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About Lower Case Blues

The Short Story

Lower Case Blues is a Blues/Jam trio hailing from the eastern shore and has been together since 2003. Founding members Jake Banaszak (Guitar) and BJ Muntz (Bass/Vocals) play and original blues style that is based on traditional blues, but expands into an organic and very improvisational sound that is uniquely their own. Having recorded several albums and gigging relentlessly over the years, the band has earned a reputation of being one of the hardest working bands in the land. 

The Long Story

Lower Case Blues started with two high school friends who instantly shared a connection and love for the blues and music of the 60s and 70s. In fact, the name of the band was given to them by a teacher and friend from the school in which they met.  Jake Banaszak and Bj Muntz started hanging out and jamming often after school and on the weekends, while also taking guitar lessons by some of the areas best at a local guitar shop in Newark DE. 


Jake got his start in the blues scene when his father took him to a local blues club in Wilmington DE at the time called Fat Rick's. First time ever in a blues club, Jake was invited on stage by Larry Garner, a traveling blues man out of Louisiana. After playing a few notes with the band, the owner of the club invited Jake to come back and jam any time with the acts that would frequent the legendary local club, which he did.. 

Also that night, friendships were made with the local blues supporters of The Diamond State Blues Society.  Jake was invited to the shows and would often sit in with some blues greats such as Eddie King, Eddie Shaw, Tab Benoit and Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials. It was invaluable experience for the young teenager and set him on the journey of discovering himself through the blues.


Around that time as well,  Bj was on his own musical path, studying guitar and bass and playing with many local musicians in the area. Being a well rounded musician, he found himself in the jam band scene, exploring many different styles and always taking in new influences. It was when Jake invited Bj to go and here regional bluesman Tom Larsen that changed everything. Bj was blown away by the bass style of Charles Calloway, and it inspired him to start to really get into the bass, and eventually it would become his primary instrument. 


It was when Jake and Bj went to see Tom Larsen a while later after graduation that changed everything.  Both young men nearing their 20s were invited up to play, Jake on guitar and Bj on bass and vocals. After a few songs, Tom complimented them on the short set and suggested they get a night's worth of music together. He offered to help book them a few shows. The offer was taken seriously and the band began as Lower Case Blues in 2003 with Jake Banaszak on guitar, Bj Muntz on Bass and Vocals and Paul Weik on drums.


The next turning point was when the band ventured down to an open jam in Lewes DE.  After Playing a short set, jam host Jimmy Bones and local writer/photographer Christina Weaver took a real liking to the boys and started introducing them to music scene along the Delmarva coastline. Soon enough, Rehoboth Beach became home for the band and became a place where Lower Case Blues could truly thrive, playing shows nightly and expanding to a wide audience of tourists and locals alike. 


The band was playing every night. Whether it was at a local bar, a festival, or getting on a co bill with a national touring act. The band in their early years got the chance to share the stage with legends such as Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and 38 Special. Pushing their first recorded music on albums such as "How Bad Does it Get" and "One More for the Road," LCB was really picking up steam locally, and after shows would retire to their double wide trailer where they lived together for those first few years. 


While in the studio during the sessions for One More for the Road, producer Kenny Jones introduced the band to keyboardist legend Johnny Neel (Allman Bros, Dickey Betts Band). LCB then recorded an album at Johnny's studio in Nashville TN called "Days to Come," as well as played countless shows along side the Delaware native who became a friend and major musical influence. 


Lower Case Blues continued their ways year after year, playing shows every chance they could, landing shows with acts such as Robert Randolph, Los Lonely Boys, Blues Traveler, Grand Funk Railroad and Jonny Lang.  The opportunity came to back up New Orleans funk guitarist Leo Nocentelli (The Meters) for an unforgettable night of music at Dogfish Head Brew Pub.  They were recognized by The Blues Hall of Fame for being a notable blues act in their home state, as well as being selected multiple times by Delaware Today Magazine as "Band to Watch." LCB went on to record an album titled "Downhome Girl" and also released their "Live at Dogfish Head" recording which really showcased the trios sound at the time. 


