Elwin Jerabek

I've been playing since 1965 and I bought my first bass ( a $72 Leban Cyclone with a phone pole neck) in a Pawn Shop in Washington DC. I was a piano player at the time but, couldn't afford and electric piano and an amp since my income was earned mowing lawns and delivering newspapers. I chose bass because 4 big fat strings seemed easier to master than 6 skinny strings and I didn't have to use a pick ( I still don't). My favorite bands in the 60's were bands like The Animals, Yardbirds, Young Rascals, Knickerbockers and Motown and Stax artists. In the late 60's they were bands like The Blues Project, Blood Sweat and Tears, The Electric Flag, Buddy Miles, Allman Brothers, Leon Russell, Joe Cocker, The Grease Band and I started getting into Chicago Blues artists like Junior Wells, Charley Musselwhite, Paul Butterfield, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, and Howlin' Wolf as well as Texas artists Albert Collins and Freddie King. I played in pick up bands in college doing Frat and Sorority parties playing whatever was demanded. I stopped playing for about 15 years after getting married in 1976. In the early 90's I played Grunge and Alternative until landing a spot in a band called Blues Cruiser (and briefly Thayrone and The Witch Doctors ) and stuck with Blues and R&B doing gigs ranging from private parties, VFW halls, benefits, city festivals to Blues Festivals until I got divorced in 2004. I did ONE fill in gig with a Heavy Metal Band. They made me wear a bandana to cover the fact that I was balding and had short hair. I turned down an offer to play 2 months on the West Coast with Big Bill Morganfield thanks to the ex freaking out about it, ( " WHAT? 60 days? Are they going to give you a leave of absence at work? What will happen to your health benefits? What the hell am I supposed to do while you're gone and HOW MUCH ARE THEY GOING TO PAY YOU ANYWAY????....the long about way to say NO!!! ). After the divorce I worked for a couple of years as a traveling nurse. I started playing ( and collecting basses... I owned 21 at one point ) again in 2005 in a band that covered C&W, Bluegrass, Beatles and originals. In 2009 I played with a band after moving to NC (BIG mistake) in a local Blues Society's annual competition. We won $1,500 and a chance to compete in Memphis and have our asses handed to us by guys who play for a living. Haven't played much since 2010. Being an RN, having to work every other weekend and being over 60 seems to discourage folks.