Blues musician brings new style

He plans to introduce the audience to songs from his upcoming 10th album.
By JOHN BENSON
vindicator correspondent
NASCAR fans may not recognize the name Studebaker John, but they sure know his work.
Considering Studebaker is an automotive moniker, racing fans may think he's a pit crew chief or even a legendary driver from an era gone by, which isn't too far from the truth. Actually, Studebaker John Grimaldi is a Chicago bluesman by trade, whose music has been used by CNN for its NASCAR Raceway break theme for years. Existing in the gray area between anonymity and celebrity is nothing new to this musician who performs with his backing band, The Hawks.
However, it's a different story within blues circles, with Grimaldi's latest album, "Between Life & amp; Death," being described as the future of the genre.
Innovation
"There are a lot of songs that I had been wanting to record for a long time, and this record gave me a good opportunity to release the type of CD that's very serious and not the same old style of blues that everyone usually is used to," he said.
This was a stark contrast to his previous 2001 release "Howl With The Wolf," which found the potent singer, guitarist and harmonica player following the traditional blues archetype. For "Life & amp; Death," that mold was cracked to allow in some, if not sunshine, then at least new millennium air.
"The playing is more updated," Grimaldi said. "A lot of blues bands tend to try to go back to 1950 to get their inspiration, trying to mimic that almost note for note. Change the words a little bit here and there, and you have an album. This isn't that. It's a situation where the 12 bars in blues, there's like a standard pattern, but I don't utilize that all of the time on 'Life & amp; Death.' I utilize more contemporary chord changes."
The proof can be heard on a few notable tracks, such as the New Orleans ballad "If I Had a Nickel" and the modern-feeling "I Don't Know."
Outlook
Grimaldi said he's already hard at work on what will be his 10th album, titled "Self-Made Man" and due out next winter. He said he'll be road testing some of the material at his upcoming Youngstown show Tuesday at Johnny's.
Concertgoers should keep their ears open for "Ride, Ride, Ride" and harmonica instrumental "Streamliner." As for any future success outside of the blues corners of the world, Grimaldi remains somewhat idealistic, but he knows the score.
"We're still hoping," Grimaldi said. "Record companies don't really push blues anymore, so it's a situation where you have to do it yourself. It's kind of like a grass-roots thing, but that's life. That's the way it goes."