Young 'homemade' blues band to jam at Attucks

The members of the Homemade Jamz Blues Band could not enter many of the places where they perform if they weren't in the band. They're too young for bars, but not for slamming out gritty blues.

Lead singer/guitarist Ryan is 17, bassist Kyle is 15, and baby sister Taya, the drummer, is only 10.

"When we first started, we played local bars," Ryan said in the family's tour bus heading to a concert in Minnesota after gigs in Chicago and Milwaukee. "And we could only get inside if we were members of the band."

The Tupelo, Miss.-based act is billed as "the youngest blues band in America," and their age is no gimmick. They've won over legions of fans worldwide, including a couple of prestigious ones - Elvin Bishop and B.B. King.

The sibs were nominated for a 2009 Blues Music Award (making them the youngest nominees ever), took first place at the 2006 Blues Society of Indianola's Blues Challenge and won second place at the 2007 Memphis International Blues Challenge.

They've been featured on PBS' "Tavis Smiley," National Public Radio, NBC's "Today" and CBS' "Sunday Morning." They've been written about in national publications from USA Today to Blues Revue magazine. And they perform Friday in Norfolk as part of the Discovery Music Series.

It all began when father Renaud Perry joined the family in Baumholder, Germany, after a military assignment in Korea.

"While he was unpacking, I spotted a Telecaster" guitar, said Ryan, who was 7 at the time. "I started messing with it, and in two weeks they claim I was copying jingles off the radio."

Ryan said his father was always a fan of the blues and is adept at the harmonica and composing.

"It's what me, my brother and sister were exposed to all the time. That's all I ever wanted to play."

Moving back to the States, Kyle wanted to join his older brother in the blues. He went from piano to, eventually, the bass. The two became a blues "power duo," Ryan said. Then little sister wanted in.

"Mom made us play with Taya," Ryan said with a laugh. "And at the end of the day, she could keep a steady beat. She's now amazing on the drums."

Renaud and Tricia Perry manage the group and accompany their children on all tours. When the three began touring, they were pulled out of school. Their mom home-schools them.

Renaud Perry even builds their guitars - out of car parts.

"My dad and I were working on a car one day, and when the muffler parts came in, I said maybe it would be neat to build guitars out of them," Ryan said. "I was just kidding, because I wanted the muffler for my car, but Dad built them, and they worked. I was very surprised. I stood back several feet when he first plugged one in."

Now they're a signature of the band.

"They've got a pretty warm sound, a nice tone," Ryan said. "And I love the weight; they're really heavy. They give us a good workout when we play."

The band now tours all over the world and has two recordings: 2008's "Pay Me No Mind" and this year's "I Got Blues For You."

"When me and my brother began playing, we thought we'd only play locally - a five-minute drive to a church function or some party - so I feel blessed we've made it this far," Ryan said. "But we're always learning something new, and we still have a long ways to go. I'm ecstatic over it. I'm sitting here looking out the window of our van and have no idea which state I'm in. I'm just happy to be here."

Eric Feber, (757) 222-5203, eric.feber@pilotonline.com