Kind Words for The Blue Rhythm Boys
“Excellent, gentlemen. A beautiful, joyful sound.”
Michael Jaworik, Promoter
The Birchmere, Arlington, Virginia
“The Blue Rhythm Boys were an absolute joy to have in concert. They transported our concert hall into a Southern low-down “Jook” joint. Their easy-going nature quickly won over the audience (and myself) with humor appropriate to the vintage material. Comparisons? Imagine a session with Mississippi John Hurt, jamming with Django with Louis Armstrong, and the Kansas City Five as the backline!”
David Eisner, The Institute of Musical Tradition
House of Musical Traditions Inc, Takoma Park, MD
“Their fingers are golden as they romp through vintage swing, Gypsy Jazz, Delta blues and Hokum selections. They cover a lot of territory but never once are The Blue Rhythm Boys less than blue-rhythm stuff.”
Dan Willging, Dirty Linen
“The Blue Rhythm Boys are a swing trio that knocks my socks off, with two first-rate guitarists, Tom Mitchell and Jim Stephanson, who carry the “Washington Grows Great Guitarists” torch into the 21st century. Their music is decidedly 20th century, however, as they play swing and blues from a bygone era on vintage archtop guitars, but they don’t mine it for nostalgia. Instead they simply point out what great music it is.”
Eric Brace, The Washington Post
“Swingin’ acoustic guitars, southern-tinged vocals, and the best repertoire East of Bucks County all combine to float your boat up the mighty Miss-i-sip!”
Dan Hicks
“The Blue Rhythm Boys play and sing acoustic swing with deceptive ease. Rock solid rhythm and influences from Django Reinhart to Danny Gatton treat the listener to a tightly woven tapestry of sound as Tom Mitchell and Jim Stephanson trade licks on their six string Gibsons.”
Pete Reiniger, Sound Production Supervisor, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
“…The Blue Rhythm Boys…feature nimbly executed guitar solos and rhythmic pulses that, whether swaying or swinging, are just plain hard to resist. Like the pre-war musicians they clearly admire, the Boys and their guests collaborate all the while in deceptively effortless fashion. In fact, if they’ve learned one thing from listening to old discs, it’s how to have fun without ever making a fuss.”
Mike Joyce, The Washington Post