The Soul of John Black is an American alternative

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

, and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

persona created by John Bigham.

History

John Bigham was previously a member of the band

Fishbone Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late ' ...

and also worked with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

and

Everlast Erik Francis Schrody (born August 18, 1969), known by his stage name Everlast, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter, who was the frontman for hip hop group House of Pain. He was also part of the hip hop supergroup La Coka ...

, while Christopher Thomas who was only a member for the first official record as well as the self-released sessions, had played with

Joshua Redman Joshua Redman (born February 1, 1969) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He is the son of jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman (1931–2006). Life and career Joshua Redman was born in Berkeley, California, to jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman ...

and

Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative inter ...

. The first release was a self-titled album which was issued in 2002. A different self-titled release arrived in 2003 on the No Mayo label and featured a blend of

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, and hip hop.

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

named the track "Scandalous (No. 9)" one of the best of the year in ''All Songs Considered''. By the release of the follow-up in 2007, Bigham was recording alone and essentially used the group as his own

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

. The sophomore release, ''The Good Girl Blues'', focused on the

but continued to incorporate elements from

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, hip hop,

rock & roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

, and other styles. A third album, ''Black John'', followed in 2009. The Soul of John Black's ''The Good Girl Blues'' was nominated for the Seventh Annual Independent Music Awards for Blues Album of the year.

Discography

*''The Soul of John Black'' (Self-released, 2002) *''The Soul of John Black'' (No Mayo, 2003) *''The Good Girl Blues'' (Cadabra, 2007) *''The Good Girl Blues'' (

Yellow Dog Records Yellow Dog Records is an American independent record label based in Memphis, Tennessee, that features authentic American music: blues, soul and Americana. It was founded in 2002 by Mike Powers to support independent musicians on its roster with ...

, 2007) *''Black John'' (Eclecto Groove, 2009) *''Good Thang'' (

, 2011) *''The Soul of Christmas'' (

, 2011) *''A Sunshine State of Mind'' (

, 2012) *''Early in the Moanin'' (2016)

Awards

*Independent Music Awards 2014: "Higher Power" - Best R&B/Soul Song *Independent Music Awards 2012: "My Brother" - Best Blues Song"11th Annual Independent Music Awards Winners Announced!"
Independent Music Awards, 2 May 2012. Retrieved on 4 Sept. 2013.

References

External links

Official
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soul of John Black, The American neo soul singers American rhythm and blues musical groups Yellow Dog Records artists The Soul of John Black Brings Songs of Truth http://www.americanbluesscene.com/2014/07/the-soul-of-john-black-brings-songs-of-truth/