DEEP BLUES: MiSSiSSiPPi GABE CARTER

18 November 2008

MiSSiSSiPPi GABE CARTER

!!UPDATE!!
Download a live set (MP3) of Mississippi Gabe Carter on Northwest University's WNUR right HERE!

At twenty-six Chicago's Mississippi Gabe Carter packs a fully strapped gang of flavour for a cat rockin' it solo. Heavily influenced by the raw-boned hard lonesome Bentonia Mississippi sound of Jack Owens as well as Juke Joint proprietor (and Broke and Hungry recording artist) Jimmy Duck Holmes and the legendary Skip James. Carter deftly picks like the masters of that unique southern delta area but his sound is also infused with the dark trancy reverb drenched vibe of North Mississippi. Mississippi Gabe Carter brings it with a depth of insight, understanding, and skills uncommon in blues music today.

Mississippi Gabe Carter's CD Midnight Dream is available via CDbaby.

What follows is an interview with Mississippi Gabe Carter:

When did you make your first trip to Mississippi in search of the music you were listening to? How old were you? Who were you hoping to find and did you find them? Did you have any contacts there before you went or did you just decide to go and see what happens?

I WAS ABOUT 20 YEARS OLD WHEN I FINALLY MADE IT DOWN THERE THE FIRST TIME. I HAD NO REAL IDEA WHERE I WAS GOING, EXCEPT THAT I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT TO BENTONIA. I MADE IT TO MEMPHIS ON MY FIRST DAY DRIVING AND JUST SLEPT THERE OVERNIGHT. I WOKE UP THE NEXT DAY, AND THE PLACE SEEMED KIND OF BORING; SO I KEPT GOING UNTIL I GOT TO CLARKSDALE. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL WAS IN CLARKSDALE OR WHAT WAS HAPPENING THERE. BUT I STOPPED BY A LITTLE PLACE CALLED "CLUB 2000". SOMEONE DOWN THE ROAD TOLD ME THAT "THERE AIN'T BEEN WHITE PEOPLE IN THERE FOR 500 YEARS". BUT I DECIDED TO GO ANYWAY. WELL, THERE HAPPENED TO BE A GOOD PARTY THERE THAT NIGHT. I ENDED UP PLAYING MY GUITAR WITH A BASS PLAYER BY THE NAME OF MOOKIE WHO KNEW RIGHT AWAY THAT I WAS A FAN OF JACK OWENS BECAUSE, HE SAID, THAT HE GREW UP IN BENTONIA.

SO WHEN I FINALLY GOT TO BENTONIA, I MET UP WITH DUCK HOLMES. DUCK IS THE OWNER OF THE BLUE FRONT CAFE, WHICH IS THE ONLY CLUB IN BENTONIA. I KNEW THAT DUCK PLAYED AND THAT HE LEARNED A LOT FROM OWENS. DUCK AND I BECAME FRIENDS OVER THE TIME THAT I SPENT IN BENTONIA ON THAT TRIP, AND HE TAUGHT ME QUITE A BIT THAT HE LEARNED FROM OWENS AND ALSO INTRODUCED ME TO BUD SPIRES -- OWENS' HARP PLAYER. EVENTUALLY, I HAPPENED TO TELL DUCK THE STORY ABOUT CLUB 2000 IN CLARKSDALE, AND PLAYING WITH THE MAN NAMED MOOKIE. TURNED OUT MOOKIE IS DUCK'S BROTHER. IN OTHER WORDS, MISSISSIPPI IS A SMALL PLACE!

How Long had you been playing guitar at that point?

AS EARLY AS I COULD WALK AND TALK, I WAS PLAYING THE GUITAR. WHEN I WAS IN KINDERGARTEN, THE TEACHER TOLD MY PARENTS I WOULD BE THE NEXT BB KING.

Holy Smokes! Where did those skills come from? Your dad played Blues piano. Any other musicians in the tree? Did you play in rock bands or has it always been solo blues for you?

I ALWAYS PLAYED BLUES. THAT'S ALL I EVER PLAYED. I USED TO PLAY WITH THE NEIGHBOR KIDS GROWING UP. WE WOULD PLAY AROUND AT PARTIES, AND LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT. I HAVE AN UNCLE BY THE NAME OF BEANS RICHARDSON WHO PLAYED BASS WITH ALL THE BIG JAZZ NAMES GOING WAY BACK. COLTRANE, DAVIS, SONNY STITT. HE EVEN PLAYED WITH ARETHA FRANKLIN. HE'S ON ONE OF HER ALBUMS. AND WE HAVE QUITE A FEW OTHER MUSICIANS IN THE FAMILY TOO. MY FATHER HAS 20 SIBLINGS ALL TOGETHER AND THEY'RE ALL FROM THE HOOD, SO WE GOT SOME SOUL SEEPING OUT IN SOME PLACES.

What do you think it was about that Bentonia Mississippi sound of Skip James, Jack Owens and Jimmy Duck Holmes that hooked you? For me it's that keening high lonesome sound of the vocals that just chills me. Was it that or the guitar playing or the whole thing together?

I DIDN'T KNOW WHO SKIP WAS BEFORE I HEARD JACK. BUT, HONESTLY, WHEN I HEARD JACK THE FIRST TIME; I CRIED. HE BROUGHT WATER TO MY EYES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS EXACTLY. SINCE THEN THOUGH, SOMETIMES I HAVE FELT HAUNTED BY HIS SPIRIT. AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT DUCK COULD DO UNTIL I MET HIM, BUT HE CAN CATCH THAT IN YOU TOO. AND SOMETIMES, IF I'M LUCKY, I CAN DO IT TO MYSELF -- THAT'S WHEN I KNOW I JUST PLAYED ONE HELL OF A SONG.

