Jon Spear Band Upcoming Appearances

The Jon Spear Band hails from Central Virginia and consists of Andy Burdetsky on bass; Dara James on lead vocals, guitar and harmonica; Jon Spear on guitar and vocals; and John Stubblefield on drums.    Upcoming Appearances .... We are fortunate to be performing at quite a few outstanding venues over the next few months, including the upcoming Parkfest Blues Festival on Saturday May 9, where we'll be joined by nationally-known artists Debbie Davies and JP Soars and the Red Hots along with some other fine bands.  If you want a preview of the talent that will be at Parkfest, you can hear all the artists on the latest BluzNdBlood podcast from Dave Harrison. Parkfest has such a great lineup that we'd go there even if we weren't playing!  Debbie Davies is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and guitar player of extraordinary talent.  A professional musician since the early 1980s, Debbie ranks among the top blues artists in the country. She has received ten nominations for Blues Music Awards, and in 1997 and 2010 won the award for Best Contemporary Female Blues Artist.  JP Soars is the winner of the 2009 International Blues Challenge and his 2011 CD "More Bees With Honey" garnered Soars a Blues Music Award nomination for "Best Contemporary Male Blues Artist of the Year," and was named both "Best Blues CD" and "Album of the Year" by the Palm Beach Post.  Additional artists at Parkfest include Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos and In Layman Terms. Here are some additional venues where you can enjoy our music in the near future:  ★ Friday, May 8 @ Miller's Downtown Charlottesville 10pm ★ Saturday, May 9 @  Parkfest Blues Chesterfield VA 1 pm ★ Wed., May 20 @ Heritage on Main Waynesboro VA 7 pm ★ Sunday, May 24  Blues & Brews in the Blue Ridge @ Wintergreen 11am-6pm ★ Friday, June 5, 2015 @ Old Trail Fridays After Six 6-9 pm 1005 Heathercroft Circle Crozet, VA ★ Sunday, July 5 Starr Hill Brewery Crozet VA 2:30-5 pm ★ Saturday, July 25, 2015 Batesville Market 6 pm ★ Friday, August 7, 2015 @ JV's Restaurant Falls Church VA 9 pm ★ Sunday, August 23 @ Starr Hill Brewery Crozet VA 2:30-5 pm ★ Saturday, Sept. 19 @ Blues & Brews Festival Waynesboro, VA ★ Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015 @ The Camel Richmond VA 8pm

'OLD SOUL' Rises to #13 on National "Top 50" Blues Chart The latest weekly Roots Music Report (April 29) has just been published and the Jon Spear Band's "Old Soul" CD has risen to #13 on the national Contemporary Blues Album "Top 50" Chart.  The album is also #2 on the Virginia Chart with four of our songs listed among the top 16.  Meanwhile, across the pond, our CD is listed at #17 in the Top 50 list compiled monthly by the UK Independent Blues Broadcasters Association (March 2).  To date, our CD has been heard on over 60 stations on every continent except Antarctica, and we've signed up fans as far away as Japan,South Africa and Australia.   We've also had regular airplay on Siriusxm Bluesville for which we're very appreciative.  This wouldn't have been possible without the great work of Ravensworth Studios and producer Andy Waldeck along with Betsie Brown at Blind Raccoon who's been awesome in bringing our music to the attention of DJs and blues writers around the world.  We are also deeply appreciative of the Charlottesville-area stations that support local artists by playing their music: WTJU, WMRA and WNRN.  Latest Reviews of "Old Soul" "[The Devil's Highway] is one of those kind of songs that lyrically and musically could fit nicely into several music genres. It's blues, it's rock and give it to Toby Keith and it's a number one country hit. Well written, well sung and well performed." – Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro. Blues Editor @ www.Mary4Music.com "Old Soul is a highly enjoyable set of blues and soul that features some impressive original tunes. The veteran Spear, the rock-solid rhythm section, and the gifted young James proves to be a winning combination on this release."  – Graham Clarke. Blues Bytes Magazine "Forever Home is a laid back country blues track with strong radio appeal. A light slide guitar riff behind the clear vocals of James makes this track an absolute pop standout. With it's jazzy attack and nice harp work, this track is the most well rounded track on the release."  – Bman's Blues Report "The Jon Spear Band bring excellent musicianship, strong lyrics, and a rising star in young Dara James.  'Old Soul' is a fine debut from some of Virginia’s finest!"  – Sheryl and Don Crow donandsherylsbluesblog. "This central Virginia band has a definite old soul when it comes to their heartfelt nod to blues and soul, running a gamut of delectable styles. Some very intelligent songwriting, excellent musicianship and lyrics that delve into deep recesses one second and speak plainly the next flavor this debut with vibrant life and listenability"  – Mark E. Waterbury Music Morsels Reviews If you're interested in purchasing a copy of Old Soul, you can buy it directly from us at one of our upcoming gigs, or go to one of the online retailers who carry it  – CD Baby, Amazon.com and iTunes.