Blues Profile
Fruteland Jackson
by Ray Stiles
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1999 KBA Award Winner
Achievement for Blues on the Internet
Presented by the Blues Foundation
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Fruteland Jackson returns again this year to the Blues Boogie Train (he was here in 1997). Born in Sunflower County, Mississippi (June 9, 1953) and raised in Chicago, Fruteland plays traditional, delta-style acoustic blues – with a twist. He describes his music as "baby boomer" blues – it’s music based on the country blues tradition but updated to reflect his experiences and the current times. Even though he has only been performing the blues for the past decade, it has always been a part of his life. His parents played the blues around the house when he was growing up and his uncle, who first taught him to play the guitar, was a blues performer. "The seeds had been planted," he says, so it was no surprise that this is what he is doing now. Fruteland has a rich sounding voice and a relaxed stage presence that makes for an enjoyable performance of traditional style blues. He also is adept at mixing interesting stories about blues history into his performances. Fruteland conducts a lecture/performance series on the history of the blues for colleges and secondary schools around the country and also is very active with the "Blues In The Schools" program, which is exposing the rich blues heritage to a younger generation. In 1997 he won the "Keeping the Blues Alive" Award, presented by the Blues Foundation, for "Blues in Education." His debut CD, "Fruteland Jackson…Is All I Crave," has a mixture of original compositions, traditional delta blues, and popular songs played in the traditional style. Jackson performs on the Blues Boogie Train on Saturday night (10 P.M.).
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