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Mac Arnold |
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“Arnold has a muscular vocal style that knocks me out.” - Jazz Now Magazine “This is old school blues at its finest.”— Blues Revue “One of the best acts of SXSW 2008” |
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There’s nothing quite like hearing the blues played by a musician who not only hails from the south, but was also lucky enough to play alongside some of the genre’s all-time masters. And that’s precisely why Mac Arnold is your main man for some good, old-fashioned, blues-boogie - as evidenced by his recent release, ‘Backbone & Gristle.’ Hailing from Greenvile County, South Carolina, Arnold was bitten by the blues bug at an early age, and by 24, was already playing alongside such blues legends as John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters (and in high school played in a band with friend James Brown). And as evidenced by his latest release, Arnold – who in addition to singing, plays bass and a homemade guitar, made out of a gasoline can (I kid you not!) – has certainly picked up a thing or two from his elders, as it’s vintage-sounding blues from top to bottom. ‘Backbone & Gristle’ is a term Arnold’s father used when the kids complained about going out in the fields to work, and serves as an esoteric term for courage, character, and fortitude. And as evidenced by such standout selections as the title track, “Gitty Up,” and “U Dawg Gone Right,” Arnold has the blues in his blood – specializing in a raw and authentic style that is much-needed amongst all the slick sounds the majority of popular recording artists tend to hide behind nowadays. Not Arnold, no siree – this is the real deal. A jack-of-all-trades, in addition to supplying bass for Hooker and Waters back in the 1960’s, Arnold served with his friend Don Cornelius as the inaugural associate producer for the still-popular TV show, ‘Soul Train,’ in the 1970’s. Arnold never left his bass idle and found time to lay down the groove on the instantly recognizable and infectious theme song to “Sanford & Son.” After spells in Chicago and Los Angeles, Arnold moved home in December, 1990 and put music on the backburner as he took both farming and truck driving jobs to pay the bills. One day, a chance meeting with harmonica/slide guitar/piano player (and Muddy Waters aficionado) Max Hightower, led to talk of getting back into music. Although reluctant at first, the duo set out to assemble a permanent band behind Arnold. Eventually, Arnold was back in business, fronting a band that included Hightower, in addition to guitarist Austin Brashier, bassist Dan Keylon, and drummer Mike Whitt. Doubling at this point as both a musician and water well drilling consultant, Arnold and his new band found the time in 2005 to issue the first-ever CD that featured Arnold as frontman, ‘Nothin’ To Prove.’ By this point, Arnold’s backing band had been christened ‘the Plate Full O’ Blues Band,’ and for good reason - Mac brings loads of organic vegetables (which he harvests himself) to local gigs, so the kitchen could cook them up for the audience. With the flurry of recent activity, Arnold also finds the time to introduce blues music to children in schools, and will soon be the main focus of a yet-to-be-titled documentary, being put together by filmmaker Stan Woodward. With the release of ‘Backbone & Gristle,’ the soon-to-be-released documentary, and the ‘Mac Arnold Cornbread and Collard Greens Blues Festival’ in May, 2008 is shaping up to be one healthy helping of down home, tasty blues. # # # Media: Michael McClune Media & Marketing 310.319.1199 or michael@michaelmcclune.net
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Michael McClune’s |
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