Blues On Stage - Studebaker John

Studebaker John
@ Famous Dave's BBQ & Blues, March 12, 1998

Studebaker John
Famous Dave's, 3/12/98
Photo © 1998 by Tom Asp
All rights reserved

Born in Chicago in 1952 John Grimaldi discovered the blues back in the 60’s. Back then "most of the popular music that I listened to was real close to blues anyway. It was real bluesy and R&B stuff. I can remember when ‘Scratch My Back’ was a major hit on AM radio. I just picked it up from there and also from going down to Maxwell Street and seeing it played live – that was a big catalyst for me. I saw Hound Dog Taylor, Big Walter Horton, all those guys." He first started playing harmonica at home and quickly picked up on the styles of Big Walter Horton, James Cotton, George Smith, Sonny Boy Williamson and Little Walter. He plays harmonica in that classic Chicago tradition with a full throated sound and rich tone.

It’s not often you find someone who can competently play both harmonica and slide guitar as he can. He said he just loved the sound of the slide guitar he heard down on Maxwell Street. "Hound Dog Taylor was where I started on Slide. Then there was Elmore James & JB Hutto, those three were my main influences. From there I developed and listened to others, but my sound is based off of Hound Dog." Studebaker John plays a gritty sounding slide guitar that is certainly carrying on the grand tradition of those wild Chicago slide players.

Studebaker John
Photo © 1998 by Ray Stiles
All rights reserved

Studebaker John
Photo © 1998 by Ray Stiles
All rights reserved

In his performance at Famous Dave’s he started off playing a mean slide guitar in his somewhat low key and unassuming manner. He is constantly walking back and forth on the stage and was out in the audience a number of times throughout the evening. He switched to harmonica half way through the first set and was back out in the audience again playing to the receptive crowd. On the song "My Way or the Highway" he also played a very confident sounding chromatic harmonica. Studebaker John as several CD’s out on Blind Pig records including his most recent release "Time Will Tell." If you like the more traditional sounding harmonica and a Hound Dog Taylor style of slide guitar you will enjoy Studebaker John’s music.

E-mail Ray Stiles at: mnblues@aol.com

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Copyright © 1998 by Ray M. Stiles
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.