From the sounds coming out of Full Tilt Records 101 and 102, we should all join in and thank Ussery for coming out of retirement, dusting off the Bluesland amps, and setting back up his effect's pedal chain.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Ussery, 54, began playing guitar in the mid-fifties. By the age of 14 and protected by Arizona's right-to-work law, he was jamming in the honkytonks and bars while growing up in the southwest. At age 19, and out of the Army, Ussery moved to Phoenix to play in a pop and R&B band with his older brother Ron, a singer/saxophone player.
The mid-sixties found him noodling with Riley "B.B." King and opening up for John Lee Hooker at the 310 supper club just out of old downtown Seattle, and hanging out with Delaney Bramlett and the Shindog's (who had a very popular TV show called Shindig).
In 1973, Delaney produced Ussery's first solo album, "Ussery," on Mercury Records. It was shortly after the release of this album that the Texas slinger decided to leave the music business, and did so for the better part of 17 years.
He and his guitars returned to the music scene in 1991, and last year's Fifth Annual "Real Blues Award" nominated CD, "Getting' Lucky" and his latest "Cryin' and Screamin" are filled with contemporary original blues and some fine horn playing.
Web: www.johnussery.com
P.O. Box 2364, Georgetown, Texas 78627, (254) 628-8531
This review is copyright © 2000 by Matt Alcott, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved.
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