“Since I “discovered” this group one night at Mozart’s, I have been a steadfast follower of their band.  I know each one of them and was lucky enough to get to see them open for David Benoit when he played in San Antonio last year.  Not only are these guys fabulous to watch and listen to when they play, each one of them brings their own special friendliness to their music and to their fans.”

Marie Lamb, Austin, TX.

“You sat behind us at the Rippingtons in Austin and handed us your promo CD as we were leaving. Curious, we stuck it in the deck, skeptical and not expecting much.  You know how that goes, not to mention we’d just seen the Rippingtons for God’s sake!  Wow!  We were blown away, surprised, impressed, shocked, groovin’!!!  I personally have listened to it every day since then, my 10 year old daughter jams to it doing homework and must say it is my most favorite choice of listening these days.”  Cathi Fly, San Antonio, TX.

 This is just a small sample of what real people are saying about the Jon Barry Project. With their original blend of pop, jazz, and new age influences, the Jon Barry Project presents a  totally fresh, exciting and new music experience.  Recording Magazine enthusiastically described the sound as Pat Metheny meets Spyro Gyra.

It was only a few years ago, back in 1998, when JB Slimp & Friends came into the Austin music scene.  JB Slimp founded the band in 1996 with friends and musicians Louis Beltran and Steve Miller. Greg Hudgins and Will Herrington joined the group in 1997 and 1998 respectively. His vision was to create a unique, dreamy, but fresh sound that could be easily appreciated by all types of music lovers. The key to this was simple, writing great songs that focused on catchy melodies and moods. 

After only a few short months the band was able to build a small, but loyal following. Over 2,000 copies of the first release “On the Inside” were sold at shows and local record stores, all without any local jazz radio market. Soon afterwards the band found its fan base growing as they performed over 50 shows in 1999. In the fall of 1999 the song “Caribbean Nights” shot up to number 2 in the MP3.com smooth jazz charts.  It remained in the top 20 for over 6 weeks. The result was thousands of downloads and new fans from around the world. The same song also found itself in the top 10 requested smooth jazz cuts on KACU in Abilene TX. The highlight of the year came when the band landed opening acts for both David Benoit and then later Boney James.

After an extremely good 1999 the band knew it was time to take a break to record the follow up to “On the Inside.” The break actually proved to be a test of the bands determination to stay together, as much adversity seemed to pelage the band. After a series of delays in the recording process, as well as many personal misfortunes in the band, it seemed that they might never play again. Finally after 10 months of hard work and dedication the band resurfaced with a new CD, a new name, and a new appreciation for their music and friendship. A family was born.

The Jon Barry Project is now on a mission to bring a fresh instrumental approach to the ears of willing music lovers. The new CD, “Friends Like These”, showcases a multitude of textures and emotions, resulting in a strikingly more mature sound for the band.  From spicy Latin, fusion and rock beats to beautiful ballads that touch the heart, “Friends Like These” showcases the maturity and composing skills of the group.

The future looks bright for this young contemporary jazz group.  Look for the band to continue playing many shows in 2001. Building and maintaining their fan base (already exceeding 800 members) is the number one priority for The Jon Barry Project.