bone zone

Jam-Bone is a jam band with roots in traditional rock ‘n roll and blues. When these three accomplished musicians (who share a profound love for the groove, spirit and art of improvisation) found each other in 2004, they found a place to call home. That place is Jam-Bone.

At a typical Jam-Bone show you will hear music drawn from a diverse range of musical influences, and performed with a musical agility that seems effortless. These musicians have taken the concept of “cover band” and transformed the not-so-typical cover song into an exploration of artistic freedom and expression. Jam-Bone also performs original material primarily written by Steve & Rich, but John's creative arrangements finish off the songs to make them truly Jam-Bone originals.

SCROLL DOWN FOR PRE-PACKAGED PRESS RELEASES!     Photos available upon request.

Rich brings an extraordinary range of musical experiences to Jam-Bone with his innovative guitar work and Garcia-like vocals. A never ending source of energy, Rich inspires the band with a “Let’s do it” attitude and fearless knack for tackling the unexpected.  Musical influences include Jerry Garcia, Mark Knopfler and David Gilmour.


An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Steve sings and is the bass player for Jam-Bone – but a bass player with a twist. Steve plays a Conklin 7-string bass, which allows him to essentially double as a rhythm guitar player and a bass player, giving a robust punch to rhythmic foundation of the band. As a guitarist, bass player and songwriter, Steve draws his inspiration from a diverse mix including; The Beatles, Frank Zappa, Geddy Lee, Phish, Grateful Dead, Les Claypool, Vic Wooten, and U2.

John’s rock solid, in-the-pocket drumming is the rhythmic backbone of the band.  His open playing style gives life to the improvisational aspect of what Jam-Bone does and makes every song bounce with a joyful exuberance that keeps the audience dancing.  With influences such as Little Feat, Allman Brothers, and NRBQ, John has developed a style that allows him to easily navigate musical genres from reggae and jazz to New Orleans funk and flat out rock. 

 

Attention Media Moguls, Entertainment Editors, Music Critics, and Whoever writes press releases for Jam-Bone appearances...

102 words:

What do you get when a salesman, web-designer, and an attorney walk into a bar?   One incredible rock trio that carries forward the jamband music style of the Grateful Dead, Phish, and Little Feat. They're called Jam-Bone and their promise is to reconstruct familiar songs into original and spontaneous jams.   No one is better equipped to do this.   Steve Kirchuk changes the chemistry of the standard 3-piece rock band formula by introducing his 7 string bass guitar. Add Rich Plumpton's highly skilled and innovative rhythm/lead/slide guitar. Tie it together with the punctuated groove laid down by John Cermenaro on drums.   That's Jam-Bone.

41 words:

Now Apple recognizes what central Jersey has known since 2004;   Jam-Bone's original music combines a unique sound with songs that are instantly likeable.   The makers of the iPOD have now added Jam-Bone's first four songs to their iTUNES on-line music store.  

45 words (approx 1-1/2 column inches):

Jam-Bone's musical style borrows heavily from jam band favorites like the Grateful Dead and Phish, but this rock trio doesn't stop there. Jam-Bone effortlessly reconfigures familiar rock and blues with spontaneous improvisation that makes every show a new treat, for them and for their audience.

98 words (approx 3 column inches):  

Fans of jam bands like the Grateful Dead, Phish or Little Feat will fall in love with central Jersey's Jam-Bone. With Jam-Bone you'll hear a diverse range of musical influences blended to give new life to familiar songs by the Beatles, Petty, Floyd, Clapton and others. Jam-Bone's sound packs more than seems possible from just three guys, and it should with a 7-string bass, in-the-pocket drumming, and Garcia-like guitar. Cuts from their upcoming album have already garnered airplay on WZZO. Live performances by Jam-Bone are infrequent, which is all the more reason not to miss a single one.   

Once upon a time ... or "the history of Rich and this band"      by Rich Plumpton

I grew up in England, and started out playing bass at 13 years old.  After a year, I moved on to guitar after hearing Dire Straits' Sultans of Swing.  I played in my first band, Satellite, when I was 14 years old and my first real gig was in front of over 300 people at my boarding school in England.  That year we did a short tour of other schools, getting to the gigs by using public transportation - not an easy feat when you have to carry all the equipment yourself.  I still have no idea how we got those gigs.

 
After moving to America, I started a high school band, Amethyst Rock, and played the usual high school Battle of the Bands, teen socials and roller rink gigs.  Later, I formed Catch-22 with my two brothers - one on bass and one on drums.  And so started my love affair with the rock and roll three-piece format.  My brother Simon has gone on to play in a number of exciting projects including stints with a number of successful Vermont bands including Chin-Ho!, and The Dave Keller Band http://www.davekeller.com.
 
While I was at college I joined a goofy bar band called Mickey and the Ziptones.  Mickey went on to become a stand-up comic, and the band broke up.  After that I stayed with the Ziptones drummer and started the band Fallout, which eventually became a very strong 3-piece.  We played hundreds of gigs over a fairly short period and gained a strong local following.  After the breakup of Fallout I joined Sneak's Noise http://www.sneaksnoise.com/ which also had a strong local following and had independently released an LP (remember those?)  Recently I helped out at a CD release party for two former members of this band who have since started a new project, Real Live Girl www.reallivegirl.net .
 
Finally, after a not-so-short break from music, I met Steve K. through a local non-profit organization.  After hearing Steve play acoustic guitar at a friend's house, I realized I had finally found a fellow musician whose head was in the right place.  After hearing him play bass, I knew I had to start a band with him.  Within a couple of years, the timing was right to start a new musical endeavor, and so Jam-Bone was born.  With the arrival of drummer John Cermenaro, we were able to develop a completely satisfying, energetic and exciting new sound which enables me to explore my guitar playing in totally new ways, and which lets Steve show the world how a 7-string bass can sound like a band all on its own.  The way that John's musical drumming interacts with what Steve and I are doing is truly inspirational, and makes me realize that this band has everything I have ever wanted:  precision, chops, skill, and a damn good attitude.  It's truly a pleasure to be playing with two people who are not only great musicians, but also really great guys.