Song:A Woman's Got Ways
Album:The Gentleman Is Back
Most music fans won't know the name Johnnie Bassett but he has been a fixture on the Detroit music scene for decades as a session guitarist. In recent years, he has recorded his own brand of sophisticated urban blues. He's a very smooth vocalist and guitarist. He was born Oct. 9, 1935 in Marianna, FL and moved with his family to Detroit in 1944. As a child, he taught himself guitar and listened to the blues at his grandmother's house. He cites T-Bone Walker as his biggest influence. As guitarist for Joe Weaver & The Bluenotes, he backed up travelling musicians like Big Joe Turner and Ruth Brown. He went into the Army in 1958 and played in a country band in Washington state. After discharge, he moved back to Detroit and worked sessions with Fortune Records and also went to Chicago to work for Chess Records. He went back to Seattle and backed up Tina Turner and Little Willie John. A young Jimi Hendrix was a regular at Bassett's club dates. He moved back to Detroit in the 70s and continued playing sessions and club dates. After receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Detroit Blues Society in 1994, he made his solo recording debut with the 1996 CD I Gave My Life To The Blues. He's been touring the world ever since with his band The Blues Insurgents. The Gentleman Is Back is his latest CD and was released June 2009 by Mack Avenue Records. Chris Codish and his band The Brothers Groove back him up with songs by Chris' dad Bob Codish. So if your a blues fan, you need to check out Johnnie Bassett. Here is Johnnie Bassett with The Brothers Groove performing A Woman's Got Ways on FOX2 Detroit.
No comments:
Post a Comment