Donovan Roberts

Rooted in the blues, but influenced by everything from jazz to folk to bluegrass, the duo of Lori Donovan (vocals) and Jeff Roberts (guitar, vocals) are the first to call their performances “socially eclectic.” While they entertain audiences with familiar and popular cover tunes, they also work diligently to keep their feet firmly planted in the genres that inspire them – treating listeners to something old, new, borrowed and blue. 

Jeff Roberts

Jeff Roberts is a performer heavily influenced and rooted to the blues. Though he often crosses many stylistic boundaries his sound borrows from such late greats as: Billy Boy Arnold, Howlin Wolf, Otis Rush, Hollywood Fats, Sonny Boy Williamson, Lowell Fullson, T-Bone Walker and the like. In addition, he delivers contemporary blues styles as performed by: Duke Robillard, John Hammond, Jimmie Vaughan, Sonny Landreth, Ronnie Earl and Melvin Taylor.

As the leader of The Jeff Roberts Band he orchestrated a mix of old swing (Big Joe Turner, Nat King Cole), Rock-n-Roll (Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins), Contemporary Folk (Monte Montgomery, Chris Smither) and all that share in the heritage of the Blues. He has worked and traveled clubs covering the entire east coast for over five years as a backing group for blues artist Lonnie Shields and has performed with Big Jack Johnson, WC Clark Band, The Nighthawks, Sam Carr, Eddie Kirkland, Keisa Brown and more.

Beginning in the winter of 2003, Jeff took a break from electric blues to concentrate on performing as part of the acoustic duo, Donovan Roberts. The duo plays a mix of blues, roots and blues-inspired rock and has played throughout Pennsylvania and along the east coast. Along with Donovan, Roberts is part of the acoustic band, The Girls. Playing concert venues, listening rooms and music festivals, The Girls entertain with a collaboration of three-part harmonies and pure acoustic instrumentation.

In 2006, Roberts began developing his own solo acoustic project, emphasizing his guitar and songwriting abilities. He anticipates a release of solo and duo material sometime in 2007.

Lori Donovan

Most noteably, half of the duo, Donovan Roberts and one-thrid of the trio, The Girls -- Lori Donovan is both busniess woman (owner, manager of The Fourth Leaf Company) and professional blues/roots vocalist. Highlights include being named Best Acoustic Group (The Girls) and Best New Group (The Girls) in 2006 by the Lehigh Valley Music Awards, and contributing backing vocals to recent releases by the Christopher Dean Band and Geoff Houser & Dave Zullo. In 2008, she will join Jeff Roberts in Memphis, TN to compete in the solo/duo competition of the International Blues Challenge.

In addition, Donovan is a published novelist, a contributing writer for several regional and national magazines, a graphic designer, manager and agent to all of the Fourth Leaf Artists represented here, and mother to two beautiful daughters. www.loridonovan.com