"The Blues reflects common human emotions that are constant across generations.  That makes it “natural” for people to relate to."

Volker Strifler: Keep the Blues Music Vital

Volker Strifler was born in Heidelberg Germany and started playing guitar at the age of 17. As all young German musicians did at the time, he performed in local Bands primarily in American Army and Air force Clubs all over Germany as well as local venues. Meeting an American Blues singer by the name of Lee Reed, who introduced him to the Blues, was to be a life-changing event.
Volker voraciously dove into record stores, discovering the hard to find music that moved him the most. He spent the next years learning and listening to everyone from Howling Wolf, T-Bone Walker to BB King, Eric Clapton and Peter Green. He moved to the United States while in his early twenties wanting to get closer to the blues roots and to learn from the multitude of talented blues performers that could be found from coast to coast. His musical explorations included jazz players and blues artists alike, both styles greatly influencing his own playing. Over the next years, while playing in local San Francisco Bay Area bands, he developed a unique style blending his musical experiences into the consummate guitar player he is today.
In 1995 Patrick Ford, founder of Blue Rock'It Records and leader of the Ford Blues Band, asked Volker to join the band. Eventually becoming the lead personality helping to shape the Ford Blues Band sound and music, Volker was asked to tour with Robben Ford, one of his most respected contemporaries, through the US.
Today it's clear that Volker Strifler is a unique musician in his own right. He has synthesized many years of American music study and the lessons learned as a respected longtime sideman to Robben, Patrick, and Mark Ford, Lowell Fulson, Chris Cain and others into his own unique musical style and sound.

Interview by Michael Limnios

Volker, what made you fall in love with the blues music & who were your first idols?     
I was about 17 when I started playing guitar. At the time, Blues was not exactly popular in Germany where I grew up and we were more into 70s Rock and even a little of the early Punk. We listened to everything from The Ramones, Pink Floyd to The Allman brothers, Deep Purple Zeppelin, to the Sex Pistols, Clash etc.  So the first band we had was really more a Rock’n Roll band. We played the Rock’n roll hits of the day and I think that lasted for about a year or so.  I can’t say that the band was very good or that I really had a real relationship with music at that point. We were young and it was fun, but not really serious.
What got me started listening to the Blues were a few people I met. Two of them owned the music store where I hung out all the time. They were very much into the 60s Blues and early rock guys like Peter Green, Clapton, Hendrix etc. That style of guitar playing really appealed to me and I got interested in learning more about it. My first real introduction to actually playing the Blues came when I met an American Blues musician named Lee Reed. He was an ex American soldier who had relocated to Germany, and recorded some singles for the “Admiral “ label a few years earlier. Lee was a singer, harmonica and keyboard player who played a mix of Blues, Funk, Motown etc. He hired me for a few gigs  and started me playing everything from Elmore James to Stevie Wonder. From that moment on, my relationship with music changed entirely. Lee made it sound real. It was about getting the “feel” right and once that happened, you could make it your own. I really started to dive in and my idols at that point were Clapton, Peter Green, Rory Gallagher, BB, Albert and Freddie King etc. Also, Stevie Ray Vaughn had just made it big and Robben Ford came out with the “Talk to your daughter” album. I still love that music. It’s hard to explain, but somehow this music felt right for me. Most of my friends went on to play Rock, Jazz or Pop music, but that was not for me at that point.  

What was the first gig you ever went to & what were the first songs you learned?
I played my first “Blues” gigs with Lee and the first “Blues” tunes that I learned were by Elmore James, early Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall and the Blues Breakers, Cream, Hendrix and some other early Blues- Rock Bands. On the new album, I went back to those early days and recorded my own version of “Jigsaw Puzzle”, which has a real 1920’s Jazzy feel.  “I need your Love so bad” off the same album is probably the first Blues tune I learned note for note. Peter Green’s solo is still amazing to me.
From there on I started to look for and discover the origins of all of those British Blues Players. Looking at where these guys had found their style, I found out about BB, Freddie and Albert King; John Lee Hooker and a lot of the lesser known guys that played the music I liked.  

