***NEW ALBUM RELEASE***
"My Mississippi Roots"
***Available October 17, 2025***
***To order your copy, email [email protected] and include:***
***Name, Shipping Address, Phone Number***
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***Cost $25 (includes shipping)***
New & Noteworthy/CD Review:
James JB Barnes 'My Mississippi Roots': "One of the most soulful blues records I’ve heard in maybe forever. On My Mississippi Roots Barnes lives up to his mission; to honor the artists that came before him while ensuring the blues remains vibrant in the present, to which I say, spectacularly well done, sir. Production is smooth and excellent, not overly cluttered and the spirit of the thing shines through with each and every note. Since Barnes is a bassist you know there’s got to be some funk in here, too, like in the closer Stand Up And Give Peace & Love A Chance. It’s a timely message with a 70’s funk feel. Wonderful, wonderful stuff (5 stars out of 5)" - John Kerieff
THE ROCK DOCTOR. Full Review: https://gonzookanagan.com/the-rock-doctors-hot-wax-album-reviews-week-of-october-27/
THE ROCK DOCTOR. Full Review: https://gonzookanagan.com/the-rock-doctors-hot-wax-album-reviews-week-of-october-27/
MY MISSISSIPPI ROOTS James “JB” Barnes (independent) *****
This is one of the most soulful blues records I’ve heard in maybe forever. With My Mississippi Roots Barnes lives up to his mission; to honor the artists that came before him while ensuring the blues remains vibrant in the present, to which I say spectacularly well done, sir.
There is a lot of James’s life in My Mississippi Roots. Born in Cleveland and raised in New Jersey, he grew up steeped in the sound and spirit of the music. On his father’s side he can trace his lineage back to Mississippi, so this record is as much family history as the blues is the bedrock of his artistic muse. As a bass player it makes sense that Barnes’s music has a sensuous sense of groovature, as it makes you feel like moving whether you want to or not. Part of the blues magic in these tracks comes from the guitar work of Anthony Krizan, particularly on a song like Brush With The Blues, which I first heard on a Jeff Beck album.
Aside from the soulfulness of the disc, like any decent blues this is fine storytellin’ music. The title track tells the story of his father, who journeyed from the deep south to the industrial North in search of work and a better life
for his family. “His Mississippi roots” say JB, “are my Mississippi roots.” Slow blues like Gotta Make A Change and a bluesy remake of Hall & Oates’ Sara Smile kinda hit you right in the babymaker. Other cover songs aside from those already mentioned include Carey Bell’s Lonesome Stranger and The Rolling Stones’ masterpiece Wild Horses, all of which fit nicely in the feel and vibe of the record.
Since Barnes is a bassist you know there’s got to be some funk in here too, like in the closer Stand Up And Give Peace & Love A Chance. It’s a timely message with a 70’s funk feel. Lots of vibes, feels and grooves throughout My Mississippi Roots, all with an easy blues breath to them. The production is smooth and excellent, not overly cluttered and the spirit of the thing shines through with each and every note. Wonderful , wonderful stuff.
www.jbkeepingthebluesalive.com
HOT TRACKS: Gotta Make A Change, Brush With The Blues, Sara Smile
There is a lot of James’s life in My Mississippi Roots. Born in Cleveland and raised in New Jersey, he grew up steeped in the sound and spirit of the music. On his father’s side he can trace his lineage back to Mississippi, so this record is as much family history as the blues is the bedrock of his artistic muse. As a bass player it makes sense that Barnes’s music has a sensuous sense of groovature, as it makes you feel like moving whether you want to or not. Part of the blues magic in these tracks comes from the guitar work of Anthony Krizan, particularly on a song like Brush With The Blues, which I first heard on a Jeff Beck album.
Aside from the soulfulness of the disc, like any decent blues this is fine storytellin’ music. The title track tells the story of his father, who journeyed from the deep south to the industrial North in search of work and a better life
for his family. “His Mississippi roots” say JB, “are my Mississippi roots.” Slow blues like Gotta Make A Change and a bluesy remake of Hall & Oates’ Sara Smile kinda hit you right in the babymaker. Other cover songs aside from those already mentioned include Carey Bell’s Lonesome Stranger and The Rolling Stones’ masterpiece Wild Horses, all of which fit nicely in the feel and vibe of the record.
Since Barnes is a bassist you know there’s got to be some funk in here too, like in the closer Stand Up And Give Peace & Love A Chance. It’s a timely message with a 70’s funk feel. Lots of vibes, feels and grooves throughout My Mississippi Roots, all with an easy blues breath to them. The production is smooth and excellent, not overly cluttered and the spirit of the thing shines through with each and every note. Wonderful , wonderful stuff.
www.jbkeepingthebluesalive.com
HOT TRACKS: Gotta Make A Change, Brush With The Blues, Sara Smile
Who is "JB"?
James Barnes — known to audiences throughout the region as JB — carries the blues in his blood. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in New Jersey after his family moved east in 1965, he grew up steeped in the sound and spirit of the music. On his father’s side, JB traces his lineage back to Mississippi, the wellspring from which so much of this tradition flows. Those “Mississippi Roots” became more than just family history; they formed the bedrock of his artistic calling.
