Showing posts with label Quintus McCORMICK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quintus McCORMICK. Show all posts

Quintus McCORMICK

(3CD)
 BIOGRAPHY 
While it is evident that classic Chicago blues is alive and well in the award-winning music of artists like Nick Moss & the Flip Tops and Lurrie Bell, the case for  Chicago soul blues has not been so clear.  That genre took a hit with the sudden, tragic death of promising young player Chico Banks last year.  Well, I’m here to tell you that Hey Jodie!, the phenomenal, new debut album by Quintus McCormick and his band on Delmark Records, should assure all of us that the Chicago soul blues sound is in good hands.        

Born in Detroit in 1957 (d. jan 21, 2019) and fascinated by music and guitar all of his life, Quintus did not become “anointed” with the blues until about twenty years ago when he was playing in J.W. Williams’ Chi-town Hustlers band while earning his bachelor’s degree in music from Chicago’s Columbia College.  Since that time, Quintus has toured the world playing guitar for the likes of A.C. Reed, James Cotton, Lefty Dizz and Otis Clay. 

Buddy Guy and James Cotton encouraged Quintus to form his own band in the mid-nineties, and they have been a mainstay on the Chicago scene ever since.  His debut album is much deserved and well overdue; Quintus came to the studio chock-full of great original songs which he recorded over a span of only two days back in November 2008.  Delmark Records general manager and producer Steve Wagner has stated that this is the most exciting recording he has worked on in a long time, and I’m confident you’ll agree when you listen to the CD.

Quintus’ Chicago blues connections are apparent by the band backing him on this album, including long-standing Chicago soul blues keyboard man Roosevelt “Mad Hatter” Purifoy, Lovely “JR” Fuller on bass, Jeremiah Thomas on drums, and the famous Chicago Horns, featuring Kenny Anderson on trumpet, Hank Ford on tenor sax, and Willie Henderson on baritone sax.  In addition, Ted Reynolds supplies great harp work throughout the album, and Quintus is backed by the wonderful voices of Roberta Thomas, Gwenyth Hayes, and Jamie Holesha on many songs.