Some musicians hit it big purely by virtue of their choreographed dance moves, shiny skin, and bulletproof hairdos-it's enough to make an old bluesman projectile vomit. Others have enough talent and creativity to power a steam engine, yet they never make it out of their own backyards. For the vast majority of these honest musicians, it's supremely difficult to make a living playing music. Raise a glass to singer/songwriter Ryan Montbleau, whose indomitable spirit, diligence and musical aptitude have made him a worthy, full-time performer.

The singer/songwriter genre has come to encompass a wide range of musical disciplines. Montbleau is somewhere in the vicinity of a Kelly Joe Phelps or a Leo Kottke. He exhibits exceptional acoustic guitar skills and plays soulful, lyrically frolicking, bluesy folk songs.

"I usually describe the music as soul, first and foremost," Montbleau said. "(Then) I would say rootsy, funky, soul and R&B."

Montbleau, a native of Peabody who now lives in Boston, has forced himself upon the New England music scene and has been increasingly well received. Getting his start with small college bands at Villanova University, he persevered through a post-college substitute teaching job and hundreds of small gigs at coffeehouses, clubs and bars to establish himself as a desired touring musician at rooms like The Paradise and Common Ground in Boston, Green Mountain College in Vermont and Colby College in Maine, as well as various locations in New York and Chicago. His current tour will bring him and his band to the Muddy River's Newberry Room on Saturday, Jan. 29.

"It's the last show close to home before a five-week tour down South and through the Midwest," he said.

In addition to previous shows at the Muddy River over the past few years, Montbleau has played the Stone Church in Newmarket and the Barley Pub in Dover. This time around, he will bring a six-piece band composed of guitar, drums, upright bass, keyboards, viola and bass clarinet/saxophone.

"I'm a singer/songwriter and a solo performer, and it's all built around my songs. But we are definitely a band, and not just side players built around me," he said.

Montbleau has put together two CDs so far, the more recent of which is a live set released in 2003. A striking aspect of his sound is the genuine soulfulness of his voice, which makes him sound more like Jamiroquai than the aforementioned guitarist/singers. He is like a peppier, clean-voiced Tom Waits with lyrical anecdotes that can be tortured or playful. During one of his clearly autobiographical songs, "Substitute Teacher Blues," Montbleau inserts a humorous parody of John Mayer, blowing the young pop icon away with superior vocals and soul.

Why is it, Montbleau seems to be asking in "Substitute Teacher Blues," that he is forced to work a banal day job at his old high school to pay the bills, while a singer/songwriter as bland as Mayer tops the charts? The answer is probably that the bulk of American listeners prefer the poppy to the authentic, the conventional to the artistic, and the modern to the rootsy. Regardless, Montbleau clearly holds no grudge against Mayer or any other musician, and is overjoyed at the opportunity to perform consistently. He no longer substitute teaches; he has narrowed his daily agenda to the playing of music.

Judging from his live album, Montbleau is a performer who enjoys engaging in banter with his audiences. The underground confines of the Newberry Room should therefore serve his style well. Though he is constantly compared to Ben Harper, Montbleau's personal spark and instrumental giddiness seem to distance him from the much-commented on Harper arrogance that apparently comes with superstardom. In brief, Montbleau loves to play music, and his enjoyment is reflected by the fans who attend his shows.