Local Artist to Watch: Jonny Grave

Jonny Grave live at Ebenezer's on Capitol Hill, Washington DC
January 7
photo courtesy of Jason McCool

It's often said that white men can't really play the blues. Even more often it's said that young people can't play the blues because they lack the experience of the lifelong heartache that pours out of each song.

Somehow, a 22-year-old white boy in DC is taking the blues world by storm and the thing is: he's fantastic! Meet Jonny Grave, a guitarist and singer-songwriter who can belt out the blues. He alternates among 12-string and 6-string guitar and a fret-less banjo. His slide work is really impressive. According to his website, at age 15, he began learning slide guitar techniques from old blues records. Two years later, he was performing them live.

His influences include R. L. Burnside, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and Robert Johnson. He plays some originals and also puts a fresh spin on older blues songs. Two years ago, after performing as a solo act, he assembled a band that includes drummer Nate Oliver. Billed as Jonny Grave and the Tombstones, they are positively electric. Check them out at local clubs around DC and Maryland.

On January 7, they performed at Ebenezer's Coffeehouse to a packed crowd. There they released a new album, The Bluesmaker. This album goes from solo-acoustic to full band and also utilizes sounds that will propel you to an earlier time, when the blues sounded raw and gritty. Check this guy out. He's the real deal.

Check out a couple of Youtube videos of Jonny:

Beulah Land (music starts about a minute in)
Untitled 12 String (song starts at 2:38)