COVERAGE

I’ve spent a lot of time and money at J.B. Kline’s New & Vintage Musical Instruments & Supplies but i’d never seen Jeff (J.B.) really perform outside of his 2nd-floor Lambertville music shop.   each time i’ve ascended the stairs — poker-faced about whether i had not a penny to spare or $2-grand in the bank & an itch for a new instrument — he’d usually be behind the shop’s desk stuck in some groove on his trusty Guild semi-hollow, which hangs separately from the instruments for sale just behind his seat (a guitar crafted in Hoboken in the mid-1960s… i’ve bought two Guilds of similar model/year from his shop).  other times he’d be trying out an instrument while listening to a customer haggling its worth… eyes to the ceiling searching for the fairest price on a unique hunk of wood he’d never feel again… playing something strange or fancy that’d probably be gone by the end of the week. always open to questions or conversation.  besides the custom drawn tags he’s got on nearly every instrument (with unique codes on the back that let him know, at least, who owns/ed it, how much he paid for it, and how much he’d like for it), the price can also be effected by how honestly and sincerely you answer the question “do you love it?” while you watch him play it one last time before it might leave the shop.

I’d also never seen him with his big white cowboy hat on, or with his white Telecaster. i’d certainly never seen him backed by a band.  as expected, they were seasoned professionals with as much of a heaping of white soul that you can fit into a narrow art gallery in Lambertville.  to say the least, i had a great time — a lot of that having to do with the fact that i’d never seen J.B. so happy, grinning, and completely in his element.

i’ve taken a few lessons from him — the first time i told him i wanted one was on a whim, as the shop was closing.  he responded, pointing to his chest, “…what, from me?” and after finding out what kind of experience i had, he asked how i wanted to play guitar.  the first honest thing i thought to say to him was “like Van Morrison used to sing… um… sorta Steve Cropper? Robbie Robertson?”… a line i think he respected enough that he’s since remembered my name and always said hello with a smile.  and while the lessons came and went and helped a ton, i don’t think i’d ever even heard him sing.  and here he was leading a band of excellent musicians, with people cheering him on.  i’d never seen him perform until this show.  the fun that he was having, the ease & familiarity he had with his guitar and the melodies… it was all reminiscent of something my tone-deaf former-athlete father recognized when i first started falling in love with playing bass; “music is something you’ll have forever, and can play till you die.”  not to say Mr. Kline is anywhere near his deathbed, but he’s certainly not as young as most of the local musicians i go out of my way to see. regardless, he’s been blessed with a voice that’s youthful despite the wealth experience and wisdom he’s accumulated over the years.  i don’t think he smokes cigarettes.

J.B. plays all over Lambertville and New Hope pretty regularly (and has been for a while) – acoustic, accompanied, or backed by a full band.  the show i caught was downstairs from his shop, just past the stairs up to the store, at the back of the first floor coffee shop.  my girlfriend got us a couple pieces of banana bread & two big-ass coffees and we made our way into the gallery, to be immediately surrounded by aging flower-children dancing all about.  not quite my scene, but a more than welcoming one.  so i put my arm around her and smiled through two sets of songs — ballads, quicker blues and R&B originals, and rousing renditions of songs like Archie Bell & the Drells’ “Tighten Up,” the rockabilly standard “Red Hot” and “Route 66.”  Besides Jeff, lead vocals were shared with keyboardist Ed Wall, and the incredibly talented harmonica player Steve Guyger.  bassist Kevin Joy was subtly joyful — stoically rooted in the back playing a pretty cool G&L semi-hollow Telecaster-shaped bass, and drummer Bobby Boom Boom got an absolutely ridiculous and awesome solo for almost 3 straight minutes of their 6 minute “Tighten Up”.

Whether you happen to find yourself in the small “city” of Lambertville, right across the (pedestrian accessible!) bridge from New Hope, PA, or are the type willing to drive out of your way to find the perfect new guitar — one with a lot of history, personality & that you’ll want/need to pick a fight with — definitely drop by the shop.

J.B. Kline
J.B. Kline’s New & Vintage Musical Instruments & Supplies
J.B. Kline & Son Gallery
Riverdog Recording Studio