Jonny B and the Blues Blazers Bring Their Passion to Long Branch Jazz and Blues Festival

You can hear the excitement Jon Barone’s voice when he talks about the blues, and you can feel his passion for the music he grew up listening to. His love for the blues is infectious.

Jon and his band, Jonny B and the Blues Blazers, have been performing for nearly 20 years together, and describe themselves as a “high energy, harmonica-driven blues band with a twist.” This means when you see them perform you’ll get a passionate show with challenging and intricate music. The band will be a part of the Long Branch Jazz and Blues Festival, and the audience at their performance at the August 29 festival will be in store for a special treat.

“At this performance we’ll feature Elliot Keys on the keyboards and a three-piece horn section,” said Jon. “And the amazing Lisa Sherman will be on backup vocals. She has a great voice and is sure to be an audience pleaser.”

As the lead singer and harmonica player for Jonny B and The Blues Blazers, Jon revels in the connection he forms with the audience when he performs, the passion he feels when he gets lost in the music, and the emotion playing evokes, not only for himself, but for listeners.

“You may only know how to play one chord, but if you play it with passion it transcends to the audience,” said Jon. “That’s what we try to do. I try to express my life through my music and if that connects to the audience then we’re doing something right.”

Jon is a clinical practitioner, was a September 11, 2001 first responder, and is a cancer survivor. But it’s clear his passion is music. Jon picked up a harmonica as a teenager and never looked back.

“My two big influences have been Sugar Blue, an incredible harmonica player, and James Cotton, who is a more traditional harmonica player,” said Jon. “Sugar Blue’s style is very fluid and he was ground breaking for me in my playing.”

And of course, Jon has a special place in his heart for Little Walter, the first harmonica player to put a microphone up to the harmonica and amplify the sound out to the masses.

These inspirations in Jon’s musical life lead to what has turned out to be a storied career as a blues musician. Jon eventually learned the guitar and the bass, rounding out his musical knowledge, but his true love will always be the harmonica.

“You do something you love and you never work a day in your life,” said Jon.

Jonny B and the Blues Blazers is made up of Jon Specter on guitar and vocals, Moby Medina on bass and vocals, Nat Seeley on drums and percussion, Jeff Katz on guitar and vocals, and of course Jonny B himself on vocals and harmonica. Jon and many of the members of the band have been inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame. The band was part of a the Absolute NY Blues compilation album singing their original song “There Goes The Neighborhood.” The album was released worldwide.

Jonny B and the Blues Blazers have made quite a name for themselves in the New Jersey/New York area and have a loyal and growing following. They have built a reputation as hard working, dedicated performers that please crowds wherever they go.

The Long Branch Jazz and Blues Festival will be held from noon to 9:45 p.m., August 29 in Long Branch, NJ at the Great Lawn on the Boardwalk at Cooper Avenue. The festival is free to the public and rain or shine! For more information, visit www.jerseyshorefestival.org.

The festival is produced by the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation and the City of Long Branch. Special thanks to the Mayor and Council for their support.