Which was the best moment of your career and which was the worst?
I think the best moment I remember was when I got the call from Patrick Ford, to play a tour with the Ford Blues Band. I had moved to the US a few years earlier and was not really playing a lot. I was a big fan of The Charles Ford Band and was totally blown away when he called me. Their guitar player had taken a gig in Las Vegas and could not make the tour. I had only a few weeks to learn all of the material and I remember being incredibly nervous and probably not really ready.  But Pat was patient with me and taught me a lot of what it takes to play on a professional level. Over the years, joining that band has provided me with a lot of incredible opportunities. I eventually got to play with some great musicians, tour all over Europe and play with his brother Robben Ford, who to this day is still one of my heroes.
I can’t say that there was as single “worst” moment as far as playing music is concerned. I always enjoy playing, no matter what the situation is. A really “low” moment was a few years ago when all of my guitars were stolen out of my house. Among many other things, I lost the guitar I had owned since I first started and I still miss it some times. On the other hand, a lot of good came out of that. People offered me a lot of support after I had lost everything. I remember playing a gig in Chico, California right after it happened. When I got there, there was a stage full of guitars waiting for me. A couple of the local musicians had brought them and one of them actually gave me one to keep. Robben Ford also gave me the white Telecaster I still play a lot to this day, which is another thing I will certainly never forget.

How/where do you get inspiration for your songs & who were your mentors in songwriting?
Of the traditional Blues writers, Chester Burnett and Willie Dixon are probably my favorites. It is incredible how they could wrap all of the human drama that we all go through in just a few simple words. Hendrix, Cream, early Fleetwood Mac, all the way to the really modern writers like Robben, Stevie Ray and others are also a great influence.
I never had any formal training, so I learned everything from listening. Most importantly, I have to stay true to what feels right to me. Even though I love the Blues and listen to it a lot, I realize I was not “born into it”. That’s probably why my song writing is not always typical for a Blues player. While the Blues is always in there, I try not to worry too much about staying “between the lines” and use whatever I think works for the song. The lyrics are usually a mixture of my own experiences and stories about others, or what I read about. The diversity of music that I like and am exposed to day to day play a huge role in what comes to be my “own” in the end.
The new album especially combines a lot of different styles with the more traditional Blues.  I get criticized from time to time for not being true to one style and I understand that what I do is not pure, but I try to keep it honest. That’s the best I can do.

What does the BLUES mean to you & what does Blues offered you?  
I think everybody has to find the music that touches him or her personally. For me that is the Blues. I can relate to it more easily than any other style of music. I am also attracted to the fact that while the music is basically “simple” it offers everyone the opportunity to sound unique and a chance at developing a personal style.  One can always tell it is BB King…All he has to do is play his first note!

What do you learn about yourself from music?
I think listening to music and playing it unlocks things in me that I normally might not be able to access. It challenges me to go beyond myself and to start trusting my instincts. I still struggle with this and sometimes it works and sometimes its just finger gymnastics.

What experiences in your life make you a GOOD bluesman?
That is a hard question. I am not sure. I will leave up to others to decide whether I am a “good” Bluesman. Certainly, the older I get and the more life experiences I collect, the more I understand where all of the original Blues artists got their inspiration.

What characterize the sound and music philosophy of Volker Strifler?
Overall, I try to capture a particular feeling and I try to let the song take over, rather than follow a formula.
Whenever I write a song or play an old Blues standard, I look for my own interpretation of it and I am not too worried about staying true to only one style.  Sometimes I stay close to the original; sometimes it turns out very different. On the new CD, I recorded “Jigsaw Puzzle”, by the early Fleetwood Mac and stayed pretty close the original, except I added horns and composed an extra section of the song that fit in with the rest. On the other hand, when I recorded “Going to Brownsville”, I used a totally different approach than the original Sleepy John Estes version.

What are some of the most memorable gigs and jams you've had?
I have been lucky and there were quite a few occasions that I will never forget. One was playing with The Ford Blues band in Ecausinne, Belgium. We backed up Lowell Fulson that night. Just being on stage with someone like him was a thrill. Another experience that stands out was playing at the San Francisco Blues Festival with Robben Ford and The Ford Blues Band when we did the “Tribute to Paul Butterfield” show. We had a big horn section, back up singers and Nick Gravenitis came to join us to sing “Grooving is easy”. I’ll never forget him walking on stage and there was “the voice”. As far as my own band is concerned,  opening for BB King was a great pleasure. But its not always the “big” gigs that are the most satisfying. Sometimes playing a small club can be just as exciting and satisfying. There is nothing like the feeling you get when you perform something you have written and the audience likes it.

When did you last laughing in gigs and why?
I try to have a good time at all of the gigs and usually laugh mostly about the things that go wrong…

Are there any memories from studio with the Ford Blues Band, which you’d like to share with us?
I think the best time I had recording with the Ford Blues Band was when we recorded the “Tribute to Michael Bloomfield” album. A lot of great musicians came together to make that happen. I remember being crammed into Garth Webber’s small studio in Berkely with Robben, Chris Cain and a bunch of other guys and just having a great time. I still think that is one of the best things I have been involved in.

