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Bluesman John Primer to perform at festival
By JOHN BENSON
The traveling bluesman of the 20th century may be a dying breed, but there are a few of these legends still hitting the road. One is guitarist John Primer, who comes to our area Saturday for a free show at the inaugural Sharon Blues Festival.
“I keep on playing the blues to keep it alive, that’s all,” said Primer, calling from his Mississippi home.
“I’m one of the last. I feel great about it. I try to stay in good health and keep on expressing my type of original blues to the people.”
His original style is in the Chicago blues vein, with his musical education taking place in the ’60s when he relocated from the South to the Windy City.
Eventually, Primer crossed paths with the greats of his genre.
The list includes Sammy Lawhorn and the legendary Muddy Waters.
“When I came up, what made me stick to the blues was the feeling,” Primer said. “It just makes you feel good. I ain’t knocking any other kind of music, but I’m a bluesman, and blues is my thing. I learned from Sammy Lawhorn whatever you do, play it your best. If you’re playing lead or rhythm, play it your best. You don’t worry about what the other person is playing. You don’t worry about other guitar players; you just play your part the best you can, and people will be watching.”
He added, “And with Muddy Waters, he was the greatest blues guy I ever played with. He taught me a lot, like how to treat people as musicians and always make your musicians as comfortable as you can. They’re your backbone behind you.”
For nearly 20 years, Primer and his backing band have been touring the country and occasionally releasing albums. In fact, his most recently released effort is 2009’s “All Originals,” a 12-song, Grammy Award-nominated affair that includes the fast-paced “Add A Little Touch,” the slide-guitar jam “I Called My Baby” and the soulful “At Home Alone.”
At the age of 65, Primer hopes there are plenty more gigs and albums left in front of him. Similar to a fine wine, the guitarist feels as though a true bluesman ages with time.
“Yeah, the older you get the better you get,” Primer said, laughing. “You learn more about it. The older you get, the more feeling you get. And the feeling I have now when I play makes me believe my hard work is paying off.”
So that means fans won’t have to wait another six years for a new studio album?
“Oh yeah, I’m looking at doing another one,” Primer said. “But you never know. You can’t count the eggs before they hatch.”