The Jumpoff!

The Jumpoff! is a band that began forming in the fall of 2006. We play funk, soul and R n’ B. Four of the seven members currently attend Berklee College of Music, and all of the band lives and works in Boston. We come from a variety of musical backgrounds: drummer Ryan Dryberg grew up in D.C. playing ska and reggae and is the oldest member of the band. Like many Berklee-trained drummers, Ryan has an immovable pocket and a mastery of many styles. Guitarist Trevor Bahnson hails from Santa Fe where he played Blues and Metal. Trevor is the spiritual master of the group and has been known to cure headaches through his recreation of whale calls on his guitar. Dominick Davis, our Bassist, is a trained vibes player but joined our band with a mission to improve his bass playing and gain a new perspective on the musical world. His less-is- more approach to the bass is reminiscent of players such as Anthony Jackson and Rhonda Smith.
From the beginning the Jumpoff has tried to cultivate a horn-driven, RnB sound. We have the luxury of playing with two terrific horn players; Eric Moore a.k.a. Slick Rick the Ruler on the Tenor sax is a veritable force of steamy soul. He keeps it inside the box and has a full round tone that is perfect for sultry soloing, terse Motown riffs, and beefy growls. Rick is a full time studio engineer and plays with many up and coming Boston bands. Blake Hillard on trumpet comes from a family of Big Band brass players. He likes to fly high and fast and is the youngest member of the ensemble. Blake has the honor of playing in one of the elite Berklee ensembles, a “Tower of Power” cover band that has gained recognition worldwide.
The Jumpoff! plays half covers and half originals. The chief song writer of the group is guitarist Nate Staub. Nate has a love of old time roots music, Reggae, 70’s funk and jazz. All these styles can be heard in his original compositions. He combines these sounds with a colloquial lyricism that is often sarcastic. Lead singer and Keyboardist Duncan Pellitier from Peterborough N.H. is an underground New England Legend. He has recorded and released many albums in his long career and has opened for acts such as the Presidents of the United States of America and Rustic Overtones. Duncan is the musical director of the Jumpoff! and arranges many of the original tunes.
The Jumpoff! has enjoyed a residency through the winter at a club in Somervillle called the Kirkland Café. We have also played Bills Bar at Fenway and opened for “The Breakfast” at Keene State. We have recorded a four song demo, but since then the band has grown and improved. We have plans to return to the studio this month (june 07) and hopefully finish a full length original CD by the fall. The Jumpoff! is a very exciting band to see live and we tend to appeal to an older audience. Our list of cover material includes, but is not limited to, the works of Bill Whithers, Prince, Joe Cocker, Average White Band, Michael McDonald, Beck, D’Angelo and 2PAC. We favor the physical over the cerebral and we hope you bring your dancin’ shoes.