Lead guitarist & singer Kouta Kato recently moved to California from his native Japan, where he spent many years studying the works of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. Ken Kemmerling (guitar, piano & vocals) and drummer John Burton were both longtime members of local bands Space Debris and the Backstreet Jazz Trio. Other members of RBRB are Jeremy Jackson (guitar), Richard Schuman (bass) and local musical veteran David Carey (percussion).

    David Carey began his musical career in the 1960s in a New Jersey high school rock band with future rock star Joe Walsh, and later toured the world as a guitarist with the U.S. Navy Band. Ken and David first collaborated 30 years ago as musicians in the Fly By Night Dance & Music Troupe. In October 1979 Ken (on piano) and David (as drummer) opened the Blue Mango Restaurant & Coffee House in Davis as the original house band, with Julie Partansky on trumpet & Tom Arons on clarinet.

    Ken worked with R. Crumb & Bob Armstrong in the local 1980s vintage jazz band The Rural Sophisticates (later Bo Trong & the Thin Men from Venus), and has played piano bars, solo engagements and jazz combos in the Davis area for over 25 years. Ken currently plays with jazz trios El Rado Scufflers, the Regal Beezers and the Deering Cortet.

    John Burton was drummer for the early 1980s rock band Phydeaux, an acclaimed prototypical Dead cover band. He has worked with many groups over the years, supplying the rhythm for blues, jazz, rock, Americana, Reggae and World music.