An Interview with John Jay of “The Bush League”!
Independent Blues Rock band THE BUSH LEAGUE was founded on a front porch in 2007 not too far outside Richmond, Virginia by college friends JohnJason “JohnJay” Cecil and Royce Folks. The combination of JohnJay’s soulful voice and Royce’s rock solid bass playing lays the foundation for “RVA Blues”, a heady melange of funk, soul, gospel, and rock all wrapped up in the love of the Blues, particularly North Mississippi Hill Country Blues. They are joined by Wynton Davis who keeps the groove on drums.
Over the years, THE BUSH LEAGUE has been playing the Blues and paying its dues on the 21st century version of the “Chitlin’ Circuit”, playing bars, restaurants, private parties, wineries, weddings, in front of the bathroom at the VA State Fair, and various festivals throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Deep South. You name it THE BUSH LEAGUE has probably played it. The band’s willingness to turn down nothing but their collar has allowed them to hone their craft to razor sharpness and also prepared them for any musical contingency. Mic goes out? Not a problem. Pedal starts sparking? Consider it a light show. So hot that Satan is sitting in the shade? THE BUSH LEAGUE puts on a coat.
All that honing and evolving has begun to pay off as THE BUSH LEAGUE has gone from playing in the middle of a field on flattened cardboard boxes to the Bentonia Blues Festival, the Carolina Blues Festival and the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic.
THE BUSH LEAGUE has opened for some of the biggest names in the Blues today like Jarekus Singleton, Selwyn Birchwood, Biscuit Miller & the Mix, Samantha Fish and Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials.
THE BUSH LEAGUE’s 2015 live CD “Didn’t See This Coming”, was placed into consideration with the Recording Academy (Grammys) in the Best Blues Album category. No small feat for an independent Blues band from a city not known primarily for the Blues! Known for its energetic live shows, THE BUSH LEAGUE keeps the Blues alive by continuing to push the boundaries of what the blues can be. “RVA Blues” creates a visual soundscape that evokes images of times gone by but still relatable to today’s audience. “Rough”, “aggressive”, “Workingman’s Blues” are descriptions by others of The Bush League’s music, but the band prefers to call it simply
“shiny new dirty ol’ Blues.”
[amazon_link asins=’B0789GFQTH,B0789GCMT8,B0789FFQZG,B0789DHSLY,B078FH6PHF’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’maasc-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’3ed83690-1fc7-11e8-8976-496e917967a0′]
