Cyberpunk guru William Gibson famously noted, “The future is already here – it’s just not very evenly distributed “. The same is true of the past. We are surrounded by words, concepts, and artifacts whose functions have long outlived their original purpose but still survive as part of contemporary life. They enrich the present with their very presence. So whether one is told to “hold your horses”, thinking that gender is binary, or using a CD as a coaster, what once was serves as a type of fossil poetry. They make what once was part of the modern experience.
Which brings one to the blues. It continues to be a popular form of expression and the reason for music festivals, concerts, and recordings. Not long ago, the Grammy Awards expanded from having a single blues category to two: Best Contemporary Blues Album and Best Traditional Blues Album. However, deciding what contemporary vs traditional is requires Solomon’s wisdom. Just ask artists such as Keb Mo’, Taj Mahal, Delbert McClinton, and others who have won or been nominated for both awards under different classifications. Or Jontavious Willis, nominated for a Best Traditional Blues Album in 2020 for Spectacular Class, a record of all original songs.
The 28-year-old Jontavious Willis has a new album that, like Spectacular Class, contains all new songs. The West Georgia native begins by noting his family’s American roots in the early 19th century. He grew up singing with his grandfather in the Baptist church his family helped build in 1903. Willis discovered the blues via YouTube videos of Muddy Waters when Willis was just 14 years old. The connections between gospel and blues have been well-documented, and this performer knows his musical history. West Georgia Blues features an assortment of blues vocals (Piedmont, Delta, and Texas) and guitar (fingerpicking, slide, and resonator) styles.
Willis is more of an entertainer than a purist. He aims to get his audiences moving on cuts such as “Keep Your Worries on the Dance Floor”, tells droll tales that make one smile as on “Squrrelin’ Mama”, and raises one’ spirits on “Lift Is All I Need”. He enthusiastically delivers his messages vocally and instrumentally. Willis’ deep voice adds weight to whatever he’s singing about. He also makes a lot of noise on his guitars, especially on the instrumental final cut (“Jontavious West Georgia Grind”), whose discordancy overwhelms its tunefulness. As with heavy metal (a child of blues ancestry), the clamor stoically conveys the pain.
The Georgia native knows life can be hard. Whether he’s crooning a “Broken Hearted Moan” over a gently strummed acoustic guitar, mourning about death on “Ghost Woman”, or wailing the “Rough Time Blues”, he understands the function of the blues is to share the pain as a way of easing one’s mind. The 15 songs here offer solace by reminding us life has always been tough. The blues are nothing new, even if these songs are. The future promises to be no different. “Who’s Gonna Hear It?” Jontavious Willis asks in the song of that name. His point is that the people who need to hear hard truths never will. This music is for the rest of us.