Rehearsing for their upcoming 45-year reunion bashes are the Wee Jams: Back row -- Phil Seretti (drums), Barry Haughin (keyboard), Gordie Herbst (guitar), Tom "Fitz" Fitzgerald (Wee Jams II, drums), Dave Billingsley (Wee Jams II, bass); middle row -- Augi Neidhardt (guitar & keyboards), Dan Fera (second tenor, current group). front row -- Steve Meyer (lead vocals, guitar), Bill Dell (lead vocals, Dave "Spook" Stroyne (Wee Jams II, lead guitar and vocals).

Anyone who grew up listening to the music of the Wee Jams probably calls one of the North Boroughs communities home.

It's been close to 50 years since the group formed, and as much as the world has changed, there have been a few constants, the sound of the band among them. The close harmony, the heavy bass, the soaring falsettos, the blue-eyed soul harkens to another era --pre-British music invasion, pre-heavy metal, pre-rap. Could it really survive nearly half a century?

Those who find that thought a bit hard to imagine will become believers by taking in the Wee Jams 45th anniversary show on April 30 at Anthony's Lounge in Avalon, or on May 1 at the Palisades in McKeesport. Close your eyes and you'll swear you were back at the Midnite Hour or Man Fridays, two of the band's earliest performance venues. The original group broke up in 1970, with Barry Haughin and Bill Dell the only remaining members of the original band.

"I had the idea [of a reunion] several years ago," Dell said. "And then Jim "Doc" Halliday, bass player for the original Wee Jams, passed away in 2009. That got me fired up. I knew this had to be done soon."

This will not be the first time that most of the band members have joined to "kick out some jams," so to speak.

"Our first reunion was in 1987, and then we received a call from Soldiers and Sailors Hall that they were raising money for a Vietnam Veterans memorial and we were asked to be one of the acts. After that, we did four or five summer gigs for the next several years, all the while expanding a very loyal following," Dell said.

The reunion will gather 10 former and present Wee Jams, some who have come in from as far away as Massachusetts, Virginia, California.

Even though many of the Wee Jams (the name comes from a band member's sister's cat. Dell says he's hated that name for 45 years) have not played together for decades, the band has maintained its presence in the local music scene, appearing at Atria at PNC Park on the first Thursday of every month.

"We sing a capella those nights. It shows what we can do vocally. Some people like it better than our shows with the band."

And their records enjoy frequent airplay at 770 and 810 on the AM dial and at FM 103.9 on Sunday nights.

The style of music: "I wouldn't call it doo wop --primarily black music of the 1950s -- but some people think it is. It's more ‘60s, R&B, blue-eyed soul."

And if you lived in some of the East Coast resort towns, it would be called “Beach Music” which is played on most radio stations and in many of the biggest dance clubs.

What keeps the Wee Jams going? "We do it for the fun of it. It's like playing softball. It keeps you young."

The talent has been there for all these years, and the band has always enjoyed a loyal fan base. Prime examples of the "Pittsburgh Sound," the Wee Jams have been noted mainly for two songs that scored in the Top 40 on the Cashbox charts and their four number one hits on the beach music charts. And one Jams song, "Patti Ann," written by Barry Haughin in 1987, is included on one of the "Pittsburgh's Greatest Hits" volumes.

Next Saturday's show at Anthony's marks the release of the band's latest CD, "Man Fridays --Midnite Hour," their fifth CD.

"We've always thought something big might be waiting to happen," Dell said. "But this is the hardest business. We've had to work so hard for every ounce of exposure we ever got."
It might be a tough business, but Dell and Haughin would be the first to admit that there have been lots of good times along the way. And they're inviting fans to follow the lyrics of one of their songs, "Willette," where they sing, "I'm back/give me one more chance…"

So, music lovers, take note: one more chance to hear 45 years of great sound.