John Brown’s Body
Iliana Deanda
Based in Boston and New York, John Brown’s Body has been around since 1995. Their album “Amplify” debuted at number one on the Billboard’s Reggae Chart back in 2008 and 2009. JBB consists of an eight-piece band: Elliot Martin – lead vocals, Tommy Benedetti – drums, Nate Edgar – bass, Matthew Goodwin – synths, Mike Keenan – guitar, Sam Dechenne – trumpet, Drew Sayers – saxophone and Scott Flynn – trombone.
Currently JBB is on tour with The Expendables and will be stopping at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Nov. 30.
So tell me the history of the band. Who is John Brown’s Body?
“JBB has been around for 14 years. A few of us used to play together in a band called The Tribulations,” said drummer Tommy Benedetti.
“After that group disbanded in 1995, the core of the band decided to regroup and start something new. That eventually became JBB.”
What is the significance of the band’s name, does the name define who JBB is?
“We are named after the abolitionist John Brown. Our former singer and songwriter Kevin Kinsella named the band,” Benedetti said.
“Without going into a lengthy history lesson, we loved the story of a kind of crazy dude who was fighting against something he thought was incredibly wrong, and put himself out there by taking some drastic measures.
I think his story goes well with our militant approach to our music.”
You use “future roots” to describe JBB’s sound, can you explain that?
“It’s a term Elliot came up with. I think it speaks to our love and reverence for the music that came before us and inspired us,” Benedetti said.
“Also it’s our responsibility to create our own musical footprint and keep the vibe fresh and current.”
Do you believe that this is what is setting JBB apart from any other reggae artist out there today?
“Well I do believe that we have a sound that is our own. I’m proud that through all the changes we’ve been through, there always seems to be a common thread that is the JBB sound,” Benedetti said. “It’s a dedication to our craft and being sincere and true to ourselves that keeps us going.”
You guys are currently on tour. What are you looking forward to most?
“There are a couple cities on the tour that we haven’t been to and a few that we haven’t been to in a while so that’s going to be great. I know there’s been a lot of interest from fans in Texas who are psyched to see us again,” Benedetti said.
What’s next for JBB?
“We have a lot of touring to do through the end of the year and into 2011. We started some preliminary work in the studio back in July, and that produced a couple of killer new tracks,” Benedetti said. “So we’ll probably hole up in the New England winter and keep plugging away.
