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Drums and vocals

Roland electronic V-Drums, Yamaha 5-piece acoustic, Tama 10-piece acoustic

Updated: 09/27/2009

• Moved back from New York City, Jenelle has played the drums since 8 years old and has been professionally trained and is able to read music. Jenelle owns three drum sets. One, a  TAMA 10-piece Imperial-Star acoustic set in Gun Metal Grey (Gibraltar double-tiered cage) with a full array of Zildjian cymbals. Another, an expanded version of the Roland V-Drums (pictured), which are of the latest technology in electronic sets featuring dual triggers for sequencers and Midi as well additional sound textures and instruments. The electronic set is played through a Roland KC-500 full-range 150-watt keyboard amp and she runs it simultaneously sometimes through the P.A. Lastly, there is the Yamaha 5-pc. in natural wood finish.

• Jenelle has played in musicals, as a hired session player, school bands and popular rock, oldies and blues bands throughout the country in Cincinnati, Ohio, Washington D.C. and the California Bay area, since the age of 15.

  Through The Years:

• The Insects, a very popular dance/show band of the 60’s, managed by the same team who managed the national act "Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods." This management team also secured additional freelance solo work for Jenelle in musicals and such. The first band managed by Jenelle, herself was Cherry Fog. This was a “hip” band in the late 60’s and  performed at all of the major local spots including amusement parks, VFW halls, large bowling alleys, dance halls and clubs. Compositions were of the "underground" at the time: Vanilla Fudge, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Aorta, as well as the more mainstream Hendrix, Doors, Rolling Stones, Beau Brummels, and others. This band won all four of the “Battle Of The Bands” it had entered.

• During the 70’s and 80’s, she kept playing but also became a “sound person” for other bands such as Wolf Raven that included Rick Shelly, Gary Bates and Karl Gregory. 

• Her own band of the time, at about 1980, was Phoenix, that featured Jay Aronolf, at 16, a young guitar phenom and the son of Ohio's famous Senator, Stanley Aronolf. He later formed "Rough Midget." Phoenix played The Stones (Brown Sugar), Blue Oyster Cult (Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll), Robin Trower, Aerosmith (Sweet Emotion, Runnin'), The Who (Behind Blue Eyes), Hendrix and Pretenders (Precious) among others.

• Jenelle played the local popular college clubs and on the radio with bands such as Nightshift ('80, '81) and then the first Dirty River. The latter, a name she later registered. Dirty River from even this first incarnation featured outstanding performers who have since gone on to make a name for themselves, some in bands, others producing and writing for such major acts as Kathy Wade. Nightshift played The Cars, Robert Palmer and Bob Seeger, playing local bars and "Poker Runs" while Dirty River did The Police, ZZ Top, Grateful Dead, and Aretha Franklin, to name but a few at local packed to the walls college clubs. Dirty River also wrote and performed many of their own originals.

• In the late eighties and in-between two versions of Dirty River, Jenelle put together a band called The Boyz. They played “favorite oldies.” 50's Doo Wop and rockabilly, surf music and classic hits of the 60’s. Playing on a regular basis at some very hot clubs in the area including hotels and other "house gigs", this outfit did The Diamonds, Ventures, Chantays, Righteous Brothers, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd and Dire Straights among others.

• In 1986, Jenelle played with Gradual Taylor, a major star in Cincinnati. They played the "Chatterbox" every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and broke all of the attendance records, literally packing the huge club to it's capacity. It was a performance dance/show band, joking and having fun with the audience bringing the house down. Gradual writes, records and performs his own hits including his infamous “Shake Your Hiney” and “Just A Little Taste Of Your Love” among many others. She has been featured on TV.  A few years later, Gradual called this band the best band he had ever put together. The band had great chemistry including: Ernie Waits (Taj Mahal) on bass and vocals and Jim Orwig, keyboards, who later joined “The Menu’s” just prior to their major rise to fame and recording attracting a rather large following of their own and Jenelle Murray on the drums, experimenting with electronic percussion for the first time using the Linn Drum with triggers off of her vintage Ludwig acoustic set. Gradual and the gang kept the place wild and the girls (and sometimes their tops!) on the dance floor! 

• After that, Jenelle resurrected Dirty River again, a no less talented line up than the first version, it was the benchmark for blues when blues was just getting started big time in Cincinnati. Dirty River played the local circuit including being the house band at many locations, such Township Fields and Tavern and Burbank’s. 

  Dirty River, in early 1992, put together and hosted an outdoor music festival celebrating the best blues that the city had to offer. It included some of the original blues masters local to Cincinnati as well as such local current stars as the Blues All-Stars, "Sweet" Alice Hoskins, and many more. It was a success - having beautiful weather, a great line up of fantastic blues, several families in attendance and lots of sponsors. The then-new Cincinnati Blues Society, continues to put on a yearly festival of it’s own today. 

  Dirty Rivers' final gig was late in 1992 at “RiverFest.” This is Cincinnati’s huge farewell to summer. RiverFest features a major annual fireworks display attracting 500,000 people from the region and is televised by one of the ”big three” affiliate stations in town. Dirty River’s performance was featured live on local TV.

  After so many years of playing four to six nights a week and starting a family, Jenelle finally had had enough.

  After that much needed rest, it is time, once again, for her and a new Dirty River to shake, rattle and roll!

At a benefit performance August, 2005