German Oncologist Once Again in the Running for the Grammys®
October 18th, 2024
Photography by Marco Marchetti
The blues rock musician started playing guitar at the age of fourteen. His guitar style was mainly influenced by blues, especially by Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He has made a name for himself by producing "Blues Rock Against Cancer" charity concerts in his homeland. With his latest album "MULTIPLICITY", which impresses with its stylistic diversity, he is once more on the ballot for the Grammy Awards® , following his Grammy® participation in 2022. The Recording Academy in Los Angeles has approved him in categories such as Best Contemporary Blues Album, Best American Roots Song, Best American Roots Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Performance. The songs on "MULTIPLICITY", composed by Dr. J. B. and recorded at the L'Auditorium Studios in Paris, address socially relevant topics such as climate change ("We Don’t Want To Look Into A Bluesy Future", "Point Of No Return", "She Saves Mother Earth") and critical reflections on war ("Don’t Leave Me Now"). For this album Dr. J. B. was backed by French blues musicians Christophe Garreau (bass) and Guillaume Destarac (drums). The recordings and mixing were operated by sound engineer Tristan Abgrall, with mastering done by Tony Cousins at Metropolis Studios in London. Cousins is known for his work with artists like Adele, Elton John, and George Michael.
With "MULTIPLICITY", Dr. J. B. reached the finals in the Blues and Rock categories at the Intercontinental Music Awards in Los Angeles in August 2024.
His debut album "Bluesy Sky over Paris" (2022) was a success in the genre. The album, a homage to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, earned him several awards, including the Akademia Music Award in Los Angeles for "Best Blues Album" and "Best Blues Song" for his "Little Wing" interpretation. The American JazzBluesNews magazine ranked the album among the top 10 blues albums of 2022. With over 2.5 million streams on Spotify, Dr. J. B. Blues became one of the most successful German blues musicians of 2022, paving the way for his first Grammy® participation in 2022 (65th Grammy Awards®).
Press Reviews:
American Blues Blast Magazine :
"...He makes his recording debut with this tasty CD, which pays tribute to two of his heroes, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan... Like Vaughan, his main influence, the shred-free notes he delivers flow smoothly without the necessity of excessive pyrotechnics... Dr. J.B. Blues delivers a treat for lovers of early blues-rock that walked a tightrope between the two artforms, and he does it in his own way..."
Akademia Music Awards Los Angeles :
"...This stylish blues brew is an awesome experience. Dr. J. B. Blues carves guitar with mesmerizing skill and everyone pulls together on cuts like Little Wing to deliver the kind of art that could reconceive the genre..."
Rootstime Magazine Belgium :
"Great how Dr. J. B. Blues, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix Bring Back Life with Great Class on Bluesy Sky Over Paris..."
With "MULTIPLICITY", Dr. J. B. Blues continues his musical journey. He stays true to his roots and manages to incorporate social issues in his new songs. He is establishing himself as one of the most exciting German blues-rock musicians on the international stage. His renewed participation in the Grammys® (67th Grammy Awards®) underscores his growing status. The nominations will be announced on November 8th in Los Angeles.
Vale Wolf
Luisa Held Management
mail@luisaheldmanagement.com
More Press Releases
Dr. J. B. Blues
Participant in the
67th GRAMMY Awards®
Los Angeles
2025
Photography by Marco Marchetti
Photography by Marco Marchetti
Photography by Marco Marchetti
Dr. J. B. Blues
Inter Continental Music Awards
Los Angeles
Finalist
2024
Dr. J. B. Blues
Induction Into Hall Of Fame
Academia Music Awards
Los Angeles
May 18, 2024
Dr. J. B. Blues
International Songwriting Competition
'Money Is Your Honey'
Semifinalist
2023
Dr. J. B. Blues
Artist Of The Year
Academia Music Awards
Los Angeles
July 29, 2023
Dr. J. B. Blues
Brick for the Blues Walkway
Blues Hall of Fame Museum Memphis Tenessee
February 10, 2023
"Bluesy Sky over Paris"
> 2.5 million streams
January 21, 2023
"Bluesy Sky over Paris"
one of the 11 best blues albums 2022
JazzBluesNews
December 27, 2022
"Doctor from Essen Germany reaches for the Grammys"
German Press
October 26, 2022
DR. J. B. BLUES
Participant in the
65th Grammy Awards 2023
Approved by the Recording Academy
October 14, 2022
"Bluesy Sky over Paris"
CD Review on Rootstime Magazine
Belgium
October 07, 2022
DR. J. B. BLUES
Bluesrock Musician
joined the blues foundation
Memphis August 19, 2022
DR. J. B. BLUES
Participant of the Blues Music Awards (BMAs) 2023
Memphis August 19, 2022
CD Review "Bluesy Sky over Paris"
American JazzBluesNews Magazine
August 13, 2022
Interview
American JazzBluesNews Magazine
August 04, 2022
"Little Wing"
Finalist - Bronze Medal Winner
in the
GLOBAL MUSIC AWARDS
La Jolla CA
July 18, 2022
Interview "Little Wing"
Marquis Global Network
Juli 06, 2022
"Little Wing"
Finalist
in the
INTERCONTINENTAL MUSIC AWARDS
Los Angeles
June 30, 2022
Review of "Bluesy Sky over Paris"
BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE
June 23, 2022
Dr. J.B. Blues – Bluesy Sky Over Paris
House Master Records LC 05699
9 songs – 38 minutes
Based out of Essen, Germany, where he’s a real-life physician who specializes in oncology and hematology, Dr. J.B. Blues – aka Bernd Jung – is a talented guitarist, too, and has made a name for himself producing Blues Rock Against Cancer charity concerts in his homeland. He makes his recording debut with this tasty CD, which pays tribute to two of his heroes, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Dr. J.B. picked up the six-string for the first time at age 14, and, from the sound of his fretwork here, it’s obvious that his six-string – a beloved Fender Rory Gallagher-model Stratocaster tuned in E-flat – has been in his hands steadily when not treating patients.
