John Cephas

Piedmont blues professionals John Cephas (electric guitar) and Phil Wiggins (harmonica) are two of a small number of blues music artists who’ve benefited through the renewed fascination with acoustic music lately. Cephas continues to be praised by the brand new York Moments and other essential mass media as “among the excellent exponents from the Piedmont design electric guitar.” Both had been delivered in Washington, D.C., even though Wiggins is certainly 25 years young than his guitar-playing partner. Both sing well, and their albums certainly are a mix of regular classic blues aswell as their very own originals. Along with John Jackson from Virginia, these are a number of the brands which come to brain when we think about Piedmont blues. The Piedmont area (a geological term discussing foothills) contains the hills between your Appalachian mountains as well as the Atlantic Coastal simple that operates from north Virginia to Florida. Piedmont blues identifies a blues subgenre that’s quality of performers from Virginia, the Carolinas, Florida, and Georgia. Piedmont blues performers consist of Peg Lower leg Howell, Red Anderson, Jackson, Blind Blake, and Willie Walker. “Bowling Green” John Cephas is indeed nick-named because though he was created in Washington (Sept 4, 1930), he grew up in Bowling Green, VA. Cephas got his 1st contact with blues from his aunt while developing up in Virginia. His aunt and her partner both played acoustic guitar, and after his aunt demonstrated him blues chords when he was eight or nine, he was off and operating. Cephas’ playing is usually influenced from the varieties of Blind Young man Fuller and Rev. Gary Davis. “Harmonica Phil” Wiggins (b.Might 8, 1954), a self-taught harmonica participant, cites Sonny Terry, Small Walter, Hammie Nixon, Big Walter, Junior Wells, and Sonny Young man Williamson (Grain Miller) as affects. He started playing while he was still in senior high school, and by 1976, he was playing the Washington, D.C. Road Good with gospel vocalist Flora Molton. The set fulfilled at a jam program at a friend’s home in Washington in 1977, and both performed as regular users of Wilbert “Big Main” Ellis’ Barrelhouse Rockers for a while, before Ellis passed away later that season as well as the group disbanded. Since learning to be a professional touring duo in 1978, Cephas and Wiggins possess performed on travels sponsored with the U.S. STATE DEPT., including travels of European countries, Africa, Asia, South and Central America, as well as the Soviet Union. The duo’s albums consist of many critically acclaimed produces for Marimac Recordings, Traveling Fish Records, & most recently, COOL OFF for the Chicago-based Alligator Information. The pair’s Traveling Fish releases in the ’80s consist of Dog Times of August, Electric guitar Man, and Turn, Flop and Journey. Each is great types of state-of-the-art, acoustic Piedmont blues. They stay a popular celebration act, and will be seen through the entire summertime for the most part U.S. blues celebrations.