JB didn’t come to the blues casually. He studied the greats—those who laid the path before him, those who continue to shape the form today. That study became devotion, and in 2016, the New Jersey Blues Hall of Fame recognized that devotion, honoring him as a “Great Blues Artist.” His first recording, JB’s Favorite Things (2023), established him as an independent artist with something genuine to say. His long-running band, BBD Rhythm & Blues, which he founded in 2012, has been carrying that message across clubs, festivals, and concert halls throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware for more than a decade.
JB’s mission is plain spoken yet profound: to honor the artists who came before him while ensuring the blues remains vibrant in the present. His latest project makes that mission personal. My Mississippi Roots, released during September 2025, is more than a record — it is a testimony. The title track tells the story of JB’s father, Jerry Lee Barnes Sr., a man of quiet determination who journeyed from the deep South to the industrial North in search of work and a better life for his family. “His Mississippi Roots,” JB says, “are my Mississippi Roots.”
Produced by guitarist, songwriter, and longtime friend Anthony Krizan, My Mississippi Roots combines JB’s storytelling with contributions from a host of musicians — including his son, Jarred “Arktkt” Barnes — whose playing brings fresh fire to the tradition. The record traverses the landscape of the blues and beyond: original compositions, heartfelt tributes, and reimagined classics all rendered with conviction. From the introspective ache of “Gotta Make a Change” to the celebratory groove of “The JB Shuffle”; from the political bite of “When Did Crime Become Legal” to the reimagined soul of “Sara Smile” and the deep homage to Carey Bell in “Lonesome Stranger” — Anthony was masterful with co-writing of several of the originals along with providing some great, heartfelt blues guitar playing throughout the entire record. These songs embody both personal narrative and cultural continuity.
The record closes with “Stand Up and Give Peace & Love a Chance,” a call to conscience rooted in JB’s belief in the blues as a force for uplift as well as expression. Drawing on the 1970s funk and R&B spirit of Sly Stone, the song underscores what JB has been demonstrating his whole career: that the blues is living history, a tradition that speaks to struggle and survival, but also to joy, resilience, and the unyielding hope for something better.
For JB, keeping the blues alive is not about nostalgia — it is about honoring roots while growing branches. With My Mississippi Roots, he extends his family’s story into the continuum of blues history, reminding us that the music is as much about where we’ve been as it is about where we still hope to go.
JB didn’t come to the blues casually. He studied the greats—those who laid the path before him, those who continue to shape the form today. That study became devotion, and in 2016, the New Jersey Blues Hall of Fame recognized that devotion, honoring him as a “Great Blues Artist.” His first recording, JB’s Favorite Things (2023), established him as an independent artist with something genuine to say. His long-running band, BBD Rhythm & Blues, which he founded in 2012, has been carrying that message across clubs, festivals, and concert halls throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware for more than a decade.
JB’s mission is plain spoken yet profound: to honor the artists who came before him while ensuring the blues remains vibrant in the present. His latest project makes that mission personal. My Mississippi Roots, released during September 2025, is more than a record — it is a testimony. The title track tells the story of JB’s father, Jerry Lee Barnes Sr., a man of quiet determination who journeyed from the deep South to the industrial North in search of work and a better life for his family. “His Mississippi Roots,” JB says, “are my Mississippi Roots.”
Produced by guitarist, songwriter, and longtime friend Anthony Krizan, My Mississippi Roots combines JB’s storytelling with contributions from a host of musicians — including his son, Jarred “Arktkt” Barnes — whose playing brings fresh fire to the tradition. The record traverses the landscape of the blues and beyond: original compositions, heartfelt tributes, and reimagined classics all rendered with conviction. From the introspective ache of “Gotta Make a Change” to the celebratory groove of “The JB Shuffle”; from the political bite of “When Did Crime Become Legal” to the reimagined soul of “Sara Smile” and the deep homage to Carey Bell in “Lonesome Stranger” — Anthony was masterful with co-writing of several of the originals along with providing some great, heartfelt blues guitar playing throughout the entire record. These songs embody both personal narrative and cultural continuity.
The record closes with “Stand Up and Give Peace & Love a Chance,” a call to conscience rooted in JB’s belief in the blues as a force for uplift as well as expression. Drawing on the 1970s funk and R&B spirit of Sly Stone, the song underscores what JB has been demonstrating his whole career: that the blues is living history, a tradition that speaks to struggle and survival, but also to joy, resilience, and the unyielding hope for something better.
For JB, keeping the blues alive is not about nostalgia — it is about honoring roots while growing branches. With My Mississippi Roots, he extends his family’s story into the continuum of blues history, reminding us that the music is as much about where we’ve been as it is about where we still hope to go.
For Bookings & Correspondence
Contact JB:
[email protected]
(732) 882-6200
Press Contact: Doug Deutsch
[email protected]
(213) 924-4901
Contact JB:
[email protected]
(732) 882-6200
Press Contact: Doug Deutsch
[email protected]
(213) 924-4901
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"JB is a real Blues player and brings joy to those who listen to him and his All-Star Band" - Rod (NJ)
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