calling them 'kids' because they aren't. A supportive mother and the critical mentorship of local songwriters, Alexinder Gunn and Alex Culbreth have raised them to be men. Jeff and Brian (hence 'J & B') show amazing poise and professionalism on and off stage. They play remarkably well, show up on time, and know how to set up their rigs. They do real sound checks and know how to work the crowd when performing. But more than that, they watch and learn from other performers. You'll find them either right up front when others are performing, or in the back. Either place, you'll see they are quiet, watch and learn. They give their full attention to whoever is on stage out of respect and to learn because they know they are young. But above all, these young men are humble. I half expected them to have huge egos, being so young, so good, and so novel (by their age only). They are, however, polite, respectful, and helpful. One of my favorite stories is when they showed up to attend a benefit concert they were not on the bill to perform at and donated fifty dollars, the entire sum of the gig they played the night before. They are starting to write their own songs and choose to play songs from songwriters they admire, namely the likes of Ellis Paul and Mark Erelli. They sing political songs and love songs but their favorites seem to be roadhouse worthy rock and blues tunes that are instant favorites in any audience. All of this makes the J & B Blues Project a group that earns them credits and respect from everyone who meets them, hears them, or who is lucky enough to share the stage with them. I'll be glad to open for them anytime and, thanks to them, the Blues has never felt so good.
Michael Yugo Founder of The D.C. Acoustic Underground, (a network of up-and-coming musicians)