Artist Info
Jerry Forney’s legacy as a midwestern bluesman is a given, his guitar licks have rang out of stereos and smokey bars for decades. Something that has always been slightly underrated about Forney how much country runs in the bluesman’s music.
His latest album “No Exit” shows this country side shining through like with his take on the traditional “Run On(God’s Gonna Shut You Down)” and the twangy “Silver Saddle” where Forney embraces the ways of a cowpoke. His strength is always the still the blues though and how he presents it. The bluesy guitar runs just flow from his amp like on “Mean Mistreater Blues” and obviously “Blues Blues Blues.” No great blues record would be complete without some love for trains too. Forney highlights this on “Old 39” “Train Thru Here” and on what is likely the best song on this collection; “Just To Ride The Blinds.” On this leadoff track Forney glorifies jumping a train so much you’ll start packing a bag so you can try it yourself. It isn’t even all raunchy blues licks, the delivery on “Feather in the Wind” is as delicate as the songs title as he showcases another strength of his arsenal.
Jerry Forney began playing the blues in rural Missouri at the age of fifteen. By
age twenty-one, he was in Nashville working as a side musician (steel guitar/guitar) for
Sun Recording artist Charlie Rich, and a variety of others. While in Nashville, Jerry
helped pioneer the live music scene at "Springwater"_
-the infamous club of legendary
singer/songwriters like Guy Clark, Townes VanZandt, and Mickey Newberry.
"Springwater" is still a fixture in the Nashville-underground singer/songwriter circuit.
In 1987, after several years in Midwest roadhouses, Jerry moved to Austin and,
once again, found himself in high demand with local musicians. After four years in
Austin, he released his first solo album-
"Jerry and the Juke Jiants." (Flying Coyote
BMI, and played the Kerrville Folk Festival. Soon after, to the delight of local
he brought his music back to Northwest Missouri. He now calls St. Joseph home.
Jo Flack of KKFI radio, Kansas City, was quoted as saying, "Jerry
delivers his songs in a delta blues vein with words and guitar riffs that
separate him from all the other songwriter performers."
Jerry is still on a creative roll. Probably, now more than
ever. In Maryville, Missouri, Jerry (with the Jerry Forney Blues Band) is the favorite
among Northwest Missouri State University students- who pack the bars to see him
when he drops into town. Generally, with only a day or so to spread the word). This is
the same Jerry Forney Blues Band that was invited to play the Memphis Bluestock
(1997) featuring 50 of the worlds' best blues bands. He soon (1998) recorded "Fat Dog
Blues" (Flying Coyote Records BMI) a collection of original tunes recorded in pure
blues fashion.
Then Jerry released "Let it Roll..." (Flying Coyote
Records BMI). Listen for yourself--it is a fine album.
At times a forgiving ballad, at
times pure blues groove,
"Let It Roll..." belong in any music lovers' collection. It is an
album that proves some of the best musicians in America lie someplace off the interstates
and radios-
-and also proves the crooked, sorry state of most commercial radio today
(KKFI excluded!).
A tight, telepathic,
three-piece that does not dissapoint.
-jdvinzant