“The name comes from a traditional Irish drink, that I think consists of cider and a shot of whiskey… We also cover a song called ‘Johnny Jump Up,’ which is about drinking too many Johnny Jump Ups.”
Introducing: Johnny Jump Up. They are Trey Comstock (guitar, harmonica, lead vocals), Dan Fowler (drums), and Jack Connor (violin, vocals). “There is a rotating door of guitarists and bass players,” says Comstock. “But at the core of it, there is the three of us… We are all California transplants… I am from Texas… Dan was a military brat and has lived everywhere… Jack is an Irish-Catholic from Westlake, Ohio.”
And currently, they are Redondo, Hermosa, and Manhattan Beach residents comprising a curiously named band with a kicking sound from the south (and east, across the Atlantic).
“It is a mix of blues, Texas Country (Singer-Songwriter), and Irish tunes,” says Comstock. “When I say ‘Texas Country,’ I am referring to a large group of artists I listened to in college that decided to rebel against Nashville and stay in Texas. Willie Nelson would be the most notable of that group, but also guys like Robert Earl Keen Jr., Charlie Robinson, and Ryan Bingham – who in my opinion is a younger guy that could be added to that group.”
Comstock continues, “My influences, and the original music I write, are primarily blues or country-based. I incorporate a lot of slide [guitar] into my songs too.”
“The Irish influence comes from Jack [Connor]. He grew up performing in competitions – playing traditional Irish music. When I started playing with him it opened up a whole new genre of music I knew I liked, but really didn’t know anything about.”
Whether it’s a raw n’ rockin’ shaker, hoarsely spitted out through a gritty Shure 55SH microphone (envision the mic in front of Buddy Holly or early Elvis…), or a folky fiddle jig floated over from Celtic downs, Comstock acknowledges that it’s always fun, good time music that you can throw back a drink and stomp your foot to.
But good times never seem to ride high without the bad…
Comstock expounds: “I think the tempo of our music is positive, and the energy between us when we play is really upbeat and you can tell we are having fun, but the lyrics are a different story. I write about what I am feeling, situations in my life, or if I have a good story to tell… but it is blues after all; so I have song titles like ‘Devil is a Woman,’ ‘Hell’s Coming Down’ and ‘Can’t Keep a Good Man Down.’ And the Irish songs are all pretty much about some kind of loss, or getting too drunk and getting in fights.”
Bar brawls and bereavements aside, Johnny Jump Up certainly does get a venue hopping with their assertive, upbeat tone. Comstock possesses an authoritative-while-relaxed stage presence; and as organizer and obvious front man of the band, it comes as a surprise that he is actually a late bloomer.
“I only started playing outside of my bedroom about 3 years ago,” he says. “I have been playing guitar since I was 14 and took lessons… I am 31 now, so I’m a later starter… The music thing for me started out as thinking, ‘It would be so cool if I could play guitar in bars around town,’ to, ‘I wonder if I can make a couple extra dollars a month doing this,’ to now being, ‘Could I make music a career?’… I just didn’t get an opportunity or try to play out at bars, let alone getting paid, until 3 years ago…”
Our Texan beach boy has come a long way in 3 years. He started by posting a few songs on MySpace, got a gig at 12th and Highland as a solo acoustic performer, then met Fowler and the nucleus of the ever-evolving Johnny Jump Up started gaining energy. The outfit now consistently gigs all around the South Bay. Last weekend they performed at South Bay Customs in El Segundo, I recently discovered them at the Prince O’ Whales in Playa del Rey, and they play every first Friday at Side Door in Manhattan Beach.
“Side Door is really where I have honed my chops, so to speak,” says Comstock with an air of gratitude. “Lou Giovannetti, who is the owner of the Side Door and a talented singer, gives me 2 hours to play and sing whatever type of music I want. He has always been real supportive.”
Giovannetti even used to let Comstock borrow his microphone when the growing artist first began playing there, which inspired his acquisition of the classic Shure 55SH. Comstock openly pays homage to other teachers and peers as well.
“I still take guitar lessons from local teacher and musician Karl Grossman (of Music Focus), and I take piano and drum lessons from Rich Schwagel at Dietz Bros. And playing with guys like Dan Geir [of Green Blossom String Band] and Kyle Boomer [of Penmanship], who are young guys that give lessons in the day and play in their bands at night, has made me a better musician.”
Johnny Jump Up is presently working on a 4-song disc of Comstock originals, the release of which will precede their efforts to compile a full-length album. Recording is being conducted at Screaming Leopard Studios in Hermosa Beach, and the EP is expected out by mid-December.
“Dan Fowler is really the driving force behind the recordings,” says Comstock about his bandmate who has more experience with this sort of thing. “Once these songs are recorded, I would like to see if we could sell them to a movie or another artist…I really don’t know what is in the future, as far as success goes with music, but I do know it is something I will always be able to do. I love playing live and I love being in a band with my friends. I like being in this scene. There is more musical talent in the South Bay than I think a lot of people realize.”
Johnny Jump Up currently plays the first Friday of every month at Side Door in Manhattan Beach, including this Friday Nov 4 from 7 p.m. to 9, and the Prince O’ Whales in Playa del Rey on Nov 19 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. You can listen to Green Blossom String Band, Penmanship, and myriad folk and country-based acts from around the nation on www.DirtyHippieRadio.com. ER
