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CD42
FRUTELAND JACKSON
I CLAIM NOTHING BUT THE BLUES
Electro-Fi
www.geocities.com/fruteland/index.html
Over the last five or six years we've seen a number of younger generation African Americans returning to pre-war delta blues like Guy Davis, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Corey Harris, Keb' Mo', Eric Bibb and others. A new artist for me is Fruteland Jackson, born in Sunflower County, Mississippi in 1953, he and his family would move to the bright lights of Chicago in search of a better life. Fruteland learned music theory in high school and was a performing arts major at Columbia College and studied voice at Roosevelt University in Chicago. But marriage put a hold on his music. He would later return to, and settle in in Biloxi, Mississippi running a wholesale seafood company, but would lose this business four years later in a hurricane. It was then that the blues started to take a hold and he would immerse himself in old 78's.
I Claim Nothing But The Blues is a solid debut for Jackson, a collection of original songs that could have been written seventy or eighty years ago. Fruteland is a real storyteller and his words paint a picture in your mind that seems so real. He'll have you thinking you were in the icy waters when the Titanic went down in the bottleneck slide driven Titanic Blues. The songs cover a variety of feels and grooves, and aren't all about serious subjects, there's a bit of fun and humour in the lyrics. Take a listen to Is That Your Real Name with Fruteland taking a dig at his unusual name. Joining Jackson on this album are some quality musicians in Alec Fraser-bass, Michael Pickett-harmonica, Tyler Yarema-piano, and Ken Whitely-tenor banjo, mandolin, National slide guitar, piano, jug, washboard and percussion. As well as being a recording and performing blues artist, Fruteland Jackson is heavily involved in blues education, namely Blues In The Schools and is the 1997 recipient of the W.C. Handy Award for Blues Education.
I Claim Nothing But The Blues is a very refreshing acoustic blues album and one that all blues fans should have in their collection.
Eric Black
Blue Country 101 FM
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