The Blue Jays
Christoph "Jimmy" Reiter
Guitar & Vocals
Osnabrück, Germany native Jimmy Reiter is without a doubt one of Europe's strongest blues guitarists in the traditional school and the musical backbone of The Blue Jays. A powerful and versatile rhythm guitarist and a fiery soloist, Jimmy's respect for the old masters of blues and R&B guitar is immediately evident. Nevertheless, Jimmy's no slave to tradition - he's developed his own sound; in-your-face yet elegant at the same time.A convincing singer, Jimmy is also a regularly featured lead vocalist in The Blue Jays live show, and has lent his songwriting abilities to the band's repertoire as well. Jimmy has become an in-demand guitarist on the European blues scene, and in addition to his regular duties with Doug he's worked with Keith Dunn, Dave Myers, Angela Brown, Memo Gonzalez, Albie Donnelly's Supercharge, Guitar Crusher, Teeny Tucker, German blues piano master Chris Rannenberg and others, as well as appearing on a number of studio recordings.
"This guy has to be one of the finest young blues guitarists I've heard on the European scene for a long time, always exciting to listen to and always plays the real deal stuff, no rocky crap." (Blues & Rhythm, UK)
Jasper Mortier
Acoustic & Electric Bass
A resident of Amsterdam, Dutch bassist Jasper Mortier has laid down the bottom end for such blues greats as Phillip Walker, Eddy Clearwater, Long John Hunter, Terry Evans, Sherman Robertson, Guy Forsyth, Candye Kane and many more while playing on "The Night of the Blues", an annual theatre tour in Holland.He regularly backs up American musicians on extensive European tours and in addition to his work with Doug, he has recorded CDs with Boo Boo Davis, Byther Smith and Monti Amundson, among others.
A seasoned pro, for years Jasper was a band member of Sugarcane (previously The Blues Factory) and Boyd Small 4+1 (previously The Boyd Small Band). With these two bands he recorded a total of 5 CDs. A “double threat”, Jasper is equally deadly on upright and electric bass, both of which he plays with Doug Jay & The Blue Jays.
Andre "Werki" Werkmeister
Drums & Percussion
Werki's drumming is the ideal counterpart for Jasper's bass. Currently living in Osnabrück, Germany, Werki can often be found behind the drums with Louisiana Red, Angela Brown, Keith Dunn, Teeny Tucker & other American blues artists when he's not on the road with Doug.His musical resume also includes work with German saxophonist Tommy Schneller, guitarists Gregor Hilden and Tom Vieth, and pianist Chris Rannenberg. He was a full-time member of the German blues band The Silvertones (whose first CD "Real Silver" was produced by Belgian blues legend Marc Tee) before joining forces with Doug.
Over the years with Doug Jay & The Blue Jays, Werki has developed into one of the best blues and R&B drummers in Europe. He has also contributed his songwriting talents to the band’s repertoire, and in addition to his recordings with Doug Jay and The Silvertones, he appears on half the tracks on the "Lagerhalle Blue Monday Anniversary Night 2002" CD.