In recent years, after getting through the pandemic, the band has pushed forward into new territory, releasing their recording "Take it for a Ride," featuring drummer Tristan Gilbert. Traveling around the region and regularly down the coast and beyond, Lower Case Blues has kept going strong playing festivals and sharing the stage with acts like Shemeika Copeland, Galactic, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Christone Kingfish Ingram. 


   








What people are saying...

Out and About Article 2025

Out and About - Blues Brothers


 

By Kevin Noonan

Jake Banaszak was into music at a young age and one day, when he was a freshman at Hodgson Vo-Tech, he brought his guitar to school. Another freshman, whom Banaszak didn’t know, walked over to him and asked if he could play his six-string. Banaszak readily agreed.

“And, right away, I said to myself, ‘This guy is pretty good,’” Banaszak says.

And, right away, he and B.J. Muntz became best friends, a bond that was cemented by their love of music.


 

Now, more than a quarter of a century later, they’re still best friends and still making music together with the band they formed 22 years ago — Lower Case Blues.

Lower Case Blues has been one of the most popular bands on the local circuit for many years, especially at the clubs and bandstands at the Delaware beaches. And over the years, Banaszak (who plays guitar) and Muntz (bass) have opened for some legendary acts, including Buddy Guy, Grand Funk Railroad, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Blues Traveler and Robert Randolph.

For Banaszak, perhaps the most special moment came when he was 22 years old and Lower Case Blues opened for blues legend Buddy Guy at the Bottle & Cork in Dewey Beach.

Another highlight was opening for Blues Traveler. Not only did the boys in Lower Case Blues get to meet the members of Blues Traveler, they got to hang out with them for more than two hours after the gig. Banaszak even walked away with the phone number of John Popper, Blues Traveler’s lead singer and harmonica virtuoso.

In 2025, they’re busier than ever, playing almost every night in various clubs, mostly at the beaches, along with their drummer, Tristan Gilbert.

“They’re an amazing band and they pack this place every week,” says Seth Moran, the general manager at Dockside Marina Bar and Grill at the Indian River Inlet, where Lower Case Blues plays every Tuesday night during the summer.

“They have a loyal following, but we also get a lot of people in here who heard of them and want to check them out for themselves. And those people usually end up coming back,” Moran says. “They get everybody up and dancing and you can’t ask for anything more from a band.”

The Road to Semi-Success

Banaszak says the duo never dreamed of stardom — not that they wouldn’t have embraced it had it happened. But, to them, the music scene was about the music, not the scene.

“I wasn’t trying to get famous. I just wanted to play,” he says. “And B.J. was the same. We just wanted to play our music and write our songs and, hopefully, some people would want to come out and listen to them.

“Then we got some clubs and other small venues to hire us, especially down the beach. It kind of built from there, to the point where we play almost every night now.”

Few people know the local music scene as well as George and Paula Wolkind. They founded and still operate the Delaware Rock and Roll Society and Hall of Fame. And Paula Wolkind says Lower Case Blue’s success is largely because you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get.

“They bring something unpredictable in style and they don’t play the same things the same way all of the time,” she says. “That’s one of the reasons they have such a large following no matter where they go. The fans know that it’s going to be a different experience every time.

“Another reason people love them is because they’re not afraid to play their own music,” she adds. “Sure, they’ll play some old blues standards and covers, but they also play a lot of their own music and their fans love that.”

There’s No ‘I’ in Lower Case Blues

There are a million sad stories of ego-driven friction destroying bands, especially ones that have been together for a long time. And the two men behind Lower Case Blues have had disagreements over the years, but their music and their friendship have endured.

“Obviously, life is like that,” Banaszak says. “We spend a lot of time together and there have been some ups and downs, for sure. But for the vast majority of the time that hasn’t been a problem, because of the respect we have for each other, as musicians and people.”

