JOHNNIE BASSETT
(Johnnie Alexander Bassett)
(8CD)
Johnnie Alexander Bassett (October 9, 1935 – August 4, 2012) was a
Detroit-based American electric blues guitarist, singer, and
songwriter.
Working for decades primarily as a session musician, by the 1990s Bassett had his own backing band and released six albums. He cited Billy Butler, Tiny Grimes, Albert King, B.B. King and especially T-Bone Walker as major influences.
Born in Marianna, Florida, Bassett relocated with his family in 1944 to Detroit. As a guitarist in his local group, Joe Weaver and the Bluenotes, they won talent contests, and locally backed Big Joe Turner, and Ruth Brown. In 1958 Bassett enrolled into the United States Army, but on his return to Detroit worked with the Bluenotes as session musicians for Fortune Records.
(Johnnie Alexander Bassett)
(8CD)
BIOGRAPHY
Johnnie Alexander Bassett (October 9, 1935 – August 4, 2012) was a
Detroit-based American electric blues guitarist, singer, and
songwriter. Working for decades primarily as a session musician, by the 1990s Bassett had his own backing band and released six albums. He cited Billy Butler, Tiny Grimes, Albert King, B.B. King and especially T-Bone Walker as major influences.
Born in Marianna, Florida, Bassett relocated with his family in 1944 to Detroit. As a guitarist in his local group, Joe Weaver and the Bluenotes, they won talent contests, and locally backed Big Joe Turner, and Ruth Brown. In 1958 Bassett enrolled into the United States Army, but on his return to Detroit worked with the Bluenotes as session musicians for Fortune Records.
During this time he provided accompaniment to Nolan Strong and The
Diablos and Andre Williams. He later backed The Miracles in a short tenure
at Chess Records, working on their debut single, "Got a Job" (1958). In
concerts while in Detroit, Bassett played on stage alongside John Lee
Hooker, Alberta Adams, Lowell Fulson and Dinah Washington.
Basset spent most of the next decade doing gigs in Seattle, also backing
Tina Turner and Little Willie John.
The Detroit Blues Society recognized Bassett's contribution to the blues
with a lifetime achievement award in 1994. He released the album I Gave My
Life to the Blues on the Dutch label Black Magic in 1996, before recording
and touring in North America and Europe with his own backing band, the
Blues Insurgents. Their 1998 album Cadillac Blues was nominated for five
W.C. Handy Awards.
His then record label, Cannonball Records ceased to trade, but Mack
Avenue Records signed him to a new recording contract, after its owner saw
Bassett and his band play in concert in Detroit's suburb of Grosse
Pointe.
At the 2003 Great Lakes Folk Festival, Bassett performed as part of the
Detroit Blues Revue with Alberta Adams and Joe Weaver. At the 2006 Detroit
Music Awards, Bassett won the 'Outstanding Blues/R'n'B Instrumentalist'
title. In both 2010 and 2011, he was awarded the 'Outstanding Blues
Artist/Group' title.
Bassett's album, The Gentleman is Back was released in June 2009. In
2010, it won a Detroit Music Award for 'Outstanding National
Small/Independent Label Recording'.
Bassett and his band (Chris Codish – keyboards, Keith Kaminski –
saxophone, and Skeeto Valdez – drums) played weekly at the Northern Lights
Lounge in Detroit.
He died of cancer on August 4, 2012. (Wikipedia)