Name a blues festival or venue in WNY and the Jony James Band has played there. While the band has fans and has played all over the country, the band always considers WNY and their Sunday gigs at Frank’s Tudor Lounge as home. Having played at the Tudor since 1997, the band decided this was where to record their fourth CD titled appropriately, Jony James Blues Band- Live At The Tudor.
    The Jony James Band consists of Jony James on guitar and vocals and one of the hardest working and best sounding rhythm sections in Rod Horning on bass and Kent “Boom-Boom” Leech on drums. You don’t have a nickname like “Boom-Boom” unless you’re in demolition or a drummer like Leech. Horning and Leech pound out a solid sound so Jony can get fancy on the guitar. 
    The two disc twelve song CD is a mix of blues classics and some of James own compositions. On the classic side the band runs through Chester Burnett’s (AKA Howlin’ Wolf) “Killing Floor” done in the familiar Jimi Hendrix version. They tackle Robert Johnson’s “Love In Vain” which most recognize from the Stones version but Jony and the band do it right with none of Mick’s pretentiousness. 
    Jony and the boys get jazzy on Buddy Johnson’s  “Since I Fell For You”. On this James croaks and croons in his whiskey and cigarettes soaked voice as the rhythm section lays it on thick, heavy and solid. “Since I Fell” is always a crowd pleaser in their performances. The band also does a fine run through of “Rock Me” from the B.B. King catalog and a sizzling “Let The Chips Fall Where They May” by Bob Greenlee. Inspired renderings of his own songs include “Drive Me Crazy”, “So Long Sugar” and “Voices” with Jony doing some George Benson scatting for good measure.
    The CD was produced by Jony James and recorded by Rod Horning and is as close sounding as their actual live show. True “blues men” to their souls you can catch them at The Tudor and all around town, you won’t be disappointed.