Music: Namesake isn’t a part of this band

Blues-rock band Jerome Washington Express answers our 10 questions—starting with the story behind the moniker

By Patrick S. Pemberton

There’s something conspicuously missing from the blues-rock band called Jerome Washington Express: Jerome Washington.

“Everyone wants to know who Jerome Washington was,” said Drew Arnold, the guitar player and singer who started the band in 1994.

Back then, the band was in San Diego County and featured a different lineup (but no Jerome). Some years later, Arnold—a big fan of blues greats like Robert Johnson and Elmore James —moved his family to San Luis Obispo, where he met future JWE bassist Tyler Mitchell at their workplace, CT International. Drummer Jim Stromberg would eventually complete the band.

The group’s latest album, “Live at the San Luis Obispo Vet’s Hall,” features lots of rocking blues. But they’ll also delve into funk, pop and — if you request it — even a little Jersey shore rock.

We caught up with Arnold and Mitchell at the Spirit of San Luis recently, hoping to uncover the mystery of Jerome Washington.

Who was Jerome Washington?

Drew Arnold: My parents broke up when I was like 11. That’s about the time I started playing guitar. And this guy (Jerome Washington) lived next door to my best friend back in Ohio. (My friend and I) would always hang out, we would go fishing together and stuff.

One time my friend comes by and says, “Hey, my next door neighbor will buy our fish from us.” So we filled up a bag of fish, and we took them to his place. It was an all-black family. They had this screen door — little kids are running in and out of the screen but not opening the door—the screen was flopping out.

This guy walks up with a smile on his face and says, “How much for the fish?” He always helped me out with a couple of bucks here and a couple of bucks there, shoveling snow or whatever.

And I played a talent show in junior high school, in seventh grade, and then the next time he saw me, he said, “You never said you played guitar.” And then after

that occasionally we’d get together on the porch and play some music. I’d be playing all these folk songs, like Dylan, Peter Paul&Mary and stuff like that and kind of pass the guitar along. And he’d say, “Do you know any blues?” He was just very inspiring to me.

Do people think you’re Jerome Washington?

DA: Sometimes. We used to make a joke about it when I was playing with the guys down in San Diego: “Jerome’s not here — he’s always running late.”

How did you guys get together?

Tyler Mitchell: (Arnold) went into the break room at work and started playing “Voodoo Child” on an acoustic guitar and nailed it. And I was in my office, and I go in and I’m like, “Right on—you play guitar.” And he said, “Yeah, you know, I’d like to get a band together. Do you know any bass players or drummers?” And I was like, “Yeah, man.” I’d been out of a band for a year and kind of depressed.

What made you guys go with a power trio?

TM: Probably every gig, at least three people come up and say, “You guys sound like a five-piece.” We play very loud. And we use vintage equipment. And we blow sh---up. If the talent is good enough, all you need is three. And it’s less guys to argue with, less guys to pay, less guys to get sick and bow out before a gig, and it’s less distraction.

You’ve blown things up — like amps?

TM: We like to play loud, partly because we’re deaf.

DA: From a technical standpoint, there’s a sweet spot that an amp has, where it’s got that tone and really cuts like butter, and it can distort but it’s a natural distortion, right at the point of feedback. That’s the sweet spot. And a lot of times you’ve got to have the volume. You’ve got to have the air pushing the speakers to get that tone.

What made you put out a live album?

DA: I’ve done some studio stuff, and a lot of times, it’s too sterile. Because with the blues and the kind of music we play, there’s a lot of energy and a lot of emotion—not just standing there playing music and being technically correct. …The year before we played at the vet’s hall, and it sounded so good. I knew we’d missed the boat because that was a magic night. So when this one came around, we had a mobile studio out there, we had a photographer who took pictures. They’re all original songs that we worked on. I think we were able to capture a lot of the magic we had the first time through.

So (Tyler), your dad, saw on your Web site, played with Tiny Tim?

TM: Tiny Tim used to hang out at the house. Quite a bit. He was on our couch a lot. A lot. We’d see him on “Laugh In,” and then a couple of days later he’d be on our couch. He and my dad were friends. My dad ended up being one of these session players down in L. A.

Did Tiny Tim ever play for you guys?

TM: He would jam—he’d sing with my mom—and he’d bring his famous ukulele out.

What’s your favorite Robert Johnson cover?

DA: I like the originals best. I really do. Obviously, Clapton (with Cream) is the most famous with “Crossroads.” And I heard they were on the wrong beat—that it was upside down, the whole song. But it turned out great. (David) “Honeyboy” Edwards does a really nice, slow version, acoustic thing.

TM: We do a really good version of “Crossroads.”

What other covers do you do?

DA: We do some Bill Withers, we do some Wilson Pickett, we do some Zeppelin, we do the Stevie Ray stuff. ...

TM: When we’re at the (Cayucos) Tavern, we’ll get a limo full of girls that are coming for a bachelorette party, and they’ll start yelling “Bon Jovi!” and we give it to them.

DA: We whore ourselves out.

TM: I won’t even go further, but it gets worse.