Got soul? Maybe the blues is for you. Fresh from Mississippi, Delta Blues musicians Anthony ‘Big A’ Sherrod and Jacqueline ‘Jaxx’ Nassarwill show the way.
Delta Blues? Sounds kinda cool
It is, says multi instrumentalist Jaxx, who grew up in Mississippi, home of the blues. “My teachers were the kings of blues around town, Dr Mike, Razor Blade, Mr Shines ... Delta Blues is raw. It’s pure emotion. You can have all the talent in the world and still not know the Delta Blues.”
That definitely sounds daunting
Everyone’s got to start somewhere. Jaxx did by emulating her guitar-playing brother. “I always wanted to do everything he did, so I strummed on the guitar from about seven or eight.” She went on to add drums, bass, piano and vocals to her repertoire, but insists the Delta Blues, which takes its name from the Mississippi river delta, is about something else. “It’s about pouring your entire heart and emotion into what you’re playing and singing. That’s the true, raw blues right there.”
What about selling your soul at a crossroads?
That’s the legend all right, but who’s to say what the semi-mythical Robert Johnson really did? Maybe the devil himself. Big A, who has played with heroes such as BB King and Buddy Guy, learned from Big Jack Johnson and from Johnny Billington, which is probably a safer way to go about things. “I describe the blues as a feeling,” he says. “There’s happy blues, sad blues, heartache blues. It’s whatever you make it. But the blues comes from the soul and the heart.”
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Heart and soul? Sounds familiar
It is. As Jaxx says, “you wouldn’t have rock’n’roll without the Delta Blues. It all originated from blues and country. Gospel music, and so much of the music you hear today on the radio, whether that be pop, rock, R & : they wouldn’t exist if the Delta Blues hadn’t come out first.” The blues are also medicinal ...
Like on prescription?
Maybe they should be. Big A describes how Johnny Billington set up the Delta Blues Education Program to help young people by giving them an outlet, while Jaxx says that the music’s benefits continue. “Stress becomes the norm in life, especially when you get older. Problems on top of more problems, you know?” But on stage, “it all goes away for a while. It’s only me and the music. That is a true gift.”
I’ve got the vibe, what about the technical bits?
You can learn all about 8-bar and 12-bar chord progressions, based on the first, fourth and fifth chords of a key, or the I, IV, and V if you want respect among musos; and music schools such as Walton’s New School of Music or a myriad of online tutorials can give you the basics. You can even study its history from its origins with enslaved Africans before and after the American Civil War on a free course with the Open University (open.edu). But, as Jaxx says, like all good things, it takes time, hard work and dedication. “Be patient with yourself,” she adds. “Keep it simple at first. Have fun. It’s work, yes, but don’t take yourself so seriously, and all will be right.” Or you could start with a masterclass ...
The Delta Blues musicians present Under the Hood of Mississippi Delta Blues, a free masterclass on June 9 at the Astra Hall UCD, booking essential. The Delta Blues Project with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra takes place on June 11. Both are part of this year’s UCD Festival.
