The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has announced the 2012 line-up and the HUB CITY ALL STARS are to perform on ACURA MAIN STAGE as one of the supporting acts to TOM PETTY & the HEARTBREAKERS!  Mark your calendars Saturday, April 28th!  This is an incredible opportunity for the band and we are FIRED-UP to put on a rockin' show on the main stage! The fellas in the band are all fans of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and are looking forward to warming it up for 'em!  The other bands that we will share the Acura stage with that day are all killer!  See ya'll on SATURDAY, APRIL 28th!  Check out the official line-up at www.nojazzfest.com.

The boys in the band have been nominated for BEST ROOTS BAND in the OFFBEAT - Best of the Beat Awards!

Jermaine Prejean is the newest member of the Hub City All Stars and an important addition to the band’s celebrated sound. He is responsible for driving the band’s rhythm section - laying down a diverse mixture of monster grooves, from the swing of 1950’s Cajun and Zydeco, to the complex polyrhythms of New Orleans style drumming. He is an “old soul” and it is his ability to keep all sounds and grooves soulful which separates him from the rest as one of the best drummers around. He approaches each song with his own feel, making sure to not just create beats, but to color each song with the unique tones he conjures out of each drum – the sign of a master drummer.

He was surrounded by music as a young boy, playing alongside his Uncle Laloon in his living room to the soulful sounds coming out of the radio. Before he could afford drums he practiced on buckets to solidify the rhythms he is now renowned for. As a young boy he relied on music and drumming as a positive force, which helped keep him out of trouble. Instead of being lured into the darker side of a tough upbringing, he instead focused on developing his craft in school bands and various other projects. His introduction to playing Zydeco came from playing with local Creole accordionist Zydeco Ray that led to stints with accordion young-guns Corey Ledet and Cedric Watson. While in Cedric’s band, he garnered three Grammy nominations for his contributions on drums.

It is the culmination of these past experiences, which primed him for his current assignment in the swing seat as the Hub City All Stars drummer. Next time you are shakin’ and jivin’ to the soulful sounds of Roddie Romero & the Hub City All Stars, take time to thank Jermaine for laying down the grooves that moves you!