"Janie Cribbs is a fantastic singer-songwriter who performs with her partner, Joe Reggiatore, an excellent guitarist.  Not only do the two of them fill the room nicely with haunting music, but they have a mesmerizing stage presence."

Chuck Dingee, The Music Man, Northwest Events and Lifestyles

Pooner Clark "Locals Only" DJ on KISM 92.9 FM

Thom Moore, Legendary Irish Singer/Songwriter

Ton Wanten, Triple R Blues & Roots Radio, The Netherlands

Tom Stamatakos, Borders Books & Music, Live Music Coordinator

"This amazing artist is back with a brand new album AFTERALL and it is a musical masterpiece! The track ‘Georgia’ is about as good as it gets for Radio and is only the Tip Of The Iceberg."

Larry Weir, New Music Weekly, Senior Editor

"Singer Janie Cribbs?…..Ever heard her name before? Not me. Janie has made several albums and at one time she was nominated for 'The Best Female Vocalist' category by the Washington Blues Society. This lady who was on the stage at the early age of thirteen, recently produced and launched 'Afterall.'

The melodious opener 'Go There Anyway' pretty much sets the tone of this album. The surprising combination of the virtuoso harmonica player Dan O’Connell with satiny sound of the Hammond player John Thomas, gives the music of Janie Cribbs a separate dimension.

After the super little rocker 'Be Real', the typical sound of the opening track is continued with the highpoint of the album, 'Paradise.' What a splendid voice that blonde has! A natural vocal talent who can really open up. She continues in the calmly rippling along 'Georgia' The thread is picked up in the lovely positive song 'Before Its All Gone.''

Make something of your life and dare to live, is the motto of this song. After the sobering love song 'Wherever You Go' and the fascinating Daniel Lanois-ish 'Dust To Dust,' Janie Cribbs in her powerful vocal way performs the title song 'Afterall.'

This first acquaintance, a very exclusive mix of pop, folk, blues and rock, makes me long for more and I’m very curious how this natural vocal talent will develop. (PJ)”

Roots Town Music Free-Zine 2003
Lowland's Leading American Roots and World Music Free-Zine
Holland and Belgium

"Usually, you have to travel off the beaten path to find Janie Cribbs and her band making music.

In fact, it’s several minutes down potholed, gravel roads deep into the woods of South Whidbey Island before you arrive at the remote studio where Cribbs rehearses and records.

“We can make all the noise we want,” Cribbs says about the isolated location. Then she quickly adds, “Not that we’d want to.”

In truth, neither noise nor “corporate” music is in the Janie Cribbs Band’s repertoire. Instead, the Whidbey Island-based group creates uplifting and original tunes driven by Cribbs’ passionate and often powerful lyrics and voice.

And on Friday night, Cribbs and her band mates will leave their wooded island home to perform at the Rockfish Grill in Anacortes. The gig is part of Pub Nights, a series of evenings presented by three Anacortes music venues where a single cover charge will get audiences into all three clubs.

People who have heard Cribbs sing say she won’t remain quietly in the woods for long. It’s only a matter of time, they say, before the band gets the big-time notice it deserves. Cribbs agrees.

“When the time is right it will happen. But we’re not going to change who we are,” Cribbs said, noting that band members want to make it on their own merit, not as a molded product of the corporate music business. “Of course we want (success), but I’ve been doing this for a long time and I’m not as moldable anymore.”

The band members say their music is worth protecting even if it means sticking to the back roads of the music industry and achieving stardom one town at a time.

“The next goal of the band is to get heard more in Seattle and build a following there,” Cribbs said. Some Seattle radio stations already have added her songs to their playlists, and listener response has been encouraging.

The six-member band has only been together for a couple of years, but the members’ experience covers decades. As a result, they are wise to the music world and realize that “overnight” fame happens only after years of hard work.

Drummer David Malony and harmonica player Dan O’Connell began playing with Cribbs eight years ago in an island band called Blue Nectar. Malony’s inventive and complementary drum work and O’Connell’s self-assured, leaning-against-the-wall style of playing provide just the right touch of rhythm and blues.

La Conner keyboardist Terry Nelson joined the band a few months ago. An expert at the organ, Nelson said he has been a musician since the age of 3 and was part of the first rock ’n’ roll band in Skagit County.

Expressive bassist Jacob Doss studied jazz at Seattle’s prestigious Cornish College of the Arts and is the newest member of the band. Guitarist Joe Reggiatore is a Los Angeles native who grew up playing the Southern California music scene. But things got stale, Reggiatore said, and an invitation from his parents to recharge his creativity on Whidbey led to meeting Cribbs. “I’m used to working with the best. When I saw Janie sing for the first time, it blew me away,” he said. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to play with her.” Cribbs began singing in Irish pubs when she was 13, back when the Beatles were the rage. She said growing up overseas provided lots of musical influences, from Celtic to Motown, and she attributes her present sound to a blending of it all.

Cribbs’ two self-produced CDs feature her clear, refreshing voice unburdened by overprocessing and without the wordless, wandering arias so prominent in most pop female recordings. Never formally trained, Cribbs said singing just comes naturally to her. It shows in her confident style and energetic performance.

Cribbs not only sings, but tells stories with her songs — emotional stories from her own varied past.

“My writing comes from living, from the things that have happened and the bumpy road,” Cribbs said. It’s a road many of Cribbs’ fans feel they have shared. “People come up and say, ‘You were singing my story.’”

