Album Notes

What began as a bluegrass band, containing members of Jim&Jennie&thePinetops and The Hunger Mountain Boys, eventually morphed into something entirely different. A few line-up changes, a few years, and a few too many influences of everything from 20's and 30's swing jazz to 80's underground pop have led this band down to an eclectic cross-roads. Enter the voice of Julia Gottlieb in 2006 and the Boys self-penned songs, and you have the beginnings of the real Blue Ribbon Boys. With frequent guest horn players this 5 to 8 piece band falls somewhere on the country-jazz-noir side of western swing and Billie Holliday. And to make matters even worse for music labelers and critics alike, Julia has been known to sing in Spanish, the Boys frequently belt out unison singing in Yiddish and German, and the cover songs stretch as far as Daniel Johnston to the classic catalog of Dorothy Fields & Jimmy Mchugh. Shows tend to swing from loud, raucous and rowdy to sweet smooth and sultry, sometimes within a song. Julia Gottlieb, a superb jazz vocalist by herself, continues to gig solo in New York and L.A., just as The Blue Ribbon Boys, comprised mostly of full-time internationally touring musicians, continue to do their own spirited rowdy dance shows. Members: Julia Gottlieb Matt Downing (of The Hunger Mountain Boys) Lukas Schwartz (of Jim&Jennie&The Pinetops) Nick Halley (of too many touring bands to mention) Sauerkraut Seth Travins (of Chops & Kraut & The Velvet Frog) Teddy Weber (of The Hunger Mountain Boys and The Wiyos) Adam Niewood (also of too many bands to mention) For additional music samples, links to video, photos and performance schedule, see www.myspace.com/theblueribbonboys