Local Spins spotlights the West Michigan bassist and singer, as well as debuting tracks by Third Coast Swing, Hannah Laine, Squatch, Hannah Rae, Nathan Kalish and more.
‘True Freedom’ and Embracing a Lifetime of the Blues: Asamu Johnson & The Associates of the Blues. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
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Asamu Johnson hasn’t let anything stop his pursuit of the blues.
A military veteran who taught himself how to play bass guitar in the 1970s after returning from the Vietnam War, Johnson said he once was fired from a blues band after an erroneous beef about his singing during a bar performance.
“I went home and I said, ‘I know I can sing just as good as this guy,’ ” he recalled of the incident some four decades ago. “So, I started my own blues band and haven’t looked back since.”
Indeed, Grand Rapids’ Asamu Johnson & The Associates of the Blues have not only established themselves as a mainstay of the region’s blues scene, but they continue to record new original material based on Johnson’s personal experiences and life’s observations.
Proud of His Band: Johnson and his ‘Associates.’ (Courtesy Photo)
And they’ve overcome major obstacles to complete their latest album, “True Freedom,” recorded at River City Studios in Grand Rapids.
Johnson, 74, was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year and continues to recover from his treatments. Keyboardist and singer Adam “Daddy Mack” McMillan also was hospitalized after undergoing surgery recently, and despite the setbacks, the band completed work on the new album about a month ago.
“We went in there (the recording studio) and my fellas put this together perfectly,” Johnson said. “I’m proud of them, each and every one of them.”
The band – Johnson, McMillan, rhythm guitarist Curtis CC Woods, lead guitarist Melvin Clark and drummer Thion Charity – has performed at venues and festivals across the United States, as well as regularly lighting up Michigan venues. Their next stop: Bohm Theater in Albion at 7 p.m. Dec. 2. Details here.
Their latest recording venture and songs were inspired, in part, by Johnson’s intriguing genealogical research via Ancestry.com – not only did he locate and eventually meet a son born of a liaison in Vietnam decades before, but he also tracked his ancestry to the Bamileke tribe in Cameroon, Africa.
The reunion with a long-lost son adopted by a French family even sparked a PBS documentary (scroll down to watch the “UMOJA” video below), while the information about his African ancestors formed the basis for the song, “Bamileke,” on the new album.
“I could see the tendencies from the people in the tribe in me. So, I wrote a song about that,” he said.
More Music and Touring Ahead: The blues band. (Courtesy Photo)
Those personal touches have always propelled Johnson’s music, with the bassist sharing the tales behind his songs with audiences during concerts.
“It is a drive within me. I never wanted to be one that would just copy everybody else’s music and be a cover band or whatever,” he said of his 50-year career. “I’ve always wanted to do something inside of me.”
Inspired by the likes of blues greats John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters, Johnson describes his music as “a blend of old-time blues and funk,” performed by a band that’s “home grown and overlooked. We are true artists of our own music, and share our music and love to everyone.”
And despite various setbacks over the years, Johnson doesn’t intend to hang it up anytime soon, with plans for festival appearances and touring in 2025.
“I got more music in me,” he insisted. “My life is wrapped up in this music.”
For this week’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE, Johnson shared two tracks from the new album – “Bamileke” and “Don’t Think About That.” Listen to the songs, the interview and the full radio show below, including new music from Michigan artists Third Coast Swing, Hannah Rae, Hannah Laine, Squatch, FINKEL, Ari B, Cabildo, Nathan Kalish and Harry Dean & The Dusty Boys.
Local Spins on WYCE spotlights music by Michigan artists at 11 a.m. Fridays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (11/22/24)
VIDEO: “UMOJA” (Detroit PBS Documentaries)
PHOTO GALLERY: Asamu Johnson & The Associates of the Blues at Horrock’s Market
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker
