Mastodon''s Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher talk about their concept metal''s show-but-sure crawl from primordial sludge to the more melodic and artsy approach on their highly-anticipated new album, "The Hunter."
Unlike the prehistoric mammal itās named after, Atlanta-based metal quartet Mastodon is
adept at evolving. The bandās 2002 debut, Remissionāa sludge-metal concept albumā
had guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher combining Dream Theater-level technicality
with Sabbath-meets-Motƶrhead grooves and moods, and even a slight nod to the Allman
Brothers on āOlāe Nessie.ā Mastodonās sophomore effort, 2004ās Leviathan, was an onslaught of headbanging
goodness with a little Thin Lizzy panache mixed in. It garnered the band Album of the Year
awards from Kerrang!, Terrorizer, and other publications catering to the metal crowd.
LEFT: Bill Kelliher onstage with one of his Gibson Explorers at a June 2011 gig at the Patronaat in Haarlem, Netherlands. Photo by Cindy Frey Right: Brent Hinds with his silverburst Gibson Flying V at a June 2011 Mastodon appearance at the Norwegian Wood festival in Oslo, Norway. Photo by Per Ole Hagen
Up to that point, the bandās vocal approach had leaned more toward guttural roars, but 2006ās Blood Mountain saw a shift, with Hinds and bassist Troy Sandersāwho share vocal dutiesāexploring a more melodic bent. But the bandās biggest leap forwardāboth creatively and commerciallyācame with 2009ās Crack the Skye. By far the tightest, most cohesive album in their catalog up to that point, the seven- song epic showed hints of Pink Floyd and Yes influences, as well as expanded guitar palettes: Hinds and Kelliher dialed in more clean tones, and their First Act Custom Shop 9- and 12-string axes provided a sound that Hinds described as a āringing, atonal chorus effect unmatched by any chorus pedal.ā
However, for this yearās The Hunter, Kelliher and Hinds veered away from the concept approach. āThe new album is about nothing,ā says Hinds, who also leads the surfabilly band Fiend Without a Face and several other side projects during Mastodon downtime. But the difference on The Hunter isnāt just lyrical. On past albums, Hinds took the lead on riff writing, but this time around Kelliher contributed more song ideas, and both wrote and recorded their own riffs and songs individually. āItās tighter because we did it this way,ā says Kelliher. Both guitarists also experimented with new gear.
Your previous albums have been pretty epic. How did your approach differ for The Hunter?
Kelliher: With Crack the Skye, most of those riffs were written by Brent, but this time we all contributed musical ideas. We decided to take a different approach, because weāre all pretty busy outside the world of Mastodon, and after touring for nearly two years we really wanted to take a break. Before The Hunter, when Brent would a write a songāor vice versaā the other person would learn it and double it, or come up with their own complementary part. But on The Hunter, there are parts and songs where itās strictly Brann [Dailor, drums] and me or Brent and Brannāthatās something weāve never really done before.
Hinds: I really didnāt approach The Hunter any different than our previous albums. We just decidedālike we always doāto write and record a cool album thatās badass, and to do the best we can. I play guitar so much in Mastodon and my other bands that I donāt really block out time to writeāif something comes to me while Iām jamming and it sticks with me, Iāll generally try recording it. But if I forget the riff or idea, then it probably wasnāt meant to be.
Bill, are you happy with how the different writing approach worked out this time?
Kelliher: It was real spontaneousā some of the stuff was even written while in the studio rehearsing and recording other songs. But honestly, I was really nervous about going at this album with the attitude of āLetās just go recordāeven though we donāt know each otherās parts.ā But our producer, Mike Elizondo, reassured us that a lot of bands do it that wayāhe mentioned that James [Hetfield, vocalist/rhythm guitar] in Metallica records all his parts, and then Kirk [Hammett, lead guitar] comes in and records the solos. Donāt get me wrong, thoughāthe stuff weāve done in the past, with those contrasting guitar tones and mannerisms, do give a song a bigger feel. Brent and I, James and Kirk of Metallica, or any two guitarists are never going to play the same song or the same riff the same. So I feel The Hunter is a tighter album because we did it this way.
The whole album seems to groove a little more than past albums, especially on songs like āBlack Tongue,ā āCurl of the Burl,ā and āBlasteroid.ā What do you attribute that to?
Kelliher: I think it was the atmosphere and mentality of not feeling pressure to perfect every nook and cranny of every song. We just went at it with a fun, low-key attitude that allowed us to really go places weāve havenāt explored yet with Mastodon. With āCurl of the Burl,ā that was a chorus and drum riff that Brann had for a long time, and Brent came in and added the intro riff. Whether a song is a skull-crusher or a ballad, you need to have a catchy grooveā thatās something we strive for on every song. If you canāt write a great song, at least write a great groove [laughs].
Kelliher plays his 1974 Les Paul Custom and Hinds plays his Electrical Guitar Company signature model while tracking The Hunter at Doppler Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Andrew Stuart
What was it like working with Mike Elizondo?
Hinds: Amazing. Mike is a great manāIād vote for Mr. Elizondo for president. I really liked working with Matt Bayles on our first three records, even though it was a battle at times, because we werenāt really known or trusted as musicians yet, so weād have creative conflicts like you would in any recording environment. Brendan [OāBrien] was the guy for Crack the Skye, but Iām glad we went with Mike, because he let us do our thing while maintaining some control and having lucid and constructive input for our song structures and guitar parts.
Kelliher: Brendan was the right choice for Crack the Skye, because we wanted that ā80s classic-rock sound, and Brendan has worked with so many acts of that genreā like AC/DC and Springsteenāso it was just the perfect fit. That album was so dialed-in and meticulous that it was helpful to have a guy pushing for perfection. But we did so many sessions and takes that it was grueling. Mike was full of energy and so excited to be with us that it just immediately clicked. Usually, when I record my parts in the studio, no one is very vocal or directing me if something sounds badāor suggesting I try it in a different key or with a different guitar. But Mike was really vocal on what was working and wasnāt for my guitar parts.
What sorts of things would he say?
Kelliher: Sometimes Iād be going overboard with my solos or adding too many tracks. I kept layering āguitarmoniesā [harmonies] and ambient noises, and it would be too much at points and heād let me know that what I originally recorded was good enough. It was a good, creative back and forth.
Which song would you say he was particularly helpful on?
Kelliher: āBlack Tongue.ā The verse riff was an old riff Iād been hammering on for years, and the beginning riff for the chorus was something Brann came up with when we were messing around in rehearsals. The part that ties it altogether is the middle section with its grooveāI came up with that while jamming alone one night. And then we recorded all the parts and glued them together with Mikeās help. I really like the guitarmonies I came up with by accident one night in the studio. I actually did half of the soloāthe first 20 secondsāon my laptop in a hotel room in France while we were on tour. That shows you how this record was done in comparison to Crack the Skye, and how far technology has progressed. I completed that soloās harmony part at 4 p.m., emailed it to Mike, and then he mixed it and sent us the finished song the next day. Itās amazing that you can write and record ideas thousands of miles away for your album [laughs].
What did you use to record in the hotel room?
Kelliher: I had a Yamaha SBG2000 and my Marshall Micro Stack and some Shure condenser mics I was going to use, but I decided to run it through AmpliTubeās Marshall amp models, because Warner Bros. was asking for the song to be done so they could release it as a single the next morning in the USA. I was like, āItās not done yet!ā [Laughs.] When I got done, I was so proud of myself and felt really good about it, because I had gotten it down and everyone liked it. I kind of live for moments like that. Iām a multitasker by nature. My wife says I should focus on one thing at a timeābecause Iām always doing several things at onceābut in this instance it worked out. The deadline forced me to work some fast magic, but I donāt advise anyone to do that on a regular basis!
What did you use for the other half of the solo?
Kelliher: The second part of the solo was done in the studio before that European tour, and I really like it because it has that āOrionā [from Metallicaās Master of Puppets] feel and groove. I used this new Gibson Explorer with EMG X Series 81 and 85 humbuckers. Itās a metal-shredding beast that doesnāt sound phonyāitās quickly become my go-to super-heavy guitar. I plug straight into the amp for the majority of my recordings, so when I need something gargantuan, I have that in my back pocket. I used to hate active pickups and thought they sounded brittle and stale, but I totally dig their tone with my Explorerāitās a clear, concise, unique distortion. I use that guitar a lot on āAll the Heavy Liftingā and some of the harmonies on āCurl of the Burl.ā
With its Alan Parsons Project-/Pink Floyd-style synths and chanting choirs, āThe Creature Livesā is very theatrical. What was the impetus for that song?
Kelliher: [Laughs.] That was all Brannās idea. He wrote it years ago and he pretty much directed and composed how everything fell into place. He thinks itās going to be one of those lift-your-lighter-in- the-air-and-sway songs. Iām sure Mastodon fans will think, āWhat the hell is this?ā But Iāve heard some people compare it old Pink Floyd, with the prog-y Hammond organs. Crack the Skye was a serious recordāit was a healing process for a lot of people. And thatās not to say The Hunter isnāt going to cure some ills, too, but we wanted to do a party record that was fun to makeāand hopefully fun for fans to crank up and jam with some friends.
Kelliher barres his 1980 Gibson Explorer at a June 2011 Netherlands gig. Photo by Cindy Frey
Whatās your favorite part of the new album?
Kelliher: Iād have to say the middle of āAll the Heavy Lifting,ā where thereās all this craziness between my guitar parts and Brannās drumming. It was a spontaneous riff that I wrote while we were putting the song together, and I kind of just made it by the seat of my pants with all this creative energy swirling and pressure mounting.
Hinds: The guitar-and-drum solo part in āThe Hunterāāwhere Brann and me play off each otherāit screams āCheck this out!ā When you hear me and Brann bounce off each other in those moments where he takes the lead with some fills and Iām sustaining, and then I take over againāitās a really cool thing to be in a band where you have that romantic cadence between the different instruments. Iām not sure if Deep Purple was one of the first bands to have a drum solo and a guitar solo going at the same time, but I like how it turned out a lot.
āBedazzled Fingernailsā has some pretty mind-boggling stuff going on with the timing and the riffs. How did that song develop?
Hinds: Youāre, like, the third person thatās interviewed me that has asked about that songā thatās a great sign. That has been a riff Iāve been playing around with for a long time, but it never really worked in anything else until The Hunter sessions.
Those syncopated riffs sound pretty difficult to play.
Hinds: Thatās the whole pointāit sounds difficult, but that doesnāt mean it is difficult. Guitar playing is like being a magicianāyou try to do more with less and work smarter, not harder. Iāve played with hybrid-style pickingāusing a pick along with my middle, ring, and pinky fingersāforever, because I learned on the banjo first. But on this song I donāt really use a pick that much, Iām just using my open fingers with hammer-ons and pull-offs to get that confusing, high-speed riff illusion.
The main riff in āThe Octopus Has No Friendsā sounds pretty brutal, too.
Hinds: Thatās just how I play guitar. That type of hybrid picking will always be a big part of my playingāwhether itās in Mastodon or my side bands. For āOctopus,ā I just wanted to make things sound as crazyālike raindropsāand chorus-y as possible, so I really worked it up to speed on my 9-string First Act, because it creates those natural chorus sounds that even the best pedal canāt make.
Did you use your 9- and 12-string First Act guitars on other songs?
Hinds: Theyāre probably featured on nine of the 14 songs. I love playing big, open chords on them, and then also layering jangly parts when picking the strings really fast. The octave strings create this ringing, atonal chorus effect unmatched by any chorus pedal. A 6-string and a pedal sounds stale in comparison. Kelliher: I didnāt really use those at all on this album. They offered those ringing dynamics and overtones we were looking for on Crack the Skye, but that wasnāt something I strived for on The Hunter.
What was your go-to guitar for these sessions?
Hinds: My Mastodon guitar would have to be the Electrical Guitar Company acrylic V that Kevin Burkett built me a few years ago. Iāve always loved Gibson Flying Vs, and my friends King Buzzo [the Melvins] and Laura Pleasants [Kylesa] had theses killer aluminum-body-and-neck guitars from Electrical Guitar Company. So I talked to Kevin and had him make one of his V models for me. Itās a little heavy stillāthatās something weāll continue to work onābut it sounds great and is unique, as far as looks and toneāespecially its sustain.
Left to right: Hinds, Kelliher, and bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders onstage in the Netherlands. Photo by Cindy Frey
Sustain is a big deal to you, isnāt it?
Hinds: Sustain is one of the most important things to me when it comes to tone and my setup. I like it so much, if I had a kid, Iād name it Sustain [laughs]. But honestly, I love sustain because itās ghostly. It has weird textures, majestic energy, and spooky overtones that add so much depth and soul to your playingāitās an organic interaction between you, the guitar, and the amp. I live for those overdriven vibrations and emotions.
Bill, other than that Yamaha you mentioned, what guitars did you use for The Hunter?
Kelliher: My main guitar is a ā74 Gibson Les Paul Custom 20th Anniversary tobacco burst that I recently had refretted and set up with all new hardware and volume and tone pots by the Gibson USA Custom Shop. They put in their killer ā57 Classic humbuckers, too. I also got turned on to a Fender Jim Root Telecaster that Jim gave me. It has EMG 81 and 60 pickups, but it still has the Telecaster twang to itāespecially when you play close to the bridge. I was surprised. I used that on the intro to āAll the Heavy Liftingāā where it has all those high notesāand then again on āBlack Tongue,ā where Brannās double-bass part goes, I added some high notes into the mix with it, too.
What about amps?
Kelliher: I used my old, 2-channel Marshall JCM800s, because I always find myself going back to those amps for my tone. I really like the punch they offer and how I can cut through and be heard between Brannās crazy drumming, Brentās riffs, and Troyās bass lines. I used my 100-watt Marshall Kerry King JCM800 for layering and a few other parts, but the main parts were recorded with the old JCM800s. All my amps went through this beat up Marshall 1960B 4x12 loaded with 20-watt Celestions. I love trying new gear all the time, but I always seem to come back to the Marshalls.
Hinds: I used a lot of amps for The Hunterāa Diezel VH4, an Orange Rockerverb 50, a Marshall 100-watt JMP Mark II Lead Series head, and an ā80s JCM800ābut the one I used the most was a ā70 Fender silverface Princeton Reverb. No matter what guitar I used with that Princeton, it sounded and performed the bestāespecially for my single-note runs and clean, textural parts. For the heavier, chunky riffs and distorted solos, I used the big monster heads. Iām old-school like that.
Tell us about the cool, slow warble effect you get with your wah on āDry Bone Valley.ā
Hinds: To be considered a bona fide guitarist, you need to record one wah song. Iām starting to get pretty fond of itāI might start wearing bell-bottoms [laughs]. That slow sweep combined with some serious hammer-ons at the beginning are my favoriteāitās like a helicopter swooping down to capture swimmers in Niagara Falls. Jerry Cantrell got me one of his signature Jim Dunlop Crybaby wahs, and I figured āDry Bone Valleyā has the perfect swaggering, galloping vibe to the chorus and verses that leads right up to the wah solo perfectly.
Did either of you use any other effects on the album?
Kelliher: Probably the only effect I used was my original Ibanez Tube King, for when I really want to take it over the top and soar.
Hinds: I have an old Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, a Visual Sound Route 66 overdrive, a Boss RE-20 Space Echo, a Boss DD-6 Digital Delay, a Custom Audio Electronics Boost/Overdrive, a Morpheus DropTune, and a personal favorite is the Monster Effects Mastortion, which my friend John Spears built for me. Itās basically a TS808 Tube Screamer clone with more volume and low-end power.
Mastodonās guitar sound has evolved over the years from a fast, sludgy barrage to a more melodic and subdued aggression. What do you attribute that to?
Hinds: We used keyboards all over Crack the Skye, and again with The Hunter. Keyboards and organs add another dimension that canāt be achieved with anything else. They give us this old-school, classic-rock vibe that we really want to be a part of the band. Iām sure some metal fans laugh at the organ and its spot in Mastodon, but itās a badass instrument.
I love playing fast and heavy like we did on Call of the Mastodon and Remission, and weāll always have that metal feelābecause we all love itā but adding the melodies and harmonies, and diversifying our sound all the way up to Crack the Skye has made us a better band. The band we became during those sessions was where I saw us going years ago, but we had to experiment and find it ourselves instead of forcing the issue. And with The Hunter, it was about incorporating all the elements from our previous records and our collective and individual influences, and bringing it together for a fun, good-time, party record. The Hunter represents Mastodonās full body of work.
Hindsā guitars (left to right): First Act 12-/6-string doubleneck, First Act Lola 12-string, Gibson SG, Gibson Flying V, and Electrical Guitar Company signature V. Photo by Chris Kies
Brent Hindsā Gearbox
Guitars
Electrical Guitar Company Brent Hinds Custom, First Act Custom Shop Lola 9-string, First Act Custom Shop Lola 12-string, Gibson SG, Gibson Flying V, Gibson LP-295 Goldtop Les Paul
Amps
Orange Rockerverb 50, Diezel VH4, ā80s Marshall JCM800, ā76 Marshall 100-watt JMP Mark II Lead Series, ā70 Fender Princeton Reverb, Marshall 4x12 with 75-watt Celestions, Orange 4x12, Diezel 4x12
Effects
Monster Effects Mastortion, Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, Visual Sound Route 66, Boss RE-20 Space Echo, Boss DD-6 Digital Delay, Custom Audio Electronics Boost/Overdrive, Boss GE-7 Equalizer, Morpheus DropTune, Jim Dunlop JC95 Jerry Cantrell Signature Wah
Strings and Picks
DāAddario EXL110s, DāAddario EXL116s (for D, dropped-D, and dropped-C tunings), Dunlop Ultex 1.0 mm picks
Kelliherās guitars (left to right): Two Les Paul Customs, an EMG-equipped Gibson Explorer, two yamaha SBG2000s, a First Act Lola 9-string, another Les Paul Custom, and another Explorer. Photo by Chris Kies
Bill Kelliherās Gearbox
Guitars
1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom 20th Anniversary, Fender Jim Root Signature Telecaster, two Yamaha SBG2000s, Gibson Les Paul Custom, ā82 Gibson Les Paul Custom, 1980 Gibson Explorer, Gibson Explorer with EMGs
Amps
Effects
Ibanez Tube King Overdrive
Strings and Picks
DāAddario EXL140s, Jim Dunlop Custom Bill Kelliher Tortex Sharp .88mm picks
YouTube It...
Kelliher and Hinds tear it up on one of Mastodonās heaviest Remission-era songs at the 2005 With Full Force Festival in Germany.
This 2006 performance of Leviathanās 13-minute opus in Nottingham, England, opens with broodingly overdriven guitars and slowly builds to a tidal wave of epic metal.
This video from a 2009 Chicago gig shows Kelliher playing his custom First Act 9-string and Hinds playing his custom First Act 12-string on āGhost of Kareliaā from Crack the Skye.
The Melvins' Buzz Osborne joins the party to talk about how he helped Kurt Cobain find the right sounds.
Growing up in the small town of Montesano, Washington, Kurt Cobain turned to his older pal Buzz Osborne for musical direction. So on this episode, weāre talking with the Melvins leader about their friendship, from taking Cobain to see Black Flag in ā84 to their shared guitar journey and how they both thought about gear. And in case youāve heard otherwise, Kurt was never a Melvins roadie!
Osborneās latest project is Thunderball from Melvins 1983, something of a side trajectory for the band, which harkens back to this time in Osborneās life. We dig into that and how it all relates and much more.
Tube Amp Doctor has reissued one of the companyās mostsought-after products: the TAD 6L6WGC-STR Blackplate⢠small bottle power tube is back inproduction after a 5-year absence.
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Our columnistās collection of moon spruce, ready for inspectionāwith a view.
As players get older, our instrument needs change. Our columnist shares how he designed an acoustic adapted to arthritis.
