Originally created for victims of Hurricane Charlie, the proceeds will now go to Hurricane Katrina victims.

Hurricane Hunters is the first CD in a series of hurricane songs. The idea came during the 2004 Jeanne hurricane. J.D. Kelly, a friend of J. Robert's, went to his house and told him he had some ideas for hurricane songs. "I told him I had a couple of songs, too, and we picked up another song from Billy Oliver, a bartender at the Little Bar in Goodland. We slapped them together and when the power went out, I hooked up a generator in my studio and Hurricane Hunters was born," J. Robert said. The first song, Cone of Uncertainty is kind of a tongue-in-cheek country or New Orleans blues song he said. J. Robert did all the violins, guitars and a little bit of steel drums. Janette Poole sings on the album. Of course, the CD is also played on the jukebox at the Little Bar.

Besides his paid gigs, J. Robert entertains for hurricane relief parties gratis. Some of them include the YMCA Taste of Marco, the Art League, Hospice, Stan's in Goodland, and the Women's Abuse Shelter among others. The M.A.C.K. committee for Katrina victims wants to collaborate with him about an Oct. 9 gig. "It would be a lot of fun to get a bunch of musicians together for that," J. Robert stated.

He was at the New Orleans Jazz Festival this past spring and said it was a lot of fun. Wearing comfortable croc shoes he had purchased there, he walked the town from one end to the other until he reached the levee. "I looked down and thought, 'the water is right here,'" he said. Even though his father is a nuclear physicist, J. Robert said it doesn't take much imagination to see the water level there and how dangerous it could be. He said he thought to himself that there was going to be trouble in New Orleans someday. Little did he realize how soon tragedy would strike.  

Although he was classically trained on the violin, he later got into country music. When he was 25 years old, he toured with a band in the northwest. They had a hit song on the national scene for about three weeks called Boppin' the Blues. J. Robert married, had children and decided to settle down on Marco Island.

"What a blessing that was. It's been the most wonderful blessing in my life. You don't have to be good to be big, but you also don't have to be big to be good. I don't have to prove anything. I just love making music and feel that the good Lord books my calendar," he said.

The Hurricane Hunters CD can be heard and purchased through CDbaby.com for $8.99. All proceeds from the first album of the Hurricane series as well as future albums will be donated directly to the American Red Cross.

J. Robert will donate his time if he is available for any group having a hurricane relief party. He can be reached at 642-7462. For a taste of the various kinds of music he plays, visit his Web sites at www.mangrovemusic.com, www.jrobert.net or www.hurricanesongs.com.