“Out of place and out of time stress in your mind,
Sweet peace in the music let me ride,
Can’t stay behind the lines just cause of the skin that covers my bones,
Listen to the music …bear the weight of my soul” – Jen Durkin
The west coast is about to experience a powerful music experience that east coasters are already well versed in. Jen “Pipes” Durkin and the Business prove an exercise in excitement and contagious energy. After years of performing as the lead ginger for Deep Banana Blackout, Durkin now lends her talents to her own Rock/R&B and Soul outfit that brings the funk proper.
There is a tremendous amount of talent on stage but the light of the front woman shines brightest. The first thing you notice about the sweet disposition of lead singer, Jen Durkin, complete with glowing smile and flowing hair with tight curls reminiscent of dreads, is all the boundless energy wrapped up in a talented little package. Like her spiritual doppelgänger, Janis Joplin, the pleasing physical aesthetics ultimately give way to something more powerful and prominent: the “pipes.”
Jen was given the nickname “Pipes” to reflect her strong vocal prowess and the indelible mark it makes and it rings apropos. The Berklee School of Music graduate has won an American Music Award and performed in other bands including Bernie Worrell’s Band, The Conscious Underground, The Bomb Squad and Mickey Hart Band, also plays the cowbell, drum and tambourine while strutting as lead vocalist. Durkin is thankful to her influences which include Parliament, Stevie Wonder and the Grateful Dead for shaping up her sound. No stranger to the west coast, Durkin lived in Arizona to raise a family for the past five years and is excited about recently returning to Connecticut. Durkin, clearly ecstatic about her participation in the band, stated, “we are a transcendental experience where you release the normal and the ordinary to briefly go into chaos and really lose yourself in the moment.”
The funk-laden band consisting of veterans Darian Cunning (guitar), Rich Zurkowski (bass), Jesse Gibbon (keys), Johnny Durkin (drums) and Jen Durkin (vocals), had a brilliant year in 2014 with stops at festivals like Soupstock and Wormtown. Some notable musicians sat in with The Business including The Allman Brother’s Oteil Burbridge on “God Made Me Funky” at Wormtown and keys commander Bernie Worrell on “Stuffs and Things.” Mihali from Twiddle provided a scorching sit-in at Catskill Chill while Eric Krasno and Robert Randolph fueled a lengthy jam at a memorable gig at Garcia’s.
Other exquisite covers that are often performed with flair include “California Dreaming”, “Gimme Shelter” and “Wild Horses”, all delivered with Durkin’s patented confidence and poignant power. Some original fan favorites include “Hold On” – a song about being true to yourself and going after your dreams and “Out of Place” – a song written about that in between place where hard work, diligence and faith get you through the tough times. Other rocking covers include “Me and Baby Brother by War” because it’s relevant to the violent times that we’re living in and the sadness of racial tension and the Bob Marley classic “Soul Shakedown Party” which is a groove that moves, heals and uplifts. They are just hitting stride in time to deliver a professional and powerful performance on the left coast to excited fans ready to experience such exemplary chops for the first time.
Jen Durkin and the Business are slated to impress the west coast at The Viper Room on January 21st where she will open for Eric McFadden’s All-Star jam featuring Doug Wimbish and some of the P-Funk All-Stars and at NAMM on the 22nd at the booth demoing Telefunken Mics. The 23rd will be a Telefunken showcase at the House of Blues in Anaheim, hosted by Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, which will be have an all-star type sit-in performance.
