Janie sings the blues: Whidbey Island’s rock star plays on

A prominent powerhouse vocalist has been making waves in the Whidbey music scene for decades.

Janie Cribbs has played with her bluesy backing musicians, the T.Rust Band, for eight years, but she has been a musician on the island since she moved from Los Angeles in 1988. She is known as a talented singer and songwriter, as well as a kind and genuine person who has lifted the caliber of local music.

Janie Cribbs and the T.Rust Band will rock the house at an already sold-out show at Dancing Fish Vineyards in Freeland from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Dec. 16.

The band consists of guitarist Joe Reggiatore, drummer Kevin Holden and bassist Keegan Harshman. Their music is a soulful mix of rhythmic rock, roots and blues, elevated by Cribbs’ powerful alto voice. The songs have a groove that is easy to dance to and often have socially conscious lyrics, reminiscent of the peace-and-love era. All of the tunes are co-written by Cribbs and Reggiatore.

Reggiatore is Cribbs’ partner – in life and in music. They started out as a duo, simply called Janie and Joe. Holden asked to join the couple on stage one night at a show at Ott and Hunter. Cribbs described his drumming with their music as a match “made in heaven, arranged by angels.” Harshman, co-owner of Blue Sound Music in Langley and a member of several other local bands, is the most recent member to join.

Music has been the center of Cribbs’ life since she was a child. Born in Colorado, she spent her formative years in Ireland. Her mother was an English professor who specialized in the poetry of William Butler Yeates. She decided to move Cribbs and her four siblings to the coastal town of Sligo in the late 60s. The family lived in a ramshackle stone cottage that initially had no running water or electricity.

Ireland’s tradition of music and storytelling changed the direction Cribbs’ life would take. She played music throughout her childhood and at age 21, was in a band — known as the “Irish Fleetwood Mac” — called Midnight Well. With that group, she toured Europe and was managed by Paul McGuiness, the man who discovered U2.

Cribbs moved to Los Angeles from Ireland in search of the elusive record deal. Around that time, her mother and siblings were also returning to the states. Several chose Whidbey Island as home because the weather and environment were similar to the Emerald Isle. She eventually joined them, a decision that led her to meet Reggiatore.

When the guitarist moved to Whidbey Island, he didn’t know anyone in the music scene but wanted to record an album. He went to Sound Trap Studios in Freeland, which just so happened to be owned by Cribbs’ brother Robbie. She was hired to sing backup vocals on one of Reggiatore’s songs. The rest was history.

Reggiatore thinks he and Cribbs work so well together because of her enormous talent, as well as the fact that’s she’s a kind, loving person who knows when to put her ego aside.

He takes pride in the fact T.Rust, which is a play on the word “trust,” makes music that is outside of the popular mainstream. They write most of their own songs, along with a few covers.

“The covers that we do, we kind of take apart and make our own,” Cribbs said. “Because in my opinion, there’s really no point covering a song and trying to make it sound like the original.”

Larry Mason, director of the Oak Harbor Music Festival, has known Cribbs for about 20 years. She has played at nine of the 10 Oak Harbor Music Festivals.

“She’s the real deal, and she lives right here on Whidbey Island,” Mason said.

He described her as an incredible singer and musician, as well as a great human being. Mason said when the T.Rust Band puts on a show, they do it professionally and treat their music as a serious art. He loves the fact that they play mostly original music and can still draw a large crowd.

Cribbs is often recognized on the island, which always comes as a shock.

“It’s always really heartwarming to be recognized,” she said. “That’s a fun perk.”

T.Rust has recorded three albums, the most recent of which, Second Chance, was released in 2021. It was recorded in the Unknown Studio, an old Anacortes church that has been converted into a recording space. Cribbs said the album is getting lots of airplay in Europe and on KNKX, a Seattle public radio station.

The Dec. 16 show is the band’s last performance of the year. In 2023, they are aiming to book larger festivals such as Bluesfest Windsor in Ontario and Sunbanks Music Festival in Electric City. Visit janiecribbs.com for more information. An updated show list will likely be posted in February.

“This is just the story so far,” she said. “I have no intention of retiring.”