line up 1  (1968)

- Peter Blachly (aka Peter Alexander) -- lead guitar

- Reggie Brisbane -- drums, percussion

- Jay Sprague -- bass

  line up 2  (1968)

- Peter Blachly (aka Peter Alexander) -- lead guitar

- Reggie Brisbane -- drums, percussion

NEW - Mike Henley -- keyboards

- Jay Sprague -- bass

  line up 3  (1968)

- Peter Blachly (aka Peter Alexander) -- lead guitar

- Reggie Brisbane -- drums, percussion

-  Mike Henley -- keyboards

-  Jay Sprague -- bass

NEW -  Joe Triplett -- lead vocals, harmonica

  line up 4  (1969)

- Peter Blachly -- lea (aka Peter Alexander)d guitar

- Reggie Brisbane -- drums, percussion

NEW - Franny Day -- vocals, rhythm guitar

-  Mike Henley -- keyboards

-  Jay Sprague -- bass

-  Joe Triplett -- lead vocals, harmonica

  line up 5  (1969-70)

NEW - Happy Acosta -- lead guitar (replaced Peter Blachly)

- Reggie Brisbane -- drums, percussion

-  Franny Day -- vocals, rhythm guitar

-  Mike Henley -- keyboards

-  Jay Sprague -- bass

-  Joe Triplett -- lead vocals, harmonica

  line up 3  (1970-71)

- Happy Acosta -- lead guitar

- Reggie Brisbane -- drums, percussion

- Franny Day -- vocals, rhythm guitar

NEW - John Guernsey -- keyboards, vocals

 - John Hall -- vocals

-  Mike Henley -- keyboards

- Jay Sprague -- bass

-  Joe Triplett -- lead vocals, harmonica

  line up 4  (1993) reunion

- Peter Blachly -- lead guitar

- Reggie Brisbane -- drums, percussion

- Franny Day -- vocals, rhythm guitar

- John Guernsey -- keyboards, vocals

- Mike Henley -- keyboards

- Jay Sprague -- bass

-  Joe Triplett -- lead vocals, harmonica

- Peter Alexander (aka Peter BlachlyJ

- John Guernsey (solo efforts)

- The Human Zeroes

- The Jackals

- The Newports (Mike Henley)

- The Reekers (Joe Triplett) 

- The Rosslyn Mountain Boys (Happy Acosta and Joe Triplett) 

- Joe Triplett (solo efforts)

Genre: rock

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Sykesville

Company: Sweet Breeze

Catalog:  777A/B
Year: 1971

Country/State: Warrenton, Virginia

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: six track, 7" EP

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 3370

Price: $50.00

Washington, D.C.'s version of the Grateful Dead ?  

Formed in 1968, Claude Jones started out as a trio featuring the talents of guitarist Peter Blachly, drummer Reggie Brisbane, and bassist Jay Sprague.  So now you're asking was there a Claude Jones?  Yes, Jones was responsible for bringing the original trio together and served as their sound manager.  Over the next two years the group expanded to include singer/rhythm guitarist Franny Day, keyboard player Mike Henley, and former The Reekers lead singer Joe Triplett.   Performance throughout the Washington area brought them a small, but loyal following and in keeping with the counter-culture guidebook, in 1969 the band and various hangers-on moved to Culpeper Country, Virginia where they set up a farm commune known as The Ameoba.  The experiment lasted about a year, with the group deciding to move back to Washington.   Lead guitarist Blachly soon quit to join an ashram and pursue his interests in teaching yoga (of course).  Happy Acosta was brought in as his replacement.

1971 saw the band record a five track EP on their own Sweet Breeze label.  "Sykesville" featured all original material, largely written by keyboardist John Guernsey.  The widespread comparison to The Grateful Dead was fairly apt given the band's affection for country-tinged material like the title track and the pretty ballad 'I Talked To a Man Today'.  Given all five songs were strong, the comparison wasn't a big problem, though I'd suggest Country Joe and tthe Fish, or Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen might be better baselines.  As lead singer Triplett was awesome; though he was less couple of the songs were less effective when the vocal arrangements were in higher ranges ('Lessons To Learn').   the set's main problem was that as an EP, it was simply too short.   The band had plenty of other material in their repertoire.  Shame they were allowed to record a full album.

The EP attract supportive local reviews, but little beyond the Beltway with the group calling it quits after a New Years Eve 1971 show.   The members have kept in touch and there have been occasional reunions, including shows in 1974 and 1991.  In 1993 they supposedly recorded a full length album, but I've never been able to find any information on the release.

"Sykesville" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Sykesville  (John Guernsey) - 3:03   rating: **** stars

I've never been a big country music fan, but 'Sykesville' serves as one of those rare exceptions.  The song sported a breezy, easy-going melody with a chorus that you couldn't shake.  The fact it had a  lyric about someone being involuntarily institutionalized made it even stranger and more compelling.  YouTube has a nice video for a reworked version of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYSRlyYsZEc 

2.) Lesson To Learn  (John Guernsey - Peter Blachly) - 4:40    rating:*** stars

Powered by some tasteful Mike Henley Hammond B3 organ, 'Lesson To Learn' was a pretty ballad that sounded like a mash-up of The Grateful Dead and Procol Harum.  It would have been even better if the vocals weren't sung in an irritating falsetto.  Not sure who handled the lead vocals, but the sure sounded uncomfortable in that high range.

(side 2)

1.) Lonely  (John Guernsey) - 3:36    rating:*** stars

'Lonely' was the EPs most conventional rocker and would have been another four star performance had it not been for the ragged lead vocal.  Not sure if it was Triplett, but the singer literally had his voice crack a couple of times.

2.) I Talked To a Man Today  (John Guernsey) - 3:36   rating: **** stars

' I Talked To a Man Today' was a bluesy-rocker reflecting more than it's share of Crosby,Stills, nash & Young influences, though being packed into three and a half minutes made it one of the EPs stronger performances.  I think this one featured Triplett and Franny Day on vocals.

3.) Kuan Tai  (John Guernsey - Tom Guernsey) - 2:36    rating:*** stars

Breezy, Latin-tinged,totally Dead-esque tune that I can't help but like in spite of myself.

Two songs originally intended for the Claude Jones EP, were released as a hideously rare 1975 single under the John Gurnsey Band nameplate.  The record may be best known for featuring a young Hannah Brown (aka Emmylou Harris) on lead vocals for 'All the Kings Men'.

- 1975's 'All the Kings Men' b/w 'King of Slang' (Sweet Breeze catalog number RI 3937)

John Guernsey stayed active in the Washington-area music scene, releasing at least one solo album.

Triplett and Acosta reappeared as members of The Roslyn Mountain Boys who recorded a series of three LPs between 1976 and 2006.

The band has a small web site at: http://claudejonesarchive.org/