That respect and cooperation also applies to their song writing, which has always been a collaborative effort. One of them will have the seeds for a song and then they’ll hammer out the rest, with each listening to and appreciating the opinion of the other.

“It’s very much a collective thing,” Banaszak says. “Sometimes I’ll have an idea for a blues tune or a shuffle, and B.J. will say ‘I think it sounds better if we do this . . .’ And I usually agree with him.

“Really, the key is to be open to new ideas and don’t be so stubborn as to think that you’re always right. It doesn’t matter who gets the credit — the only thing that matters is the song. The music always comes first, and I think that’s why we’ve been able to last as long as we have.”

New Album, New Songs

That cooperative spirit is very much evident on their latest album, Take it For a Ride, which features 10 new original compositions. Tristan Gilbert, of Baltimore, plays drums on the album and appears with Banaszak and Muntz at most of their major shows. You can hear the new album, order it, and find their schedule of live dates on the band’s website: LowerCaseBlues.net.


 

Back in the day, a band like Lower Case Blues would hope one or two of their songs would sneak onto radio playlists, which could lead to big record sales and sold-out concerts at major venues. But most people don’t buy records anymore and it’s up to the band itself, rather than a record company, to promote its music.

So, Banaszak and Muntz understand that stardom will probably never happen for them, and they’re content with that.

“There are things we look forward to, like playing at festivals or the bandstand in Rehoboth Beach,” Banaszak says. “But, honestly, it doesn’t matter to me whether we play in a bar or on a big stage — a good night is a good night. If you play in front of 30 people and they all have a great time, then it was a great night.”

According to Dockside Marina’s Moran, Lower Case Blues has good nights every night, and that doesn’t happen by accident.

“It’s pretty simple — they’re really, really talented,” Moran says. “And you can sense that they’re not just playing — they’re really in tune with their music and the people sense that and really respond to it.”

As for the future, the boys in the band don’t look too far ahead. For now, they have their heavy schedule of beach clubs, and they’ll take part in a Rock Legends cruise next year. The cruise, which runs from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., to Jamaica, lasts five days in February and is already sold out. The musical lineup includes heavy hitters such as The Guess Who, Eric Burdon & the Animals, Uriah Heep, Blue Oyster Cult, Atlanta Rhythm Section and the Gene Simmons Band — and that little ol’ band from Delaware, Lower Case Blues.

But no matter what they do beyond that, no matter what the futures holds for them, they know that music will be a big part of it.

“We just kind of go day by day,” Banaszak says. “But the biggest thing for us is to continue writing and recording original stuff. We love to play [cover songs of other bands], but our focus has always been — and will always be — on our own music.

“And the most important thing is that it’s just as much fun now as when we first started. There are always new worlds to conquer and new songs to write, and that never gets old.”

Kevin NoonanKevin Noonan 


https://outandaboutnow.com/blues-brothers/

Dover Post - Lower Case Blues adds to the legacy of talented bands of only three members.

Inductees of the Delaware Blues Hall of Fame, Lower Case Blues has shared the stage with heavy hitters like Grand Funk Railroad, which performed at Dover International Speedway on the day of its 100th race last week.


Voted "Band to Watch" Downstate 2018- Delaware Today

They played blues-based rock with a funkified rhythm – lyrical melodies above percussive bass lines woven around a jazzy drumbeat. 

Glitter Chicken

Over the past 15 years, lower case blues, affectionately known as LCB, has established a loyal following. There are the annual visitors - whose summer vacations wouldn’t be complete without LCB - and there are the locals, who have made LCB part of their weekly routine with ritualistic devotion; one man calls his Sunday afternoons with LCB his “guilty pleasure” and a woman calls it her “therapy.”

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Out and About - Best Bands in the Land

“I’m always game to check out Lower Case Blues. Talented musicians who always impress and are fun, too. You won’t find a better blues/rock outfit anywhere on the East Coast. In fact, these guys can hold their own with anyone… Just ask Dave Grohl!”
— Steve Kramarck, station manager, WVUD

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