- By Bill Harriman
Back in 1991, two former record retailers named Jerry Gordon and Howard Rosen started the Evidence Music label. Their goal was to help make available jazz and blues classics that were either out of print, available only as imports, or simply not available on compact disc. The label was an immediate hit with the blues and jazz buying public because their releases came with extensive liner notes and were always priced a few bucks less than the other labels.
The first blues disc released by the people at Evidence was a recording by Lonnie Brooks called "Sweet Home Chicago." The recording was part of a Chicago blues festival tour of Europe back in 1975. This was a time when many American blues artists went to Europe (especially France) to tour and record because there wasn’t much happening for them here in the states. "Sweet Home Chicago," like many of the early Evidence releases, was previously issued on France’s Black and Blue record label.
After "Sweet Home Chicago" Evidence released material by such blues greats as Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, John Lee Hooker, Koko Taylor, Eddy Clearwater, J.B. Hutto, Pinetop Perkins, Otis Rush, Luther Allison, and many, many others. At the same time, a slew of jazz discs were also being released. Then in 1995 things actually changed for the better with Evidence when they came out with a CD by Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band. This disc was not a reissue. This was a brand new recording. Evidence was now in the business of signing new artists and releasing new material. Later that year Jerry Gordon was asking friends in Chicago their opinion on who was the best blues artist not already signed to a label. The majority concensus was Carl Weathersby.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi on February 24, 1953, Carl and his family moved to East Chicago, Indiana when he was eight years old. Growing up he enjoyed both city and country living by going to school up north and spending summers down south. Carl, who was born into a musical family, starting playing drums at a young age but switched to guitar when he noticed that girls pay more attention to guitar players.
The major musical influence of Carl's life was the great Albert King. Carl's father was a close friend of Albert. But Carl thought that Albert was a mechanic friend of his dad. He didn't know that he was the legendary guitar player. In fact, there's a funny story about Carl trying to learn King's version of "Crosscut Saw" note for note. Little did he know that as he practiced, Albert King was standing there in his living room watching him do it. That was when Carl found out who dad/s friend Albert really was.
Today there are striking similarities between Carl Weathersby and Albert King both physically and musically. Carl's recordings have King’s influence all over them. "I always do an Albert King song when I record," said Carl during a recent phone interview. "I get compared cause I bend the strings like him. You know, you work the strings and you're gonna get compared to Albert because he did a lot more torture on the strings than anybody else as far as I'm concerned. I don’t mind being compared to him because that lets me know that I’m better than a rookie. Seriously though, if you can make people think about Albert King or B.B. King or some of those guys while you’re playing, that’s a compliment."
In 1979 Carl was the second guitar player in the Albert King band. He stayed there on and off for about three years before he joined harpist Billy Branch’s band – The Sons Of Blues. Carl was the lead guitarist for this band for fourteen years and it was during this time that he matured into the high caliber contemporary bluesman you see today.
As good as the S.O.B.’s were, it was always Billy Branch’s band. He was the one who called the shots and controlled the musical direction. So when Evidence Music came calling in 1995, Carl was more than ready to strike out on his own. "With the Sons Of Blues, I didn’t really have a lot to say about what happened. But when I went to Evidence everything came through me," said Carl. "I had the last say. I could do what I actually wanted to do. Some of the stuff that I did on the Evidence records, The Sons Of Blues wouldn’t have been able to perform those songs. My drummer is a little better, my bass player is a little better. The S.O.B. personal couldn’t perform my new type of music. So now I got musicians that I want. Now my style and personality in a particular song will come out because my band will play it the way I want with no questions asked."
In 1996 Evidence released "Don’t Lay Your Blues On Me" to widespread acclaim. The Living Blues magazine critics awards nominated it for best new blues album (contemporary), best blues album (all types), and best debut album. The Handy Awards nominated Carl as best new artist.
The next year saw the release of "Looking Out My Window." With its topical lyrics and fiery guitar work, this disc was selected by Sound Waves magazine as the best blues recording of 1997. Carl was asked about this record and the ever evolving blues scene. "Ain’t nobody in the world can play that stuff like Muddy and them played it," said Carl emphatically. "And Muddy was different from Son House and those guys before him, so it’s gonna have to change. The situation of living changes. Nobody picks cotton anymore. I don’t know but I don’t hear about people going to Louisiana and getting mojo hands and all that stuff. There’s just different things happening now. And music has got to keep up with that. It’s hard enough to hear blues now on the radio. If we don’t change what we’re singing about or the way it’s presented, it’s gonna disappear all together."
In 1998 "Restless Feeling," Carl’s third record in three years, was issued. By now the blues public was turned on to Carl Weathersby. He was a hit at all the major festivals around the country along with all the juke joints and nightclubs in between. His sound started to incorporate funk, rock, and even reggae influences. He was now considered to be in the top echelon of bluesmen.
Joining Carl on "Restless Feeling" were veteran musicians Steve Potts on drums, Dave Smith on bass, and Rico McFarland on electric and acoustic guitar. "Steve is a great drummer," said Carl. "Believe it or not he’s a regular member of Wynona Judd’s band. I’ve known Rico for a while, he’s related to my wife. I asked him if he’d play the CD and he said ‘hell yeah, I’ll play with you.’ All those guys, ten minutes after they hear something for the first time, it would be a record – and a decent one too. They can pick it up fast, they’re quick."
In May Evidence is scheduled to release Carl’s fourth solo record which is tentitively titled "Come To Papa." Smith, Potts, and McFarland will all be back with Carl along with the Memphis Horns and the extraordinary Lucky Peterson. All the ingrediants are in place for a truly great blues record. So does Carl think this new one will be his best record ever? "Right now I do but I haven’t heard the final mix," he said.
"But I do think that this is the best effort from me as far as material and the grooves that we found." One song that will be on the disc, according to Carl, is the Albert King classic "Raining In California." Other than that, mum’s the word.
At this year’s Handy Awards, Carl has been nominated in the blues instrumentalists – guitar category. The other nominees are Deborah Coleman, Anson Funderburgh, Big Jack Johnson, Duke Robillard, Kid Ramos, and Joe Louis Walker. (Guess who I voted for?) Carl has also signed up with Intrepid Artists, a prestigious booking agency out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Log on to www.intrepidartists.com for more information on Carl and various other blues musicians. So with the perfect record label in Evidence Music and a great team of musicians backing him, look for Carl Weathersby to become perhaps the most influencial and important bluesman of this new decade.