For many acoustic guitarists, playing the instrument is one of lifeās greatest joys. As a luthier, Iāve seen firsthand how deeply musicians cherish their guitars, something they look forward to playing not just weekly, but daily. As any guitarist knows, some guitars simply feel different. While some are more rigid and require extra effort to play, others feel smooth and effortless. With this in mind, as our playing needs evolve, so too may the instruments we choose to accompany us.
My clientele is diverse, ranging from musicians in their 20s to those well into their 70s and 80s. One common challenge I have observed is that as players reach their 50s, many begin experiencing arthritis, which can hinder their ability to play comfortably. There are several techniques luthiers use to improve playability, such as lowering the action or opting for a shorter scale length; for instance, switching from a Martin 25.4" scale to a Gibson 24.750" scale. But, over the years, I began considering whether it would be possible to design a guitar specifically for players with arthritis, allowing them to continue playing with less strain on their hands, shoulders, and overall body.
My guitars are already designed to be exceptionally easy to play. They are not built for aggressive strumming or rugged outdoor use, though I can accommodate various styles. Recently, I took this concept a step further for a customer, creating an instrument with a smaller neck. Moving away from the traditional 1.750" nut width, I refined it to a slender 1.675". The string spacing at the bridge was adjusted to 2 3/16" instead of the wider 2 1/4" spacing used primarily for fingerstyle playing. Additionally, I incorporated a 25" scale length for a lower string tension at full pitch.
Combined with a 13-frets-to-the-body design, these adjustments made the guitar feel significantly smaller and more comfortable in the playerās hands. To enhance comfort further, I used an orchestra-class instrument, and added both an arm and belly bevel, reducing strain on the playerās shoulders. Even though I chose an OM for this build, an auditorium-class design would work well, too.
However, the most crucial aspect of this instrument was the top, which serves as its engine. I selected a piece of moon spruce, personally sourced in Switzerland in August of last year. This type of spruce is lightweight and highly responsive. More importantly, when voiced and tuned correctly, it requires minimal effort to produce sound and it has a higher level of admittance.
āAny movement on the strings, whether by the picking hand or the fretting hand, requires significantly less effort than on a traditional guitar.ā
Admittance is a crucial factor when evaluating any musical instrument, whether one you are building or considering for purchase. In guitars and tonewoods, admittance is the amount of sound that can be produced with a standard level of effort. If a piece of wood has a high level of damping, it will not produce sound efficiently when built into a guitar, resulting in an instrument that is less enjoyable to play. Conversely, if the wood exhibits an extremely low level of damping, the guitar may feel responsive and lively, but this does not necessarily indicate a well-balanced instrument. Damping must be carefully controlled, particularly in the soundboard, to achieve an ideal balance. A properly voiced guitar should provide excellent responsiveness, a full and resonant sound, and treble frequencies that are rich and warm rather than thin or overly sharp. Thus, when discussing these aspects of guitar construction and tonewood selection, the key term to remember is admittance. For this build I was looking for high admittance while retaining a deep, well-balanced tone.
For the player, this means that even with standard tuning at A440 and regardless of whether they choose light or medium strings, though light gauge is preferable, the guitar remains incredibly soft to play. Any movement on the strings, whether by the picking hand or the fretting hand, requires significantly less effort than on a traditional guitar. This is due to the topās high flexibility and responsiveness, allowing for a soft touch while maintaining a respectable level of volume.
For those dealing with arthritis or other hand-related challenges, selecting a softer-playing guitar is essential. Shorter scale lengths can be beneficial, but having an instrument custom-built by a luthier who understands these considerations can make a significant difference. For my customers facing these issues, my goal is to ensure they can continue playing for as long as possible. I recognize how important the guitar is to their lives, and I want to help them keep playing without unnecessary discomfort. If you are experiencing difficulties, there are options available, and solutions worth exploring.
In challenging times, sometimes elemental music, like the late Jessie Mae Hemphillās raucous Mississippi hill country blues, is the best salve. It reminds us of whatās truly essentialāāmusically, culturally, and emotionally. And provides a restorative and safe place, where we can open up, listen, and experience without judgement. And smile.
