Johnnie Bassett & The Blues Insurgents

b. 9 October 1934, Marianna, Florida, USA. For many years an unacknowledged talent, Bassett finally emerged from semi-obscurity in 1994 when championed by the drummer and music promoter, R.J. Spangler. Spangler was the midwife to the first line-up of Johnnie Bassett And The Blues Insurgents, (with Spangler on drums, Bill Heid on piano and organ, and Scott Peterson on alto saxophone), the band that would bring Bassett to the prominence he deserved. As a young boy, Bassett played the harmonica and taught himself to play guitar. At school he met other like-minded aspiring musicians with whom he played at local talent contests. He made his professional debut as part of the Detroit, Michigan-based R&B combo, Joe Weaver And Bluenotes, who soon caught the attention of several major artists such as John Lee Hooker and began working with them in local clubs as backing artists. In this informal atmosphere, Bassett rubbed shoulders with the greats and absorbed their artistry. The combo also got regular work with Detroit’s Fortune Records as their studio band. Bassett continued to work steadily as a musician on the lounge circuit, not allowing even national service in the army from 1958-62 to interrupt his career. He moved to Seattle following his service, backing stellar artists such as T.J. Fowler, Eddie Burns, Smokey Robinson And The Miracles and Tina Turner. A young Jimi Hendrix also sought him out for advice. Bassett’s reputation flourished on his return to Detroit, all the way through to the 90s. However, it was only when Bassett and the newly formed Blues Insurgents were featured on a live CD of the Detroit/ Montreux International Jazz Festival that he began to reach an international audience. Bassett’s first studio album I Gave My Life To The Blues was released on the Netherlands label, Black Magic Records. Further albums followed in rapid succession, with Cadillac Blues featuring an especially warm, rich collection of songs. The album featured new additions to the Insurgents, Chris Codish (organ), Keith Kaminski (tenor saxophone), and Dwight Adams (trumpet). Party My Blues Away was the 1999 follow-up. Having won the Detroit Blues Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994, Bassett had waited a long time for recognition. It’s with sly satisfaction that he sings, ‘I still got the blues, but now I’ve got them in my Cadillac.’