Review: John Primer – Grown In Mississippi
John Primer – Grown In Mississippi
Format: CD – Digital / Label: Blues House Productions
Release: 2025
Text: Andy Trachsel
John Primer is an old blues musician who plays the music in an authentic way. He was born and raised in Mississippi, went to Chicago like a lot of southern blues cats and returned to his homeground and roots. He has recorded the original bluessound as a legacy for the younger generation. So here it is the album ‘Grown In Mississipi’. It has the traditional vibe of Robert Johnson.
Let’s go to the studio in Clarksdale Mississippi, the place of the Blues.
The opening track is John’s Blues Holler. You can hear the slaves singing and working together on the fields in a chain gang. Just voice and chain percussion of John. The next track is about his hard life and the struggle to survive. Acoustic guitar en slide. He was Born in Mississippi. Yes sir!
His birthplace gave some Blues Before Sunrise. You hear a steady rythm guitar, heartbreaking blues harp, that must be Charlie Musselwhite, and subtile guitar licks. The blues is about the hard life, so is Down in the Bottom. Stomping acoustic guitars and a familiar guitar riff, unisono slide and piano.
Walkin’ Blues made be think of Muddy Waters. The voice and the slide could be Muddy, don’t you think? He sings ‘woke up this morning, feel like going back home’. From Chicago to Clarksdale? And have some Nothin’ But A Chicken Wing. It’s a funky blues about fried chicken and Bobby Rush added some hot sauce harp playing over it.
When at home again there is A Better Day. Just sitting and hoping, all the troubles blow away on that better day. A nice blues blanket of organ, piano, harp, tinkling guitar notes. It’s getting better for sure! When I Met The Blues is a stomping blues about going to Chicago, the collection centre of the blues which is rooted in Mississippi. Songs like Baby Please Don’t Go a classic blues song with John Primer and Charlie Musselwhite in a stripped down version.
Let Me Be Your Electrician is about how hot one can be. Women Watch out! Hook up your circuit, I hook up to your socket, my juice is mighty hot. Well some will say Shame Shame Shame which is a blues evergreen with nice harp playing of Charlie Musselwhite. Maybe a visit to the church can heal the sins. Lay My Burdens Down is a soulful gospel song featuring John’s daughter Aliya Primer on vocals, keys and organ.
The spirit of Elmore James is looking around the corner on Ain’t Kickin Up No Dust. Listen to the slide of John Primer and you know what I mean. The harp on this blues shuffle is from Michael Dehart aka Deak Harp.
The last track is John’s Crawdad song, which is a cheerful song with percussion on a tin cup. I even hear a traditional jaw harp.
Well John Primer has documented the Mississippi blues from his perspective. Just in time. Thank you John!
Tracks:
01. John’s Blues Holler
02. Born In Mississippi
03. Blues Before Sunrise
04. Down In the Bottom
05. Walkin‘ Blues
06, Nothin‘ But A Chicken Wing
07. A Better Day
08. When I Met The Blues
09. Baby Please Don’t Go
10. Let Me Be Your Electrician
11. Shame Shame Shame
12. Lay My Burdens Down
13. Ain’t Kickin‘ Up No Dust
14. John’s Crawdad Song
Website: https://johnprimerblues.com/home