Brothers in the Blues…

WHO: Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band with Gregg Allman
WHERE: King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, FL
WHEN: Fri, Jan 20th
INFO: www.kingcenter.com

  Legendary drummer and co-founder of The Allman Brothers Band, Jai Johanny Johanson, visits the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, FL this Friday Jan 20th for an evening that is sure to be an arousal of rhythm and a blitz of blues. While Johanson, commonly referred to as “Jaimoe”, remains an active member of the ground-breaking jamband, he has been touring with his jazz and blues septet during the Allman Brothers hiatus. Ironically enough, throughout the month of January, Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band has been supporting Gregg Allman’s solo jaunt through the southeast. This Friday the two bring the jam to the King Center for an evening featuring musical legends, hall of famers, and a caliber of music just beggin’ to be heard.

  Jaimoe’s legendary status is hardly displayed on his sleeve nor does it ooze from his attitude or personality. While he is a member of the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, the lifelong drummer is simply a humble and warm spirit that just so happens to bring a fierce back beat with him wherever he goes. His legendary status does however stand up straight and tall on stages around the country as he reveals his brand of jazz and blues powered by a remarkable cast of band mates. As the opening act for Allman’s solo tour, Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band brings a warm, friendly, and familiar vibe to any music hall it may grace. Leading the charge from behind the kit, Jaimoe guides the band into up-tempo jamband-like grooves, sultry blues standards, and horn-heavy toe-tappers. “[Audiences] have been really enjoying what we’ve been doing ,” said Johanson. “I’ve been really moved by how people have been responding to the music. It really knocks me out that people have been so honest about what’s going on.”

  The voice of the septet is Blues Hall of Famer Junior Mack. His vocal training is steeped in gospel music which seems to have allowed him to develop his own unique yet powerful voice. “Junior sings so many different kinds of ways,” admits Johanson. “He has such great control over his voice. Not a lot of people want to sing after him.” Mack’s vocal aptitude is on full display on the band’s version of the Tony Joe White classic Rainy Night In Georgia as well as the blues standard, Leaving Trunk, written by the late Sleepy John Estes. “A friend of mine, Taj Majal, came over to a benefit we did back in July at the Beacon Theater along with Gregory [Allman], Natalie Cole, Crosby Stills and Nash and a few other friends,” Johanson recalled with a chuckle. “Taj was singing Leaving Trunk. I told him he can’t sing that song no more. He’s going to have to find himself another national anthem because that song belongs to Junior now.”

  In addition to his pure voice, Mack has a grip on the slide guitar that should resonate with fans of Ry Cooder and the late Duane Allman. The many styles he unveils from within his six-string prowess are on display in Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band. Whether pickin’ solos in the vein of B.B. King or making a Les Paul whine like a siren, Mack settles in as a role player surrounded by a collection of world-class talent. Accompanying Jaimoe and Mack is Dave Stoltz on bass, Bruce Katz on keys, and an exceptional horn section featuring Kris Jensen, Paul Lieberman, and Reggie Pittman.

  Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band’s stop at the King Center this Friday should find the band in tremendous form as they are in the midst of an east coast tour. Upon finishing this collection of shows, Jaimoe has a hefty schedule of commitments over-flowing from his day planner. You may want to catch his jazz band while you can. In addition to a month-long Allman Brothers residency at New York’s Beacon Theater throughout March, on the horizon is a date with the Grammys where he and the rest of his Allman Brothers family will receive a lifetime achievement award. “I used to tell my mother I was going to be in the Down Beat Hall of Fame, I was going to be the number one jazz drummer. I was going to play Carnegie Hall,” confides Johanson. “I did all that stuff, man. My mother was always my support, my number one fan. She died in 2010 … I can’t share this with her, but she knows. We shared a lot. A lot! My mother has always been the most important person in my life.”

  Anyone unfamiliar with Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band or its latest studio release Renaissance Man may want to consider bearing witness. The legendary drummer offers these simple words to music enthusiasts curious about what they may be in for while attending the live show. “You’ll hear a lot of good music, you’ll have a lot of fun, and you’ll hear more [musical] personalities in our unit than you will anywhere else.”

Tickets are available for this Friday’s date in Melbourne at www.kingcenter.com
Share your blues with GT Springer by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)...