The Mississippi-bred bluesman who was mentored by Buddy Guy and plays The Intersection’s Elevation on Oct. 16 talks about the ‘culture and spirit of the blues’ in an interview with writer Bill Forman.
Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram: Singing about the ‘Hard Road’ and now making his way to Grand Rapids. (Photo/Jen Rosenstein)
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On the surface, Clarksdale, Miss., may look like other towns down in the Delta. But for Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, who Buddy Guy has called “the next explosion of the blues,” his hometown is much more than that.
Or as he puts it on the title track of his 2021 sophomore album “662,” referring to the region’s area code: “There’s a sound oozing from the ground, and it cuts right through; You can only find it down here in the 662.”
“The culture and the spirit of the blues is still alive here,” said the 27-year-old bluesman, who is considered one of the genre’s most important new voices. “We still have artists here that were taught by the OGs who are gone now, and they’re still keeping that true blues sound alive.”
For Ingram, that spirit isn’t limited to the realm of music. “I wanted to showcase that there’s more that represents the blues than just the music,” he said in a recent interview. “I want to showcase the people that come out and sit on their porch and talk loud and drink, the people that’re going to work, the churches and the preachers in the communities, the overall citizens.”
Ingram brings his “Hard Road Tour” to The Intersection’s Elevation in Grand Rapids on Oct. 16. Advance tickets, $41.90, available online here, with a meet-and-greet package for $155.15.
The Grand Rapids concert coincides precisely with the Oct. 16 release of an extended edition of his third studio album, “Hard Road,” featuring four additional tracks. It’s the first release on his own label, Red Zero Records, with the name paying homage to Red’s Lounge and the Ground Zero Blues Club — two hometown venues that played key roles in Ingram’s early musical career.
Ingram co-founded the label with his longtime manager Ric Whitney, with the goal of maintaining musical and career autonomy, giving other deserving artists a shot at success, and building upon the “cornerstone of American music” to explore related genres like soul, rock ‘n’ roll, R&B and roots music.
There were already signs of that diversification on Ingram’s earlier albums. While still capturing the sound and spirit of his chosen genre, songs like “Another Life Goes By” and “You’re Already Gone” (both from Ingram’s Grammy Award-winning 2021 album, “662”) stray from traditional blues arrangements with programmed drum machine tracks.
Ingram: Playing The Pyramid Scheme in 2020. (Photo/Katy Batdorff)
“Hard Road” is being touted as furthering Ingram’s stylistic explorations, not just of blues, but soul, R&B, rock and funk. The latter influence can be heard on the song “Bad Like Me,” while “Voodoo Charm” pairs a sweet groove with stinging guitar. The R&B and soul influence is especially pronounced on the sleek ballad “Nothin’ But Your Love.” And Ingram likes the idea of embracing some of today’s technology to put a modern note on his sound.
“I’ve always felt like one of the ways that you can attract a younger audience is to use some of the tools that they use just to draw them in,” said Ingram, who describes hip hop as “the blues’ great grandchild.”
“It’s all black music, and it comes from African American culture,” he said. “The same way Muddy Waters or Robert Johnson were telling their story, Snoop (Dogg) and Tupac and Dr. Dre were telling their story the same way. They weren’t in the cotton fields with an old guitar, but they were in the streets telling that story. And the things that they were rapping about — the turmoil and the hood, crooked policemen, the corrupt justice system — all of that plays into what the blues is.”
Ingram began his journey into the blues at age 8, when he started taking lessons at the Clarksdale Delta Blues Museum, where he learned how to play drums and then moved on to bass and finally, guitar. One of his mentors, Bill “Howl-N-Madd” Perry, gave Ingram the nickname “Kingfish,” a character from the old “Amos and Andy” sitcom.
The name took some getting used to.
“I definitely didn’t like it,” he recalled. “I was young, so I didn’t really get the reference. I didn’t think it was cool. But once people start calling me the name, it’s definitely become a part of my identity.”
By that point, the 12-year-old bassist was already getting hired by different bands in the city. Once he connected with Guy, the die was cast.
“Buddy Guy was one of my biggest influences when it came to modern blues guitar,” Ingram said of the blues legend. “I’d gotten a chance to sit in with him a couple of times, and from those two times it developed a relationship. He was the financial backing for my first record.”
At age 20, Ingram went out on the road as an opening act for Guy.
“I lost count of how many shows I’ve played with him,” Ingram said. “I’ve been with him overseas. We’ve been to India, Australia together. He’s really been a part of my journey.”
Meanwhile, Ingram’s albums stand apart from a lot of young blues players, who tend to place guitar showmanship over singing and songcraft.
“When I’m live, I tend to solo more than I sing and play. But as far as recording, it’s all about the song,” he said. “That’s why I kind of restrain the guitar on my records. I serve the song.”
Indeed, his live shows are well known for their dynamic energy, with plenty of solos from Ingram and his bandmates. There’s also the “Kingfish Walkabout,” a crowd-pleasing routine in which he creates a direct connection to fans by walking through the audience while playing guitar.
It’s a trick he picked up from Guy, who was himself following in the footsteps of blues and rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Guitar Slim. – By Bill Forman, Last Word Features
VIDEO: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, “Voodoo Charm” (In-Studio)
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