Hello, I’m Ben Bryant and my laid-back friend  is Ronnie Jones. These days we are calling ourselves The Breeze Brothers. We enjoy playing vintage classic rock and dance music from the 60’s and 70’s, Round House Blues, Motown and most enjoyable of all, we love taking you back to the “days” with that summertime, beer drinking, shaggin’ on the boardwalk Carolina Beach Music.

This exercise in poor writing is an attempt to tell you who we are and what we’re “All About.” What we are is… a spoof / a parity of The Blues Brothers. The only differences are they sang 60’s soul, were genuinely funny and rich; we play and sing so much more and wear sandals and have bad taste in beach shirts.

Ronnie began playing with a neighborhood teenage band in the 70’s called “Company Incorporated”. This group went on to become one of Virginia’s premiere rock bands. They played about everything from that era and played it well. They enjoyed capacity crowds wherever they went. When that band parted they left a lot of people with fond memories. During the band’s tenure as a top group in the area, they had the pleasure to open up for The Ides of March and Black Oak Arkansas. Ronnie continued playing for several more years with other groups until job responsibilities pulled him away. But even though he was too busy to tour, he continued to perfect his craft. Not only is Ronnie an accomplished bassist, he has become an excellent guitar player and backup vocalist.

Ronnie and I got re-acquainted about five years ago and began exploring gospel music. The result was two CDs of original music of which we are very proud. Unfortunately little else materialized. We have had the satisfaction of some excellent reviews two years running for our songwriting by Billboard Magazine but no “Big Bites” have come our way. In the Old Time Gospel Bible Belt few opportunities were available to share our style of Christian music. The venues we played were both enjoyable and memorable Ronnie was too talented, and enjoyed people far too much to sit by the phone. He was ready to move on to new challenges. He wanted to bring people the music they were hungering for, music they could dance to with lyrics they understood and enjoyed singing themselves, the songs that conjured the fondest memories of their high school and college years. In short, he was ready to play beach music.

Like Ronnie, I began playing in the same area, but at an earlier time. I began in the 60’s as a drummer in several high school party bands. We had the pleasure to cover the classic rock/pop songs when they were hitting the charts across America. We took great pride and bragging rights because we played the songs of the Doors and Rolling Stones at parties and dances before they became popular. 1. I was lucky enough to run into a guitar player whose talent and street-wise business sense moved me into the style of music I have come to love the most. In the mid 60’s, big soul bands were the rage in Roanoke and throughout the South. Songs by great artists like James Brown, Wilson Picket, and the duo of Sam and Dave were the rage. If you wanted to work in the music circuit, you had to play it! When my friend moved us into this arena, we found that we needed a front man who could rival the local vocalists of the area, and truthfully we needed a better drummer. I didn’t want to lose my job so I began working feverishly with the records of the “Soul Greats”, perfecting each and every phase and style until I was up to competing with the local stars. The more I worked, the better I got and the easier it came for me to understand what it took to be a “front man”. I moved on through the years singing the pop charts in every venue you could imagine. ..“one night” rock and disco clubs for hundreds of people, hotel lounges throughout the southeast, and warm-ups for tried and true country stars. In the early years I had the pleasure to share the same stage with Clifton Curry, Spider Turner, The Temptations and the enjoyable Rufus Thomas. I even endured heckling by twelve years olds and their dazed parents while warming up for David Cassidy of Partridge Family fame. Anything to stay in music! My best memories come from playing with my friends in The Chevelles, The Premiers, The Loven’ Sound, with Ricky Bova, and with Last Shot. Now after years of work and no play, I’m back and ready to sing the music I love. I won’t take this opportunity for granted and I have a point to prove! The music is still alive and I can sing it better than anybody, well with the exception of Delbert McClinton, Al Green, Wilson Picket, James Brown, and …….. .

Anyway, I’m going to do my best. I’ll give people their money’s worth and more. Much more! So Dance, Sing, Yell, Hoop and Holler! GET READY TO PARTY WITH THE BREEZE BROTHERS!