Jerry Ricks Live And In The Studio

 Acoustic bluesman and world traveler, Philadelphia Jerry Ricks rolled into the Twelve Corners Coffeehouse on January 13th.

 Ricks was surrounded by music at an early age from his family and as a youngster met such legendary musicians as Lonnie Johnson and Elmer Snowden who were then living in Philadelphia. It was Rick's involvement in local clubs like the Presidium and Second Fret in the 60's that he met and befriended a slew of legendary bluesman. Ricks became close to legends like Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, Son House, Rev. Gary Davis, and Brownie McGhee among others.

 Listening to Ricks it's clear he not only listened intently but absorbed the music so that it became a part of him. On stage Ricks talked about all the blues ghosts that were on stage with him. Ricks was relaxed an easygoing as he played and told stories as if he was on someone's back porch. The music of his old friends flowed through on songs like John Hurt's "Avalon", Furry Lewis' "I Will Turn Your Money Green", Big Bill Broonzy's "Hey Hey", traditional tunes like "Trouble In Mind" and lesser known songs like Richard "Rabbit" Brown's "James Alley Blues." There was also some fine originals including "Missouri River Blues" and "County Farm."

 Jerry was also kind enough to stop down to the studio the next day to talk and play a few songs. It was great to talk to Jerry as not only does he have a great recall of events but he's also very articulate and speaks eloquently about blues history and particularly his mentors. Among his early mentors he talked most affectionately about Mississippi John Hurt. Talking about him obviously brought back some good memories and Jerry launched into a couple of Hurt numbers including "Frankie" and "Louis Collins" which he said was one of Hurt's favorite tunes. Other tunes played included "Hey Hey" and "Trouble In Mind."

 I've had the chance to talk to Jerry on a couple of occasions and I never walk away without learning something new about the blues. Whether the topic is on racial issues, guitar techniques or the blues/folk boom, Jerry is never at a loss to offer his opinion and first hand experience. If Philadelphia Jerry Ricks rolls through your town make sure to catch him- you won't be disappointed.

[Listen to the Jerry Ricks interview by going to our archived blues shows and selecting the 1/14/01 show]