Jesse & Co. play music festival in Budd Lake

Ten years ago, in the halls of Hackettstown High School, Jesse Bardwell – then a senior - connected with a small group of friends who wanted to start a band.

Since then, the Quimby Mountain Band, as the group became known, has made its name known beyond Warren County. The roots-rock ensemble, with Bardwell as lead singer, has traveled up and down the East Coast and as far as New Orleans.

But as much as Bardwell enjoys fronting the band, he has other musical interests outside the group. “I love to play, and I want to play as much as I can,” he says.

So Bardwell is excited about his own group, Jesse & Co., which will make its debut tonight at the Vasa Park Indoor Reception Hall in the Budd Lake section of Mount Olive. The evening is billed as the Mid-Winter Music Mash.

The “& Co.” includes bassist Eric Curley and percussionist Trevor Newcomb, members of Only Living Boy, another roots-oriented act from Hackettstown.

Rounding out the group is Mike Esposito, who plays bass, slide guitar, and dobro as a solo artist and as a member of such bands as Bill Kelly and the House of Cards. Esposito performed on the Quimby Mountain Band’s “Move On” CD.

“I can’t say enough about these guys,” says Bardwell. “Mike is a phenomenal musician, and I’ve known Eric and Trevor for years.”

Bardwell stresses that the Quimby Mountain Band is still a going concern. The group has recorded tracks for a vinyl single, and later this year it will tour the East Coast with Grahame Lesh & Midnight North.

“We’re really busy, but we all have side projects,” says Bardwell, who now lives in East Stroudsburg, PA.

Jesse & Co. is one of three bands playing the Mid-Winter Music Mash. The opening act is Ice Cream Social, a Morris County-based band.

Headlining the event is Brother Buddha, a group fronted by organist John Ginty, a veteran performer with extensive blues and rock credits. Ginty has played with Robert Randolph, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Jewel, and others.

“I would love it if I could get John to play keyboards with us for a number or two,” Bardwell says.

Jesse & Co will be playing a mix of songs, according to Bardwell. “We’ll do some tunes that I wrote for Quimby Mountain, and some songs that I haven’t played for the band yet.”

He also indicates that the group will play a handful of covers, including a version of “Drunk Again,” a song by Only Living Boy.

For Bardwell, making decisions as the leader of a group, rather than one of a group as he is with Quimby Mountain Band, represents the next stage in the growth of his music career.

“For me to play minus the band is a huge thing for me,” he says. “Being in Quimby Mountain has allowed me to become a performer. It’s laid the ground work for who I am.”

“I always and forever wanted to be a musician,” Bardwell says. “I played guitar when I was a kid, but I didn’t know how to go about it.”

His high school friendship with Bob Noble of Independence proved crucial. “Bob and I would rap in the hallways about music,” Bardwell says. “When he and his (older) brother Harry were putting together the group, they asked me to sing.”

“When I was 18, I honestly couldn’t have told you what our band was or how long we’d be doing it,” he says. “We’ve been having a good time. We’ve played a lot of place, and we’ve opened for great people.”

“I’d love to say that I’m calling from a hotel room in Tokyo on a world tour,” Bardwell says. “I’m not upset about where we are, but you’re never really satisfied.”

MID-WINTER MUSIC MASH

WHAT: Live performances by a trio of roots-oriented acts that frequently play the northwest New Jersey area: Ice Cream Social, Brother Buddha (whose members include jazz-blues organist John Ginty), and Jesse & Co., a side project from Jesse Bardwell, the lead singer of the Quimby Mountain Band.

WHEN: 8 tonight, doors open at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Vasa Park Indoor Reception Hall, 1 Wolfe Road, Budd Lake

TICKETS: $10

INFORMATION:joehirsh@msn.com