Iāve been prowling the backroads, juke joints, urban canyons, and VFW halls for more than 40 years, in search of the rawest, most powerful and authentic American music. And among the many things Iāve learned is that whatās more interesting than the music itself is the people who make it.
One of the most interesting people Iāve met is the late Jessie Mae Hemphill. By the time my wife, Laurie Hoffma, and I met Jessie Mae, on a visit to her trailer in Senatobia, Mississippi, sheād had a stroke and retired from performing, but weād been fortunate to see her years before at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival, where she brought a blues style that was like quiet thunder, rumbling with portent and joy and ache, and all the other stuff that makes us human, sung to her own droning, rocking accompaniment on an old Gibson ES-120T.
To say she was from a musical family is an understatement. Her grandfather, Sid, was twice recorded by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress. While Sid played fiddle, banjo, guitar, harmonica, keyboards, and more, he was best known as the leader of a fife-and-drum band that made music that spilled directly from Africaās main artery. Sid was Jessie Maeās teacher, and she learned well. In fact, you can see her leading her own fife-and-drum group in Robert Muggeās wonderful documentary Deep Blues(with the late musician and journalist Robert Palmer as on-screen narrator), where she also performs a mournful-but-hypnotic song about betrayalāsolo, on guitarāin Junior Kimbroughās juke joint.
That movie, a 1982 episode of Mr. Rogersā Neighborhood (on YouTube) where she appears as part of Othar Turnerās Gravel Springs fife-and-drum band, and worldwide festival appearances are as close as Jessie Mae ever got to fame, although that was enough to make her important and influential to Bonnie Raitt, Cat Power, and others. And she made two exceptional albums during her lifetime: 1981ās She-Wolf and 1990ās Feelinā Good. If youāre unfamiliar with North Mississippi blues, their sound will be a revelation. The style, as Jessie Mae essayed it, is a droning, hypnotic joy that bumps along like a freight train full of happily rattling box cars populated by carefree hobos. Often the songs ride on one chord, but that chord is the only one thatās needed to put the musicās joy and conviction across. Feelinā Good, in particular, is essential Jessie Mae. Even the songs about heartbreak, like āGo Back To Your Used To Beā and āShame on You,ā have a propulsion dappled with little bends and other 6-string inflections that wrap the listener in a hypnotic web. Listening to Feelinā Good, itās easy to disappear in the music and to have all your troubles vanish as wellāfor at least as long as its 14 songs last.āShe made it clear that she had a gunāa .44 with a pearl handle that took up the entire length of her handbag.ā
The challenge Iāve long issued to people unfamiliar with Jessie Maeās music is: āListen to Feelinā Good and then tell me if youāre not feeling happier, more cheerful, and relaxed.ā It truly does, as the old clichĆ© would have it, make your backbone slip and your troubles along with it. Especially uptempo songs like the scrappy title track and the charging āStreamline Train.ā Thereās also an appealing live 1984 performance of the latter on YouTube, with Jessie Mae decked out in leopard-print pants and vest, playing a tambourine wedged onto her left high-heel shoeāāone of her stylish signatures.
Jessie Mae was a complex person, caught between the old-school dilemma of playing āthe Devilās musicā and yearning for a spiritual life, sweet as pecan pie with extra molasses but quick to turn mean at any perceived slight. She also spent much of her later years in poverty, in a small trailer with a hole in the floor where mice and other critters got in. And she was as mistrustful of strangers as she was warm once she accepted you into her heart. But watch your step before she did. On our first visit to her home, she made it clear that she had a gunāa .44 with a pearl handle that took up the entire length of her handbag and would make Dirty Harry envious.
Happily, she took us into her heart and we took her into ours, helping as much as we could and talking often. She was inspiring, and I wrote a song about her, and even got to perform it for her in her trailer, which was just a little terrifying, since I knew she would not hold back her criticism if she didn't like it. Instead, she giggled like a kid and blushed, and asked if Iād write one more verse about the artifacts sheād gathered while touring around the world.
Jessie Mae died in 2006, at age 82, and, as happens when every great folk artist dies, we lost many songs and stories, and the wisdom of her experience. But you can still get a whiff of all thatāāif you listen to Feelinā Good.