Which of historical blues personalities would you like to meet and jammin?
A lot of them… I think I would like to have met and played with Sonny Boy Williamson, I love is harp playing and personality. As far as guitar players, I am a big fan of Earl Hooker. He is less known than a lot of the other guys, but man could he play…

From whom have you learned the most secrets about blues music?
There were a few people along the way that helped me discover what makes this music work, some famous, some not. Very early on there were two guitar players in the small town I grew up in that showed me the importance of developing “guitar tone” that is all important in playing Blues. Later on, after I moved to the United states, I found a whole culture of musicians that were really dedicated to capturing and preserving a certain way of playing. Usually that revolves around how you play as much as what you play.  But mostly it is about listening to others to see what makes it work. More often than not, it is little things that make the difference.  

Of all the people you’ve meeting with, who do you admire the most?
There are a lot of musicians I admire for their skill and style. Of all of the people I have played with, I would have to say that Patrick Ford has been a great influence. His dedication to the music and to expanding the horizons of what is considered traditional Blues is n inspiration. I also very much admire his brother Robben for being able to combine his great technical skills with a lot of creative spirit.

Some music styles can be fads but the blues is always with us.  Why do think that is?
First off, when it’s played well, it can be as exciting as the latest Pop discovery.
I also think whether or not people realize it, Blues elements are still a big part of modern music. All of the music that was derived from early gospel and Blues; whether its Rock’n Roll, soul music, modern funk beats, hip hop, house, certainly has at some point been touched by the Blues. Pop music tends to be a reflection of any given generations new style and way of living. This is a good thing, but after a while, the Pop of today becomes old and something new is created by the next generation. On the other hand, the Blues reflects common human emotions that are constant across generations.  That makes it “natural” for people to relate to.

Give one wish for the BLUES
Of course I wish the Blues had more of a “popular appeal” an that it was more broadly recognized as a great art form.  Besides that, I hope there will continue to be young players that come along and keep the music vital.  

Where did you pick up your guitar style & what who are your favorite guitarists?
It took a while for me to develop my own style and it is still changing all the time. I hope it stays that way. Early on I was copying the players that I liked. The trick is to find your own voice eventually. If you always sound like T-Bone Walker or Stevie Ray Vaughn or someone else, you may find yourself up against a wall pretty soon. When I find something like, I try to learn as much as I can about it. Once internalized, it usually becomes part of what I play, but its not necessarily my goal to sound exactly like another guitar player.  

Do you know why the sound of slide guitar is connected to the blues?
I am not a historian and I don’t know when it first started, but it likely came from early Hawaiian music. In any case, I think the early Blues players were attracted to the “voice” like quality you could get using the slide. Slide guitar, whether its played regular or lap style, has a really haunting sound that comes closest to what a good vocalist can do with their voice. Guys like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters   really knew how to make the guitar sing along with the vocals.  

What is the “think” you miss most from Mike Bloomfield & Paul Butterfield’s blues nowadays? 

I think I miss the spontaneity and fresh approach to the Blues they had in the early days of their careers. Unfortunately they died way too young. Mike Bloomfield especially was a visionary when it came to playing the guitar.   

How you would spend a day with Peter Green & Ry Cooder?
I would ask them about who they listened to, how they played, recorded, and came up with certain things, and how they approach the song writing etc.

Are there any BLUES memories from THE ROAD with the BLUES, which you’d like to share with us?
I have to say that traveling with the Ford Blues Band was always a good experience, even though being on the road with a band can be tough. Lots of traveling, a different bed every night and sometimes things are not always what you expect. Overall, people everywhere were really nice to us and the good times outweigh the bad by a lot. 

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians thinking of pursuing a career in the craft? 

There are several things that I have learned over the years that have helped me. First of all, you have to play music for the right reasons. Fame and fortune come only to a few and I think people would be surprised to know how many great and well-known musicians have to struggle to get by; but staying true to yourself and the music will help you have a much better chance at success. Constant and meaningful practice also helps a lot in developing style and skill.  Another really important skill is to stay open to creativity. Let things happen without too much worry about whether it fits in. There is also the business side of music. This has always been hard for me, but it is important to learn how to “sell” yourself without compromising your integrity. I am not very good at self-promotion and I wish it were something I would not have to deal with, but the truth is that people have to find out about you somehow, otherwise they will not know you exist.

What turns you on? What are the things you’re most passionate about in life?
Art and music are probably what excites me the most. It is really satisfying when people like a song or piece of music that I have written.

Volker Strifler's official website