So it seems that the Memphis Blues scene may not be what it used to be. In reading about the Memphis Blues scene it seems that before Sun Records signed and recorded Elvis Presley in 1954, the Memphis Blues scene was hopping musicians like Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Nix, Ike Turner, and B.B.King performed on Beale Street and in West Memphis. They recorded some of the classic electric blues, rhythm and blues and rock & roll records. After Presley Sun Records turned it’s attention to a wider white audience. Well today I listened to a band that hails from Memphis and I’ll tell you the Memphis Blues scene is in the good hands of the Daddy Mack Blues Band, The album that I listened to was their current June 2010 release Bluesfinger and it’s a good one, great vocals, nice guitar and an all round great listen. The band is led by “Daddy” Mack Orr and since 1998 they have been the house band at the Center For Southern Folklore on Beale Street. From their website:
“Daddy” Mack Orr’s voice has been compared to the biting vocals of Albert King, and his latest album has climbed the blues charts, but Orr still works a day job to pay the bills. At his shop, Mack’s Auto Repair on Jackson Avenue, muffled Spanish radio competes with the whir or an industrial fan. Orr leans over the hood of a clunky Chevrolet. The car’s guts spill out and reveal a hole where the engine used to sit. “I tell you, figurin’ out what ‘s wrong with ’em cars sure will give you the blues,” Orr says, chuckling.
The rest of the band is composed of brothers James and Harold Bonner both Memphis natives on guitar and bass respectively and William Faulkner on drums. Again from the website:
The band’s second album, Slow Ride, featuring Billy Gibson, inched its way up to No. 8 on the Living Blues magazine’s national radio chart. It was also listed as a Top 50 download on iTunes. The band has played London, Paris, Las Vegas and most recently before a crowd of thousands at the 2006 Chicago Blues Festival.
As is typical as I write this I’ve only listened to the album a couple of times so I don’t really know all the songs but what I do know is that the music is really good and I’m going to be listening to the CD for a while! So at some point I may write more – but if you never heard these guys and you like the blues check these guys out maybe if enough people check them out then “Daddy Mack” can quit his “day” job!
Here’s Daddy Mack performing “I Found Trouble, Baby” at Lil Anthoy’s on Beale Street in Memphis!