The Bergen Record
Sunday, January 7, 2007
By MIKE KERWICK - STAFF WRITER
Click HERE for full review
|
Blues brothers...and one
Dad
Jeremy Katz angled his way
into the...closet, brushed his dad's clothes out of the way...and
gestured to the left-hand wall.
"It was right here," he
said.
He pointed to the spot where
an acoustic guitar once hid... "I would always look at it," Jeremy
said, "and then eventually I asked... if I could see his guitar."
You could pencil that moment
in as the tipping point...If Jeremy doesn't stumble upon that guitar
case, maybe Avi Katz never scrapes the cobwebs off a second...guitar
to jam with his son.
If Jeremy doesn't pick up
the guitar, maybe his little brother Jonathan doesn't ask to play
drums.
If Jonathan doesn't ask to
play the drums, maybe... Jordan never starts messing around with a
set of drumsticks.
If Jordan never touches
those drumsticks, maybe Jonathan doesn't decide to switch to bass.
...Instead, one event bled
into another. Soon, Avi Katz glanced around his supper table and
realized he had inadvertently turned his family into a four-piece
blues band.
The 13-year-old plays bass.
The 14-year-old handles lead guitar. The 20-year-old plays drums.
And the 50-year-old estate
planner...is the one belting lyrics into a microphone.
...The group released
Rock Your Blues Away, a
collection of blues covers... and watched it... become one of the
top sellers on ...CD Baby...
"In three months," Avi said,
"we were performing on stage at Mexicali Blues [a Teaneck
nightspot]."
Audiences began taking an
interest in the family...
"I was just blown away,"
said Rafe Gomez, a New Jersey-based DJ who hosts the ... syndicated
radio program "The Groove Boutique." "I liked it because it wasn't
trying to be kids' music. They were trying to be as legitimate... as
possible..."
...He suspects something
similar happened at Mexicali Blues...
"I've been there," Gomez
said. "I've seen their hard-core blues and rock acts waiting for
their turn to get on, and... they're impressed."
Avi Katz tries to limit how
many gigs the band plays each month, a show of respect for his kids'
studies... And music never comes before homework.
...Asked if he fights with
his brothers, bass player Jonathan replied, "What brothers don't?"
They are still just kids –
kids playing the blues, but certainly not singing them. |
|
"From their selection of material (covering classic songs and styles
of Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters and Jeff
Healey, to name a few) to their amazing behind the neck and upside
down guitar playing, the Blue J's flat out bring down the house during
their live performances. These guys are just not to be believed. A
must see show if they are playing a venue in your area, and great
CDs to buy
for your and your family's listening fun."
Rafe Gomez, Host -
The Groove
Boutique
Syndicated radio show
Click here
to visit The Groove Boutique web site |
 |
|
 |
"Parents love them because they play like a seasoned rock band. Kids
love them because they're fun to listen to and watch. The III Blue J's
has something for everyone as they bring classic rock and blues to a
new generation. If you go to see them at a performance, don't expect
a kids band. They are accomplished musicians beyond their years and
really put on a great show. They light up the stage and they
absolutely rock the house."
Avram Pengas
Virtuoso Guitar
Performer/Bandleader
Click here to visit Avram Pengas' web site |
|
"These kids are enthusiastic, energetic and fun to watch. I'm
keeping my eye on them, and so should you!"
Gil Parris
Nationally acclaimed
recording artist and instructor
Click here to visit
Gil Parris' web site |
 |
|
 |
"They have an energy that can take them
into the future."
Nikki
Armstrong
Singer/Bandleader
Click here to
visit Nikki Armstrong's web site |
|