Fleet fingerpicking, stinging slide guitar. Drums, upright bass, churning out rock-solid, caffeinated swing rhythms. Playful originals, standards, and the deepest swamp blues. A favorite of the Crescent City club scene, since Hurricane Katrina and the New Orleans levee failure, Jeremy Lyons has relocated to the Northeast. He plays mostly with new friends, but also with his old Deltabilly Boys when the opportunity arises.
Lyons started out his professional career in the early 1990s on the streets of the Crescent City, playing his National guitar with the infamous Big Mess Blues Band, led by Augie Junior. (Other members included Lissa "Washboard Annie" Driscoll, Butch Trivette, Kenny Holladay, Corey Harris, Steve Lewins, Johnny Duff, Greg Schatz, Nervous Duane Norman, Scott Kirby, Bobby Lewis DiTullio, Paul Kemnitz, Norman Lee Shepperd, etc.)
"Jeremy Lyons & the Deltabilly Boys" was formed in 1997 with drummer Paul Santopadre and fellow busker Greg Schatz on upright bass. Hundreds of gigs a year in smoky New Orleans dives and international festivals solidified their sound. Jeremy played on vintage electric guitars, mixing rockabilly beats and southern picking with slide guitar, stretching out on surf and western instrumentals, and playing the New Orleans swamp blues with startling intensity.
After August, 2005, Jeremy & the Boys were scattered. Jeremy now lives in Cambridge, MA (where his daughter Luciana goes to an excellent public school). Paul and Greg each did time in the Northeast, but are both living back home in Louisiana. Greg has been fronting the band Schatzy (originally and now occasionally with Jeremy and Paul backing him up) since 2000. The Deltabilly Boys recorded a live set at the Rhythm & Roots Festival in Rhode Island in the summer of 2006. Buy it! http://flink.livedownloads.com/show.asp?show=983
Jeremy Lyons is currently working with two bands (besides the occasional reunion with Deltabilly Boys). His band "Bright Moments" features "Washtub" Robbie Phillips (Spider John Koerner, Howard Armstrong) on one- and two-string homemade basses, and one of a number of excellent local drummers. "Bright Moments" is essentially a New England version of the Deltabilly Boys, with a looser feel, and which benefits greatly from the simpatico that has developed between Robbie and Jeremy. Bright Moments have become favorite of local Boston pubs.The Bright Moments: Jeremy Lyons w/Robbie Phillips and Jerome Deupree
The newest project is "The Elastic Waste Band," with original members of the progressive rock band Morphine. Dana Colley plays his unique electric baritone saxophone while Jerome supplies his masterful, jazz-inflected drumming. The Elastic Waste Band began by creating something they call "Psycho-Delta Blues." To honor the 10th anniversary of Morphine frontman Mark Sandman's death, the EWB began performing Morphine material, with Lyons taking up a version of Sandman's invention, the 2-string slide bass guitar. In July 2009, the EWB performed as "Members of Morphine w/Jeremy Lyons" in Palestrina, Italy on the very stage where Mark died of a heart attack. Since then they have played tribute shows in Cambridge, MA, and have taken up residency at Atwood's Tavern, where they play every Wednesday. Jeremy Lyons w/Dana Colley and Jerome Deupree:
EDUCATIONAL WORK, LESSONS & KIDS
Jeremy has been teaching guitar for 15 years. He gives lessons at all levels, for children and adults, and specializes in slide and fingerstyle.
Jeremy lectures, performs, and leads workshops on traditional Ameican music at colleges and universities, as well as secondary and primary schools. He has been collaborating with the Boston Children's Museum of late. Information and pricing available upon request.
Jeremy started his "Delta-Silly Music for Kids" brand after developing his children's repertoire one summer working as performing arts instructor at a day camp in Massachusetts. He now leads a sing-along for kids and parents every Saturday at Stellabella Toys in Inman Square, Cambridge, MA. Check out the new myspace page, with music clips and video: http://www.myspace.com/jeremylyonsdeltasillymusicforkids
