Lower Case Blues moved to the beach 20 years ago when he was 20 years old. No one here had ever heard of them, but they had already made a name for themselves in northern New Castle County, attracting longtime fans. By the way, their name was suggested by one of their high school teachers, and it stuck.
In October 2003, they drove to Lewes for an open mic night. Their talent was quickly recognized and they were invited to perform at a street festival in Rehoboth. Since then, his band LCB, as he is known, has made a living as full-time professional musicians, playing a mix of blues, funk and rock, with Rehoboth as its regional base.
They are about to release their seventh album, “Take It for a Ride.''
“We're really excited about this,” said LCB guitarist and manager Jake Banaszak. “It's been quite late, but we've taken our time and made it as appropriate as possible. In the past, we might have rushed the process. This time it's different. Our fans are very loyal, so they We deserve the best.”
Banaszak added, “Since we do a lot of 'live' performances, we wanted the CD to sound 'live' as well. We want it to sound like us. ”
“Take It for a Ride” was recorded at Mid-South Audio in Milton. Recording studio manager and chief engineer Frank Marchand “did a great job for us,” said LCB bassist and vocalist BJ Mantz. “He's helped us reach a new level. I can't wait for everyone to hear it.”
Tristan Gilbert, the album's drummer, agreed.
“Frank was phenomenal. Drums often sound flat on CDs, but he asked me to hit the kick drum three times at first. Then he said from the listening booth that the sound was 'so good! ” he declared. That gave us confidence that we would get what we wanted. ”
“Take It for a Ride” includes 10 original songs, some of which will already be familiar to LCB fans. Eight songs were written by the team of Banaszak and Mantz, one by Gilbert and one by Mantz's girlfriend, Amber Willis.
“Amber’s song is my favorite,” Muntz said. “I've been feeling a little stuck writing blues songs lately because Amber keeps me in a happy place. When I told her I was having a hard time, she said she'd give it a try. In the end, we ended up with “Blues No More,'' which has a very bluesy beat and happy lyrics. I love it! “
The album will be on sale at many of LCB's shows throughout the summer. You can check out their schedule and purchase CDs and merchandise on their website (www. lowercaseblues.net).
Probably the most difficult part of completing the album was deciding on the cover. But the concept came together when they decided on “Take It for a Ride” as their title song and recalled a recent trip to Florida with all their gear in the back of a van. Fortunately, Gilbert is an experienced graphic designer who resonates with his natural creativity, so the cover artwork and layout does justice.
Reminiscing about LCB's annual winter tour of Florida, Banaszak said: I get new Florida fans every time I go. It's really cool to see our friends from Delaware using us as an excuse for a vacation in the sun. It's so rewarding when you're getting ready in your new room and you look outside and see a familiar face. ”
Two couples who travel to Florida to see Lower Case Blues and are regulars at local gigs are Jan and Steve Lucas and Sylvia and Bob Patterson.
“We first encountered LCB 15 years ago when we moved to Ocean Pines. Since then, they have continued to amaze us with their dedication, energy and craft. Every show is different. Even if the song is the same, we will never play it the same way again. We love these guys!'' said the Lucases.
“The boys are amazing! We can't believe we can hear such professional musical performances right in our backyard, often for free,” said the Patterson family.
“As always, we are looking forward to a great summer,” Banaszak said. “What we've been doing lately, which is also fun for us, is for the audience to share the stage and jam with other bands who are friends of ours. Some of them are Sweet Leda , Alicia Maxwell Project, Fitzkee Brothers Music, and more.”
The summer's annual Tuesday and Sunday late afternoon gigs will continue at Dockside in Indian River Inlet and Big Chill Surf Cantina in Rehoboth. Then there are occasional local shows at Beach He Barrels, High Stakes, The Tavern, Salted Rim, and more. Special events include concerts at Salted Vines, Dickens Parlor Theater, Milton Theater, and Lewes Ferry Terminal.
Don't forget the phrase “It's all blues.” It's all on his website www.lowercaseblues.net.