By Madeline Baker, Times Chronicle
From the first time Jamie Holmes, Jeff Rogers, and J.W. Jones took the stage together, they all knew that they had just formed a special musical partnership – and so did the crowd who got to watch the magic happen.
On Wednesday, October 19, Osoyoos residents can experience the Horojo Trio’s magic for themselves.
The three men who make up the Horojo Trio were already friends and established members of the Ottawa music scene when they happened to meet up at a corporate event and decided to strike up an impromptu jam session. Their eclectic blend of jazz, blues, and soul influences went over so well that the next natural step was to make the newly formed band official.
Their quirky choice of band name is a mashup of the first two letters of their last names, just as the quirky sound they call “soul rockin’ rhythm and blues” involves elements of all four genres mashed up into one new unique sound, according to Jones.
So what does soul rockin’ rhythm and blues sound like?
“Sometimes we’re playing more of the traditional B.B. King style blues and other times we’re playing the more soul-driven stuff, like Stevie Wonder,” said Jones. “We’ve got the soulful vocals but really traditional sounding guitar playing in terms of blues, and then Jamie [Holmes] is bringing a lot of jazz-based influence in New Orleans based drumming influences.”
“It’s a really unique sound, and we try to write material and play material that’s catchy and has great choruses and melodic lines. It’s kind of like structured chaos, if you will.”
Since releasing their first album, Set the Record, on April 1, the Horojo Trio have toured throughout B.C., Alberta, and Ontario, and their current tour has even taken them across the border for several US dates.
While they don’t get much time to explore the towns and cities they visit, Osoyoos does have one special draw for singer and bassist Jeff Rogers, who Jones described as the “wine fan and certified sommelier” that will advise them on the best Okanagan wines during their stay.
The Horojo Trio will be performing at the Osoyoos Community Theatre on Wednesday, October 19. Tickets are $25 each or $20 each for groups of three or more, and can be purchased at Elvis Fine Jewelry.