Like Vaughan, his main influence, the shred-free notes he delivers flow smoothly without the necessity of excessive pyrotechnics. He sings in a strong tenor in English with a slight, but noticeable accent, and his on-the-beat lyrics are counterpoint to his behind-the-beat playing.
Delivered in power-blues trio format, Dr. J.B. is backed by bassist Christophe Garreau and percussionist Guillaume Destarac, a veteran rhythm section who’ve recorded several CDs with Paul Personne and Fred Chapellier, two of the most beloved artists in the French blues scene.
They’re joined by keyboard player Tristan Abgrall, who also recorded and mixed this set at L’Auditorium Studios in Paris. It was mastered at Metropolis Studios in London under the supervision of John Davis, who’s best known in the U.S. for remastering early Led Zeppelin releases for modern consumption. This CD captured top honors in three categories at the recent Akademia Music Awards in Los Angeles — best blues album, blues song and alternative rock video.
While all of the tunes here are covers, they’re far more than that. Most carry forward the spirit of the original while not being note-for-note reinterpretations. Like the award-winning opener, Hendrix’s “Little Wing,” shows, the good Doc may be well-versed in the masters but he makes the runs all his own. This one’s delivered at an slower pace, opens quietly with no backing and soars. It flows effortlessly into a faithful take on Stevie Ray’s “Pride and Joy,” which lopes out of the gate, swings throughout and switches up the breaks enough to offer up a little originality, too.
“Tin Pan Alley” helped make Vaughan a superstar when it appeared on his debut LP, but it takes on a completely different feel here. Penned by West Coast bluesman Bob Geddins in the early ‘50s and a Top 10 R&B hit when recorded by Jimmy Wilson, it’s delivered as a molasses-slow ballad that sears for four minutes with barebones backing. “Texas Flood,” which is up next, follows the same format for to open. Penned by St. Louis bluesman Larry Davis before becoming another Vaughan masterpiece, Dr. J.B. turns it into a unique, instrumental burner for the first two minutes, launching into the familiar lyrics and then ending with 90 seconds more of solid fretwork.
Two more Hendrix numbers — “Red House” and “Voodoo Child” – mirror the same formula with the former taking its sweet time before the latter heats things up – before Dr. J.B. ventures into entirely different territory with “Cause We Ended as Lovers.” Stevie Wonder composed it and it debuted on Motown for Syreeta in 1975 before Jeff Beck made it his own. It’s reworked as a soulful, slow-paced instrumental here. An uptempo take on Stevie Ray’s “Scuttle Buttin’” follows before an extended version of “Little Wing” brings the album to a close.
When it comes to CDs chockful of covers, this reviewer finds most tedious at best – but this one’s special. Dr. J.B. Blues delivers a treat for lovers of early blues-rock that walked a tightrope between the two artforms, and he does it in his own way. It’s available online from several vendors.
Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Marty Gunther has lived a blessed life. Now based out of Charlotte, N.C., his first experience with live music came at the feet of the first generation of blues legends at the Newport Folk Festivals in the 1960s. A former member of the Chicago blues community, he’s a professional journalist and blues harmonica player who co-founded the Nucklebusters, one of the hardest working bands in South Florida.
"Little Wing" instant number one of the
INDIETOPCHART OFFICIAL
June and July 2022
> 500000 votes
July 31, 2022
"Little Wing"
hit the #1 position on the Jazz / Blues Charts
KMIX Radio Los Angeles, California USA
June 2022