The thing I've found most fascinating about your sound is that while you've got the Bentonia picking style going on, your voice sounds to me like a younger Junior Kimbrough. Your guitar tone and sound as well really recalls for me the late Mr. Kimbrough's sound. In fact when I first heard your stuff I thought it was some unreleased Junior. I'm reminded of the solo stuff on Kimbrough's Meet Me In The City. How important has the North Mississippi sound been to you personally and in the way that you play?

I DO REALIZE THOSE SIMILARITIES. THE REASON PEOPLE HEAR THAT IS BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO PLAY BLUES GOOD. IF IT'S DONE RIGHT, THE SAME TOOLS WILL BE EMPLOYED. KIMBROUGH HAD NO OVERWHELMING INFLUENCE ON MY PLAYING. IT'S JUST THAT WE BOTH UNDERSTAND AND USE THE BASIC AND NECESSARY MATERIALS FOR BLUES. WE SOUND SIMILAR, BECAUSE ANYTHING ELSE AIN'T GOOD ENOUGH.

If possible can you explain what you consider those "tools" to be?

ANYONE PLAYING BLUES HAS TO BE ABLE TO FEEL WHAT HE IS PLAYING. IF THE PLAYER DON'T FEEL IT, NOBODY ELSE IS GOING TO FEEL IT EITHER. EVERYTIME I PLAY A SONG IT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE LAST TIME I PLAYED IT. AND I ALSO WON'T PLAY THE SAME SONG TWICE IN A ROW, BECAUSE THE SECOND TIME THERE WON'T BE ANY GAS LEFT. "FEELING IT" IN BLUES DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE HAD A SHITTY LIFE. IT MEANS YOU GOT TO BE SUPRISING YOURSELF AND SUPRISING EVERYBODY ELSE AND BEING COMFORTABLE WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT.

While we're talkin' tools, it looks like you use a number of different guitars. What do you use in the way of guitars and amps?

I JUST HAVE A LOT OF OLD JUNK REALLY. MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE TO SELL SOME. SO YOU ALL LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE INTERESTED. BUT I'VE GOT AN OLD KAY GUITAR, WHICH IS ALL OVER THAT ALBUM OF MINE, THAT DOES IT FOR ME FOR SOME REASON. I LOVE THAT GUITAR. AND I HAD A COUSIN WHO WORKED AT GUITAR CENTER WHO GOT ME A DEAL ON A FENDER BLUES DELUXE AMP, WHICH SEEMS TO BE DOING THE TRICK RIGHT NOW TOO.

Tell me about gigs. I don't see a show listing on MySpace. Due to what I consider the uniqueness of your sound...you're not exactly playing Sweet Home Chicago. Do you find it difficult to get gigs?

NO, I DON'T FIND IT HARD TO FIND GIGS. BUT I DON'T GO LOOKIN FOR THEM. IF SOMEBODY WANTS ME TO PLAY AND THEY'VE GOT MONEY TO PAY, I'LL BE THERE. THE SUMMER IS A BUSY TIME FOR ME BECAUSE I PLAY ON THE STREET ALMOST EVERYDAY AND THEN THROUGH THAT PEOPLE COMMISSION ME TO PLAY AT WHATEVER THEY HAVE LINED UP.

Speaking of gigs where is your favorite place..city...club...etc...to play?

I LIKE TO PLAY FOR BIG CROWDS. THE BIGGER, THE BETTER. ABOUT A MONTH AGO I PLAYED AT A HUGE PIG ROAST FOR ABOUT A THOUSAND PEOPLE. THAT'S WHAT I LIKE.

Besides the Bentonia boys who else do you dig? Not necessarily influences but let's say you have a five disc cd player. If I come to your house today who would you be playing?

I LIKE SOUL AND R & B MAN. THAT, TO ME, IS MY PARTY FEEL GOOD MUSIC. I LIKE ARETHA FRANKLIN, STEVIE WONDER, RAY CHARLES. SAM COOKE, OTIS REDDING, JAMES BROWN, ANITA BAKER, TINA TURNER, AND SO ON. I AM, WHAT WE CALL IN CHICAGO, A STEPPER. I GO TO STEPPERS CLUBS AND I DO SOME STEPPIN THAT MAKES THEM ALL JEALOUS.

Any players in your area folks should be aware of that they may not have heard?

IF THEY ARE INTO SOUL-BLUES, MORE CITIFIED BLUES, THEY SHOULD LISTEN TO MY FRIEND MR. LURRIE BELL. LURRIE AND I PLAYED TOGETHER FOR A LITTLE PARTY A WHILE BACK, AND HE IS ONE HELL OF A PLAYER.

You recorded Midnight Dream with Jean-Yves Munch. Who is he?

JEAN-YVES MUNCH IS A SOUND ENGINEER WHO TRAVELS THE WORLD MAKING DOCUMENTARIES. JEAN-YVES SAW ME PERFORM AND FOUND OUT THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY RECORDINGS. SO HE OFFERED TO RECORD ME AT THE STUDIO HE HAS IN THE AREA. IF IT WASN'T FOR HIS RESPECT FOR MY PLAYING, I WOULDN'T BE GETTING MY MUSIC AROUND THE WORLD NOW.

Anything else folks oughta know about you?

THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT I AM ONE HIGHLY FLAVORED MOTHER.

Mississippi Gabe Carter @ MySpace

STEAL THESE MP3s from Mississippi Gabe Carter.

Tell The World MP3

Don't You Know MP3

Let Me Have My Way MP3

Midnight Dream MP3