That’s not to say her songs are fraught with heartache and despair. On the contrary, they are most often positive, spirited and hopeful.

 “I hear that people are personally uplifted by the music,” said Reggiatore, who co-writes most of the songs with Cribbs. “People are starving for things that are positive ... that are real.”

Reality for the Janie Cribbs Band these days is underscored by big dreams and unerring confidence in the music. With little desire to follow the corporate mainstream, band members encourage people to venture off the well-traveled road to seek them out.

 “It’s hard to pigeonhole something so unique,” Cribbs said. “I say come and be surprised.”

Chris Douthitt
Skagit Valley Herald, November 8, 2001

"As easy as it is for me to take pen in hand or fondle fingers on fonts, it is not so easy for me to review the most recent CD of an artist I've watched and enjoyed for over fifteen years. For me, reviewing the musical artistry of a consummate performer and showman is not any easier if you know and believe in that person. For me, it is more difficult.

Trying to review the soul-filled soulfulness of Janie Cribbs and her homespun harmonies is almost like having my mom or a friend in the audience. It's a good thing but I always want to do better. I always want to say better. I always want to try a little more.

That may be the similarity of all determined artists. That never-say-die attitude that underscores every note, every word, every breath of desired perfection. That is Janie Cribbs. Even her set-lists are inspired. And if you are not familiar with the term "set-list," you'll still enjoy Janie's latest recording entitled "Green Tea." Janie probably doesn't even know that I drink Green Tea. It isn't something I would say in a coffee community.

Janie sings and says what she feels--in every note, in every song. Janie writes of her life. Janie sings of her sorrow. Janie soars with her joy. Janie and Joe Reggiatore have combined compositions for a nine-pack of nocturnal niceties which will keep you humming in the morning. While Janie handles all the vocals, Joe delivers emphatically on guitar, keyboard and bass, with harmonic splendors provided by Dan O'Connell. David Malony, who co-produced Green Tea from his Blue Ewe Studio on artist-infested Whidbey Island, also provides excellent percussive support.

I can say something nice about each and every song. I can tell you what I like. I can tell you why my toe taps or my mind wanders from phrase to phrase. I can tell you why I like this solo or that chord change or that lick or this riff. I can tell you which song reminds me of my years in LA and which reminds me of my years "waiting in the shadows." That's a line from Janie and Joe's "For You." The third song. But my favorite number is 3 so I may be prejudiced. I can tell you all sorts of things about the wonderment of Janie Cribbs, but I'd rather you tell her what you think. "Green Tea" is available locally at Joe's (no relation) Island Music in Langley as well as through Janie's web site at www.janiecribbs.com. I am not telling you to buy the CD. I'm just telling you to enjoy it after you do."

Jim Freeman
Whidbey Marketplace September 2001
© Loose Caboose 2001

"Whidbey Island Center for the Arts had the pleasure of hosting The Janie Cribbs Band during the 26th Choochokam Festival of the Arts in July. Concertgoers were treated to original music from Janie's newest CD, Green Tea, as well as not-so-old favorites from her last recording, No Illusion.  The well-balanced and energetic band works well together; these first-rate musicians derive pleasure from supporting each other’s work. Crisp, clean starts and finishes to each song still leave plenty of room to tease each other musically.

Bassist Jacob Doss loves to make and share his music. His playing is as much a pleasure to watch as listen to, and dares you to stay in your seat. Terry Nelson, a long time B3 (and other keyboards) player from La Conner, coaxes extraordinary sound from an antique Hammond. Soulful and bluesy, the melodic chords of harmonica player Dan O'Connell fit Janie's music like a glove. Joe Reggiatore's guitar arrangements ground the band with intricate rhythm and leads, capturing the listener's heart, mind and feet! Drummer David Malony brings an eclectic touch to his drumming and percussion, combining subtlety, emotion and great driving energy.

Writing about No Illusions several years ago, reviewer Jim Freeman said, "The liner notes will make you smile, cry, and wonder. Janie's music will make you glad." That sense of wonderment and gladness is still very much in evidence. Whidbey Island fans are watching Janie rise to well-deserved national prominence with a sense of wistful pride. Selfishly, we hope these musicians will never leave home.

Here's what some members of their hometown audience had to say:  "I like the CD. It shows maturity and evolution. It is very appropriate for Janie Cribbs to be out in front of The Janie Cribbs Band as the featured artist. Her back-up musicians are professional and first-rate. They support her well. My only sadness is that the song Denied is apparently being saved for the next CD, as it was an absolutely outstanding rendition that night."  "Janie makes every audience member feel like an honored guest."  "This body of work is like a carefully tended rose garden, with loving attention paid to frost and thorns. Each year may it bloom anew!"  "Her songwriting and composition do great honor to the inspiration she receives. These songs touch the common soul of humanity."  "This stirring music is confident and inviting, and pulls people of all ages and all walks of life out of their seats to move."  "It's great to have an artist of this quality that we can enjoy as a family and take our kids to. Their stage presentation was great (Nicholas' mom). How could you say no to Janie Cribbs (Nicholas' dad). Oh, I liked her. I wish I could marry her (Nicholas, age 8)""

Jennifer Lail
Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, August 2001

Scott Adams
Victory Review Magazine, Vol. 26, No 7, July 2001