WELL-KNOWN blues musician Chris O’Connor has an enduring fascination with the great blues players of the 1920s and ‘30s.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Players such as Son House, Willie McTell and Blind Blake have helped mould his sound over the years.
“I was first attracted to blues when I joined a record club in the 1970s – I'm showing my age now – and happened upon a Taj Mahal record where he mostly accompanied himself on a National metal bodied guitar,” O’Connor said.
“From there I tracked back and became hooked on lots of great recordings from the 1920s’ blues boom: people like Tommy Johnson, Blind Blake, Lemon Jefferson, Memphis Minnie and Tampa Red.
“These and many others from that era are my main influences.”
In performance, O’Connor ranges from string-snapping Delta blues to hypnotic minor key laments, gospel shouts, slide guitar instrumentals and ragtime songs with sparkling finger-picked accompaniment.
He says he loves the blues because of its diversity.
“I love the diversity of styles within the genre, and try to showcase that aspect, from ragtime songs to gritty delta blues, gospel songs and bottleneck instrumentals,” he said.
O’Connor has been well received at major east coast blues and folk festivals, such as the Great Southern Blues Festival at Narooma and the Australian Blues Music Festival in Goulburn.
“I've been playing at a few festivals over the past couple of years, and they each have their own character,” he said.
“I found playing and being an audience member in Goulburn to be a real pleasure, with lots of camaraderie among musicians and audience members. The Australian focus gives it something special as well.”
“The range of music from traditional to contemporary, acoustic to electric is wonderful and you certainly have some fantastic venues in the city.
“The Goulburn Club is a hub during that weekend and I'm really looking forward to getting back there on September 2. The ambiance of the heritage room really suits and inspires my take on traditional blues.
“I'll be mic-ing up my 6- and 12-strings and my depression-era steel-bodied guitar for accompaniment and looking forward to playing an entertaining set with some anecdotes about musicians and songs thrown in.
“Many of these songs have been covered by rock bands – think Led Zeppelin’s When the Levee Breaks or Cream’s Crossroads – so it's nice to play those tunes back in an acoustic setting.”
O’Connor was a member of The Mudsteppers, who played at Byron Bay Bluesfest and the National Folk Festival. He has supported great artists including The Backsliders, John Hammond, Warren Zevon and Hans Theesink.
He also won the solo/duo section of the Sydney Blues Challenge in 2013 and played at the 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.