Close...but not that close....

March 30th – First musical influences?

Anybody?

Depends a lot on your age, I guess, and the preferences of your parents and peers.

For me, I have three. Firstly the voice of Beniamino Gigli, an Italian opera singer of the 20’s/30’s who was a favourite of my dad’s (I also think my mum got to see him in Wolverhampton when dad was away – a little disturbance called W.W.II kept him away far longer than he intended or enjoyed, I believe, so he missed it). Secondly the dance/swing bands of the 40’s/50’s such as Benny Goodman and Count Basie and the bands who used Messer’s Krupa and Rich as their drummer, and thirdly fledgling rock and roll.

I was born in ‘48’ (there’s an admission) so was ripe for attack when the likes of Mr. Presley and Mr. Holly and Mr. Vincent were strutting their stuff. Made a big impression on me, I can tell you and I had the good fortune to have parents who, although steeped in the vocalists of their day (crooners) and opera and classical, were in possession of a sufficiently open mind to accept that musical tastes change and the need to be appreciated and enjoyed for what they are by those of an age to appreciate and enjoy them. I've mentioned in these ravings of mine before how my mother took me to see ‘Rock Around the Clock’ so I was well into it…and then I discovered The Blues.

Dunno what it was about the sound, the lyrics, the feel, but I knew the moment I heard it we’d become inseparable companions; and that’s been it ever since that first encounter in…what, 1960/61? From this distance, I’m not sure who came to my attention first, could have been John Lee Hooker or Sonny Boy Williamson II. I guess, on reflection it was Sonny Boy Williamson II because, although by that time I was trying to be a drummer and the 12-bar pattern was a good starting point, what I wanted to play was the harmonica, and become as technically proficient as Mr. Williamson; and I got pretty good at it…am I allowed to say that? Well, whatever, try and stop me. I really did become quite proficient and I can remember the feeling of connection when I was able to play harmonica alongside the likes of Williamson and Sonny Terry; they were on a record I was in my front room, they couldn't hear me, I could hear them, but, these changes in time and space aside, we were together. With my taste in music bending across to the likes of Hendrix, Cream, The Yardbirds and the Savoy Brown Blues Band, who all built their reputations on blues covers and adaptations it’s not surprising the bands I played in mirrored this mesh of black experience and white interpretation. 

Anyway, all this thought stems from the fact that, on this day in 1914, Sonny Boy Williamson II was born. He died in 1965 and although, as mentioned before, I only got to hear him live on the Yardbirds’ album ‘Live at the Crawdaddy Club’, I feel I knew him through his music…I mean, hell, we played the harp together on many occasions.