Bluesberry Jammin'

August 12, 1997

I've gotta admit that I'm not versed in the technical ABC's of musical composition, but I know what I like. And on Saturday night at the Copper Rocket, I got a serious dose of good stuff: Bluesberry Jam - a lingering, sticky sweet, smooth, fluid, rockin', groovy dose. Between sets, I asked a couple of the band members to describe their sound, and, after a lot of grinning, they conceded that "groove-oriented funk" worked for them. But that doesn't lock them into any sort of musical category; they cranked out an eclectic sampling of covers from Hendrix (a slow, 20 minute version of "Voodoo Child") to James Brown. Even better, though, are the originals. With just a hint of Seattle sound, "Fishbowl" and "Eternity Machine" were two of my favorites.

Through a series of lucky coincidences - probably musical destiny - the New Jersey natives of Bluesberry Jam (as they are now) have been together since December. Here's the line-up: Joe Zara on guitar/vocals, Jay Peskoff on drums, Dan Goore on bass guitar/vocals, and Peter Orenstein on keyboards. Even minus their amazing sound, Bluesberry Jam is visually engaging. Peter Orenstein sometimes looks as if he's playing his keyboard like a set of bongos. And all of them, from time to time, break into infectious, ear-to-ear grins. They dig what they do, and it spills over into the audience. There's a true sense of synchronicity and reciprocity between them. After one of them goes off into a musical zone, the others soak it up, and then they meet again in musical groovedom.

Hear them on Alternative Static (Sunday nights - 106.7), see them all over town and the coast - some of their regular haunts are the Go Lounge and The Mill (Winter Park and UCF) - or call their band hotline at (407)880-6190. . . but don't miss them! Tonight they'll be at The Sapphire Supper Club. Word is they love to play that stage, and they'll undoubtedly be in fine form. Watch out, though. I saw them for the first time just a few short weeks ago, and now I'm a "Sugar Junkie."

Jodie Marion
I teach Composition at UCF while also studying for my Master's degree, which should be completed--hopefully--before the turn of the century. In the meantime I write for the Central Florida Hispanic (Education section) and especially dig reading Lawrence Durrell.