The original Deltabilly Boys are Jeremy Lyons: guitars and vocals; Greg Schatz: upright bass, backing vocals and the occasional bit on accordion or mandolin; Paul Santopadre: drums and percussion.
Jeremy and Greg sometimes appear as "The Deltabilly Duo," performing acoustic blues and originals by both Schatz and Lyons.
Since moving to Massachusetts Jeremy plays regularly with Robbie Phillips (Howard Armstrong and Spider John Koerner) on his homemade "Pinewood" electric 1- and 2-string bass diddley bow, drummer Jerome Deupree (Morphine), percussionist Rob Rudin, and sometimes Dana Colley (Morphine/Twinemen/AKACOD) -- on baritone sax.
Video of the original Deltabilly Boys on the Mississippi River levee, directed by Leonard Lopp:
Jeremy Lyons playing a "Pinewood" brand four-string fretless electric diddley bow, designed and built by "Washtub" Robbie Phillips. (Accompanied by Jerome Deupree on drums.)
Influences
Charley Patton, Link Wray, Howlin Wolf (w/Hubert Sumlin), The Holy Modal Rounders, Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, Fats Waller, Son House, Robert Johnson, Lissa Driscoll (Washboard Annie), Augie Junior, Butch Trivette, Kenny Holladay, John Mooney, Martin Simpson, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Waits, Dick Dale, Leon Redbone, Muddy Waters, Memphis Minnie, Merle Haggard, Mississippi John Hurt, Jimmie Rodgers, Blind Blake, Blind Boy Fuller, George Jones, Slim Gaillard, Louis Jordan, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Bo Diddley, Ry Cooder, Doc Watson, Papa Charlie Jackson, Blind Willie Johnson, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Who, Captain Beefheart, Elvis Presley (with Scotty Moore), Earl Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Big Bill Broonzy, Big Joe Williams, Elizabeth Cotten, Brownie and Sonny, Bukka White, Dock Boggs, the Horseflies, Professor Longhair, Snooks Eaglin, Johnny Cash, Brian Eno, New Orleans Jass and Second Line, etc.
Sounds Like
Jeremy Lyons with Jerome Deupree live at the Middle Earth Music Hall
Fleet fingerpicking, stinging slide guitar. Drums, upright bass, churning out rock-solid, caffeinated swing rhythms. Playful originals, standards, and the deepest swamp blues. A favorite of the Crescent City club scene, since Hurricane Katrina and the New Orleans levee failure, Jeremy Lyons has relocated to the Northeast. He plays mostly with new friends, but also with his old Deltabilly Boys when the opportunity arises.
Lyons started out his professional career in the early 1990s on the streets of the Crescent City, playing his National guitar with the infamous Big Mess Blues Band, led by Augie Junior. (Other members included Lissa "Washboard Annie" Driscoll, Butch Trivette, Kenny Holladay, Corey Harris, Steve Lewins, Johnny Duff, Greg Schatz, Nervous Duane Norman, Scott Kirby, Bobby Lewis DiTullio, Paul Kemnitz, Norman Lee Shepperd, etc.)
"Jeremy Lyons & the Deltabilly Boys" was formed in 1997 with drummer Paul Santopadre and fellow busker Greg Schatz on upright bass. Hundreds of gigs a year in smoky New Orleans dives and international festivals solidified their sound. Jeremy played on vintage electric guitars, mixing rockabilly beats and southern picking with slide guitar, stretching out on surf and western instrumentals, and playing the New Orleans swamp blues with startling intensity.
After August, 2005, Jeremy & the Boys were scattered. Jeremy now lives in Cambridge, MA (where his daughter Luciana goes to an excellent public school). Paul and Greg each did time in the Northeast, but are both living back home in Louisiana. Greg has been fronting the band Schatzy (originally and now occasionally with Jeremy and Paul backing him up) since 2000. The Deltabilly Boys recorded a live set at the Rhythm & Roots Festival in Rhode Island in the summer of 2006. Buy it! http://flink.livedownloads.com/show.asp?show=983
Nowadays, Jeremy Lyons is frequently joined on stage by Robbie Phillips (Spider John Koerner, Howard Armstrong) on one- and two-string homemade basses, and Jerome Deupree (Morphine) on drums. Dana Colley, also of the band Morphine, sometimes adds his unique electrified baritone saxophone to Lyons' slide guitar.
Jeremy Lyons w/Dana Colley and Jerome Deupree:
Jeremy Lyons w/Robbie Phillips and Jerome Deupree ..
EDUCATIONAL WORK, LESSONS & KIDS
Jeremy has been teaching guitar for 15 years. He gives lessons at all levels, for children and adults, and specializes in slide and fingerstyle.
Jeremy lectures, performs, and leads workshops on traditional Ameican music at colleges and universities, as well as secondary and primary schools. He has been collaborating with the Boston Children's Museum of late. Information and pricing available upon request.
Jeremy started his "Delta-Silly Music for Kids" brand after developing his children's repertoire one summer working as performing arts instructor at a day camp in Massachusetts. He now leads a sing-along for kids and parents every Saturday at Stellabella Toys in Inman Square, Cambridge, MA. Check out the new myspace page, with music clips and video: http://www.myspace.com/jeremylyonsdeltasillymusicforkids
where ya at, my brother? ducking the heat of new orleans in the northeast huh...I'm jealous. well I hope you're doing good and life is being kind. see ya soon.
Hey there, I just finished listening to your radio interview, via the internet. I saw your email about 10 minutes ahead of time, so I just did make it. Thanks for sharing the link so I could tune in. I was just down to New Orleans last weekend for a visit, and while having a few drinks at the Half Moon was telling my girlfriend about the show you did there, so I passed along the link for her to hear you today also. Hopefully before long I can take her to see you play. Hope things are going well for you....
