Janet Ryan is a recognizable name in Western Massachusetts. Janet developed a taste for the blues while living in Chicago, where she soaked up the blues in the juke joints of the Chicago north side for many years. Janet frequented the Blues clubs and hung out with Koko Taylor, Magic Slim and Big Twist and The Mellow Fellows. She was invited to sit in with some great players. Janet also had the great honor of singing with Duke Ellington when she was only 16.
She brought her powerful blues presence to the East coast and earned her living performing throughout Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. Janet performed at many venues including The Iron Horse Music Hall, the Pines Theater, the Pioneer Valley Blues Festival, the Peach Festival, the Splendor in the Grass Festival. After the release of her CD “Passion and Fire” and the CD “Wrapped up In Blue” Janet and her band Straight Up! exploded onto the club scene blowing the audiences away with their high energy rocking Blues music.
Janet Ryan blends the wailing voice of the blues with a unique soulful sound that takes her music to another level. In Janet’s singing and songwriting you can hear and feel the influence of Etta James and Janis Joplin, the blues of Buddy Guy and Junior Wells and the soul of Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin. Janet Ryan and Straight Up! Have shared the stage with or opened for John Hammond, Guitar Shorty, James Montgomery, Solomon Burke, Sherman Robertson, Little Ed and the Blues Imperials, James Cotton, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Fliers, The Holmes Brothers, Johnny Winter, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Sugar Ray and The BlueTones, Magic Dick and J. Geils, Monster Mike Welch, Chris Duarte, Dickey Betts, Michael Hill’s Blues Mob, Charles Neville, Roomful of Blues, Jeff Pitchell, Joe Moss and more.
In addition to delivering her passionate, belting vocal performances, Janet is the music teacher at Deerfield Elementary School and Conway Elementary School. She also was the Director of Vocal Music at Eaglebrook School of Deerfield, MA. Janet also teaches a select group of private students in her home in the hills of Conway, Massachusetts.
The latest installment of Janet’s journey took her to Texas in August, 2012. The owners of CSP Records were watching a documentary in which Janet sang a snippet of one of the songs she had written. When Janet opened her mouth and that huge voice of hers belted forth, the owner, Jimmy Rogers, sought her out finding her in Conway, Massachusetts. CSP Records brought her to Texas and Audio Dallas Recording Studio to record her soon to be released CD, “Mama Soul”. Janet wowed everyone in the studio with her powerful voice and comforting soulful personality.
This is one artist that everyone should see live. Janet grabs hold of a room and makes the audience hers. Her stage presence is invigorating and captivating. GO SEE JANET RYAN AND STRAIGHT UP!.