Southern Blend's Story
It all began on a rainy November evening in 1998, when four accomplished pickers gathered in Jeff and Andrea Westerinen’s living room to swap a few tunes. Jeff’s mandolin and Andrea’s upright bass quickly found perfect rhythm with Jamie Blair’s driving banjo. Sensing the chemistry, they called guitarist and vocalist Rich Jones — someone they barely knew then — and from the first song, it was clear something special had formed. Their timing was instinctive, their harmonies seamless: Rich on lead, Jamie on tenor, and Jeff on baritone.
That spark led to a handful of local performances and the recording of Southern Blend, a debut CD featuring inventive arrangements of bluegrass classics — now available for listening and download on the band’s website.
Before forming Southern Blend, Jamie, Rich, and Jeff were longtime members of the respected Northwest group The Ohop Valley Boys, with Andrea joining for a season. The band toured extensively across Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, performing at major festivals and regional venues for more than a decade. In 1999, The Ohop Valley Boys captured national attention by winning first place in the prestigious Pizza Hut Bluegrass Showdown in Louisville, Kentucky. The group went on to release four acclaimed CDs of original material, including Carolina Reflections — featuring Rich Jones’ award-winning title song.
Today, after successful careers in the tech industry, Jeff and Andrea Westerinen have returned east to be closer to family, while Jamie Blair now makes his home in Ohio. Despite the miles, the four musicians have remained close friends, reuniting often to pick, write, and perform together — still driven by the same spark that started it all.
In 2026, Southern Blend will return to the stage for a Pacific Northwest tour, performing at regional festivals and venues and rekindling the vibrant bluegrass sound that first won audiences over. Plans are already in motion for a follow-up tour — possibly extending to Ireland in 2027.
With heartfelt vocals, tight trio harmonies, and an unshakable sense of groove, Southern Blend brings both the warmth of tradition and the polish of experience — the kind of music that feels as timeless as it is alive.
