As a young boy, I was obsessed with rock & roll music of the 1950s (Bill Haley, Little Richard, Gene Vincent). Thereby, the taste was complemented from my parents’ collection, who had a penchant for Jazz and New Orleans rhythm & blues (Fats Domino).
In my teenage years, my tastes went a bit more in other directions, but always with the blues as a base; Status Quo and ZZ Top were big favorites.
But the “real” blues kept itching and on Thursday nights I always listened to a blues program on the radio (Blues Highway with Harro de Jonge). In it, authentic blues music was played with almost exclusively Afro American artists. Mind you, these kinds of programs were actually essential, because in those days you couldn’t hear music anywhere else on the radio and record stores didn’t sell this music either. And the Internet would not appear until 25 years later.
When one night Willie Dixons’ 29 Ways, performed by John Littlejohn was played, this was a turning point for me, this was the “real deal” after all! Therefore, the album this song is on (Highway Is My Home) should really be the album this story is ultimately about, but it’s not. Because there is an album that has been even more important in the development of my taste in music and as a musician.
I fell more and more under the spell of black American blues music and less and less under the spell of white blues. This was because I found out that this music came directly from gospel and many Afro American musicians effortlessly mixed all the other resulting styles like funk and soul with their blues. My big hero in that became Joe Louis Walker; from acoustic Delta blues to Memphis soul to Bay Area funk and back again. He already had a few great records to his name, but when Blues Survivor came out in 1993 it became my all-time favorite blues (by the way) album, and still is after 30 years. An album that is full of beautiful arrangements, great vocals and guitar, and very diverse.
But what makes the album extra special for me is that it has left me with warm friendships; Henry Oden, the bassist and songwriter on this album, was and is a regular guest at Huize van Dorth, including when we toured with that other giant; the late Preston Shannon. He also plays on our album “ Hard Loving Man”.
And Joe himself; have shared the stage with him countless times by now. As rhythm guitarist with his own band, or that the Fuzzy Licks (my band) got to accompany him.
I should not have dared to dream that at the time Blues Survivor came out.