TRADITIONAL COUNTRY - COUNTRY ROCK - SIXTIES
CAJUN - BLUEGRASS
2019 : 25 years of J.KIRBY’S BAND
Drummer, guitar player, singer and composer J.Kirby Bivans participated in recording a number of discs in his hometown of Chicago He had the chance to play with Emmy Lou Harris and Graham Parsons, among others while pursuing a university music degree.
Moving to Nashville in 1983, he accompanied Grand Ole Opry stars Jean Shepard, Billy Walker, Lorrie Morgan and Kitty Wells. He toured and recorded with Vassar Clements, Nicolette Larson, Cal Smith and was lucky enough to play drums behind the legendary Carl Perkins.
Ten years later, following a European tour with MCA recording artist Karen Staley, he decided to move to Switzerland and formed the J.Kirby's Band.
In 1994, J.Kirby recorded his first CD Riding and Free, composed mostly of original songs. Since that time, the group participated in festivals at Geneva, Montreux, Les Diablerets, Interlaken, Mirande (biggest country festival in Europe), Craponne-sur-Arzon, among others.
J.Kirby composed the songs of his second album Rocky Tequila recorded in 1997 with his musicians.
Fall 2002, the band has released its third CD Highway To Your Heart, also composed of original songs, most of them written by Kirby or co-written with other artists, and one instrumental composed by the fiddle player John Intrator.
In 1994, J. Kirby's Band released its fourth album Four On The Floor, again all original songs, a mix of all the interesting styles you can find in country music.
This four albums have given birth to the CD Reflections in Chrome, the best of 20 years in 2014.
In concert the J.Kirby's Band performs a dynamic mix of country, sixties-rock, bluegrass and cajun music. Its repertoire ranges from the traditional Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson songs through the contemporary Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson songs in addition to original compositions.
PRESS REVIEWS
...Very good songs, a very beautiful production; a truly large sound on the level of Nashville discs.
...there are a lot of things to learn; everyday I discover something new on the disc and it's true that I have the same emotions as when we were in Nashville listening to the likes of Jennings, Cash...
...It's extraordinary - it deserves to be known, it deserves to be bought, it deserves to be listened to; it is a great record...
...I'm going to talk a bit about what took place the night the disc was released. It's true that it was a magical evening. Nobody, like I said, requested any country music standards, because the songs were really there. I want to say that this CD should be a part of the country music culture for the folks around here...
RADIO LAC, SUR LA ROUTE DE NASHVILLE, 6 October 2002
...this group, very solid around its leader, has found a cohesion that assures it a level largely above the rest. He has won a ticket to play in the big leagues!...
COUNTRY NEWS, October 2002
... He left his hometown to play drums in Nashville and, since that day, Kirby never looked back. His enthusiasm fires the concert halls and he knows how to address a song to each and everyone in the audience.
WESTERN MAGAZINE, February 2002
... An electrifying band, a crazed singing drummer, a bass player of unbelievable talent and on-stage humor, and a guitarist in the same vein. The violinist is much more calm in his corner of the stage but not less good. Must be seen and seen again...
www.franch-country-festival.net, August 2000
... The Swiss-Americans of J. Kirby's Band have showed the differences in culture to be the ideal road to touch our senses.
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE, April 1994
The Band