For those people who haven’t heard of The 3Bs before, could you tell us a bit about yourself?
The 3Bs are a 6-member band, playing original Blues, Blues Rock and R&B genre tunes, along with covers of Blues classics and new releases. The 3Bs, which stands for Bringin’ Back the Blues, was the brainchild of drummer Bill Votava and Bassist Estaban Bevilaqua, who had long been seeking a mutual musical project. Lead singer Elle Randall joined next, after Bill had met her at an open mic night and been completely blown away by her vocal abilities. Next came “Diamond” Dave Rinaldi on guitar. A veteran of the NYC music scene, Dave brings a ton of experience to the group. He was soon followed by Erin Weisenfeld on keyboards, whose musical background was originally based on a dizzying mix of classical music and 90’s alternative rock. The last band member to sign on is Tara Weiss, whose musical resume includes a spot with the European touring company of the musical Hair.
Who inspired you to get on stage and perform?
Each of The 3Bs would have a different answer for this one. I can say that Elle started off her performance career very early, at her grandmother’s pub in Guam. As a child, she was lifted onto the bar and would sing songs, acapella, to entertain the patrons. In the 1970’s Bill was taken to a Buddy Rich performance by his drum teacher, Carol Musumeci. It was there he decided he wanted to be on the stage. Bill often says that performing for a live audience will get you higher than any drug, and it is just as addictive.
What are some of the artists/albums that have stuck with you and inspired your sound?
For each band member, it is different. Tara listens to everything from Musical Theater to Blues to Rap. Elle and Dave tend to lean to the Pop genre. Bill has long studied the drumming styles of Anton Fig and Liberty DeVito, and was briefly a student of BB King drummer Tony Coleman. Erin likes the Foo Fighters. Estaban is a big fan of The Grateful Dead but also takes influence from many Motown and modern Blues songs. Hard to answer this one shortly, but the result is we all bring a different take, and it blends magically when we play.
Where do you write your music? Are you someone who is always coming up with song ideas?
Diamond Dave is the most prolific composer, and came to the band with several of the original songs we released, including Hard Times and Giving You Up. All of the band members have brought in an idea or two. Then the band will take the idea and run it a few times. We all make tweaks and edits, so the music represents all of us.
Please tell us about the ReverbNation Competition winning track, “Like Etta Said”?
Like Etta Said was an idea that Elle brought to the band. We were playing the Etta James tune I’d Rather go Blind as part of our regular repertoire from our first show together. The song concept is about the I’d Rather go Blind scenario, where a woman catches her lover fooling around, and pays homage to Etta by saying “you were right, I’d rather go blind than deal with the consequences”. Bill added the snaps in the beginning. Estaban came up with the bridge, and everything fell into place. It’s been getting a great response on streaming and broadcast radio.
What has been your favourite experience as a musician?
So many favorites! A quick poll of the band came up with playing at the Up the River Blues Festival in Ossining, NY. It’s an annual event that continues the legacy of the 1972 BB King concert inside Sing Sing Prison. Times have changed, and you can’t have a concert inside a maximum-security prison any longer. So, the festival is held about a quarter mile up the road from Sing Sing, on the banks of the Hudson River. We met so many wonderful artists, including The Cinelli Brothers, who had just won the 2024 title of #1 Blues Band in the UK. There were about 1,000 attendees, and it was just an awesome day out at the river, playing and listening to some really great live music.
Do you have any plans to release an EP or an album?
We have five songs currently released by ReverbNation, available on just about all streaming platforms. We do have five more songs “in the can” awaiting post-production, mixing and final mastering. We hope to release a couple more as singles, then package everything into an album, with a hopeful release date of late 2026.
What is the most memorable place you have performed?
One of the most interesting places The 3Bs has appeared would be the Greymoor Franciscan Monastery in Garrison, NY. It’s a giant compound, called “the Holy Mountain” and at that time, artists were invited to play for the monastery residents and local community. The year we played there, October 2022, the only other invited performer was Amy Grant, who performed in May of that year. The event area has a capacity of 700 or so. It was an outdoor concert in front of some stunning scenery, with amazing hosts and a great crowd. People who know the Blues will admit there is a ton of double entendre, or even outright naughtiness in the songs, but we accepted the invitation and forged ahead with the set. We were all surprised to see the Franciscan monks rocking along with our tunes, dancing a bit in the aisle, and then a few hikers actually came off the nearby Appalachian Trail to see the show when they heard the music coming through the woods. Definitely a memorable show.
Here at Artistic Echoes, we are always on the lookout for new artists. Do you have any to recommend?
Elle and Dave have a side project called Animal_Afterlife that has several songs in the pop/pop rock genre released, and are definitely worth a listen
The Cinelli Brothers are a truly awesome band and are currently touring Europe with their Blues/Pop sound.
Anything by Slam Alan is a home run. Definitely not new, but behind the scenes, with his music being heard on the TV series Reacher. Check him out, you’ll love him!
What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
Besides the album release, we will be appearing again at the Up The River Blues Festival in Ossining, NY, and as many gigs as we can fit in. You can follow us on BandMix for show information, or on our website www.3BsBand.com
Find out more:
https://3bsband.com/
The 3Bs – Streaming Platforms
The 3Bs (@3bsband) Instagram
The 3Bs YouTube Channel
The 3Bs Merch Shop at Amazon Music
