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Other Links: Verbis Family Website | Drew Verbis Myspace
Drew Verbis, a.k.a Dirrty Drew, plays both extremes. One night a week he spins dirty blues, the kind of soul-drenched music that would make Muddy Waters cry. Four nights a week he’s behind a DJ mixer, mic in-hand pumping his fist to mainstream Top 40 and various hip-hop fused numbers, ones with lines that go “Ooooh/its getting hot in here/so take off all your clothes.” Best known for his emcee ability and vast music knowledge, he would often be called, ‘Dirrty,’ for his live DJ antics that involved college girls acting out roles typically shown on ‘Girls Gone Wild.’ “The good thing about a nickname is that you have one. The bad thing is that you’re stuck with whatever stupid name people give you.” Verbis is a member of the Recording Academy (awards the Grammy), and can be heard on KJZZ, 91.5 fm (Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tucson), and he is a resident DJ for various nightclubs in Tempe, Scottsdale, and Glendale.
Blues life: His experience in the Valley’s blues scene came after becoming an apprentice of sorts to Phoenix Blues entrepreneur, Bob Corritore, who runs the Phoenix Blues club, the Rhythm Room. During this period Verbis used his relationship as an outlet to express his creative talents and had some of his most noticeable successes. This included his work with commercial recording projects, developing close relationships with many Blues heroes, managing Louisiana Red, and publishing over 100 professional blues photos for commercial use. In 2003, Drew launched a groundbreaking radio show on KJZZ radio called ‘Blues and Beyond.’ True to its name, ‘Blues and Beyond’ provided listeners with exposure to newer roots influenced artists as well as some of the blues masters who inspired them, covering the gamut of blues-inspired music. In addition to its ground breaking concept, ‘Blues and Beyond’ delivered an impressive production on the level of most nationally syndicated commercial programs but managed to accomplish this without a hefty budget or staff. The award winning program surpassed 150 episodes and featured guests appearances by some of today’s top musicians like: BB King (3 times), Ben Harper, Jerry Lawson, the late Jimmy Smith, Keb Mo, the late Robert Jr. Lockwood, Jack Johnson, Kelly Joe Phelps, and Dave Matthews.
