Dirty River

Our purpose is to have fun, explore all the blues styles and share an engaging hi-energy performance that connects with the audience. Dirty River plays modern, original and the old delta, porch-style blues.

A Cincinnati blues band now celebrating 30 years, Dirty River has performed for Weddings, Parties, Special Occasions, Corporate, Civic and Private Events as well as Clubs and Festivals!

Dirty River, featured on Cincinnati radio, together, hosted and performed the earliest and largest outdoor blues festival in Cincinnati and also has played Cincinnati's "River Fest", televised.

Jeff is one of Cincinnati's best guitar players/musicians and loves to play the blues! His favorite records are by the blues greats Albert King and Eric Clapton but he has a special love in his soul for Stevie Ray Vaughn, Lonnie Mack, a regional hero to the Cincinnati area who was featured on SRV's "Strike Like Lightning" record and his most favorite of all, Jeff Beck.

Jenelle has played the drums in musicals, as a session player, and in popular rock, oldies and blues bands since the age of 15. Her earliest influences are Big bands that her father took her to go see and hear live.

She started Dirty River playing to eager fans at local popular college clubs and on the radio in 1982. A Dirty River performance was then and remains, very high-energy!

Mark Clifford: Keyboards and vocals

Mark Clifford, a native of Pittsburgh, PA., Mark has been performing since under his father’s direction, with the Clifford Trio, doing weddings and then he went out on the road working the hotel circuit and doing specialty shows. He spent several years in San Diego, California where he put together a show band using San Diego Chargers, Lynden King and Kellen Winslow, did studio sessions, worked on the Merv Griffin show, and did pre-shows for country artists such as Alabama, Porter Wagner, and Hank Williams Jr.

From Huntington W.Va., Matt has played many different genres of music. Album rock for festivals, Contemporary Christian music, Rhythm and Blues, Classic Rock and has even played back up for an Elvis impersonation act. After moving to the Cincinnati area, Matt has played in Classic Rock and Top 40 Bands and has made the rounds of open Blues jam sessions. When asked why he enjoys playing Blues, "For me, music is such a pure form of emotion. What better emotional genre than Blues? I will give you the notes that are supposed to be there, but everything in between is from the heart and soul."