Clayton Miller Blues Band proves talent comes in all ages

Three of the four members of the Clayton Miller Blues Band aren't old enough to frequent bars, but this Battle Ground-based family band has quite a rapport with the local club and coffeehouse circuit. In the two years since the band's first gig, the Clayton Miller Blues Band has opened for Kenny Wayne Shepherd and played at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago, a legendary showcase for blues enthusiasts and players.

DON'T MISS IT! The Clayton Miller Blues Band will perform this weekend at the Java Roaster and Murky Waters. (Photo provided)

Composed of father and bassist Larry and his sons, guitarist Clayton, 18; drummer Cole, 15; and 7-year-old harmonica player, L.D., the Clayton Miller Blues Band is a local example of the recent youth interest in blues. And like Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Susan Tedeschi and Jonny Lang, the Millers hope to find success nationally with their own brand of Stevie-Ray-Vaughan-meets-T-Bone-Walker blues.

The band decided to record a live album to showcase their tight but energetic performances. Their debut, Live At Duncan Hall, was taped in April at the downtown banquet facility. Though live debuts can be risky for young performers, the album positively captures the intimacy of a small stage performance without the distractions.

The band's repertoire consists of covers and original material, and Clayton and Cole split vocal duties on the album. The result is a more upbeat blues: powerful and gravely yet not so downtrodden, something a la Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Live At Duncan Hall opens with the Miller brothers original "Emerge," an exciting instrumental romp that will pull you right into the album. Fresh off that high, the band drops you into a cover of T-Bone Walker's "Reconsider Baby," one of the most sullen and rural blues tunes on the album. Clayton's voice echoes the song's lonesome guitar licks as he pleads, "We've been together so long to have to separate this way."

One of the things that will stick out on the album is how amazing Clayton's solos are. But keep in mind that this album was recorded before he studied guitar at the Berklee School of Music in Boston this summer. I can only imagine how the Hendrix-esque licks at the beginning of "I Gotta Leave" will sound now that Clayton has studied at Susan Tedeschi's alma mater.

But don't get me wrong: Clayton isn't the only talented member in the band. One of the songs Cole wrote, "Low Down Dirty Blues," is a guitar-driven tune that showcases L.D.'s budding talent on the harmonica. Cole's voice is playful yet gritty as he puts words to L.D.'s sweet harmonica licks: "I've been sittin' on the floor, playin' the low down dirty blues."

As the liner notes indicate, Live At Duncan Hall is still a work in progress for the young band. The vocals could stand a little more clarity, and I would have liked to hear a little more of L.D.'s harmonica. But the finished product is a fine chronicle of where the band is and where it's ready to go.