Friday 3:15pm

Big Buck and the Biscuit Boys have developed their own genre of music. It’s blues, but not just any version of the blues — not Delta or Texas blues. The five-piece band plays an urban, funky style that originated up north.

For examples of the musicians who inspired their sound, think Muddy Waters, Albert King, and the J. Geils Band. Standout songs for the Biscuit Boys include “The Conductor” by Guy LaForge,and "Seventh Son" and, appropriately, "Biscuit Bakin’ Woman," by Willie Dixon.

The center of the band is definitely Buck, the front man, vocalist and harmonica player. Big Buck � Guy LaForge offstage � is BIG, a commanding presence on the stage, hopping onto his skateboard, blowing sizzling lines and keeping up a stream of jokes, not all of them repeatable.

"I�m a physical guy. I jump around a lot," Buck says "I try to give off a lot of energy when I�m up on stage."

His physicality even causes him to go through a lot of harmonicas. "I�ve got big lungs, and I blow out the reeds. I tend to go through harps pretty fast," he said.

Buck, a former Golden Gloves Boxer is, indeed, a mound of sound, or as he sings in one of the band�s songs, "I�m your boy � 300 pounds of muscle and joy."

Buck formed the first band in 1993. It was originally Guy LaForge and the Blues de Ville. The "Biscuit Boys" tag, Buck explains, was inspired by the old "King Biscuit Flower Hour" radio show.

Buck grew up in Chappaqua, N.Y., with a piano-playing father and a mother who was in the theater.

"There was always music in the house," he recalled. "A lotta Ray Charles, Stan Getz, and Hank Crawford, who played with T-Bone Walker. I loved it all, but most of all I loved the blues."

J. Geils was Big Buck�s biggest influence, to the point at which he followed the band from show to show at one point. He has seen J. Geils perform more than 50 times, and opened for the band at a show he promoted at the Florida Sports Park . Over the years, Buck also played with the Nighthawks, Lonnie Mack and Hot Tuna.

Big Buck & The Biscuit Boys