“Blues is a very fundamental language in music. In essence, it speaks truer of emotion rather than vocabulary. While you can find plenty of sophistication, it, at base allows simple et profound understanding. That’s why it’s so popular around the world.”

Adrian Byron Burns: Don Quixote of Blues

Adrian Byron Burns is considered to be one of the most exciting performers around today. Singer-songwriter Adrian speaks a variety of musical dialects. Blues, reggae, rock, bluegrass, jazz. A native of Arlington County, Virginia and a current resident of Spain, he’s been recording since the mid-70s. In 1969, while living in his native America, Adrian opened shows for Neil Young and Ritchie Havens on the East Coast which led to a European tour in 1971 with other 'young talents'. The tour took him through Germany, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia and provided the incentive for him to remain in Europe. Late 1972 saw him as a member of a band called 'Talisman' in Germany which opened shows for Alexis Korner, Little Richard, Vinegar Joe, Curved Air and Marmalade to name just a few. He also had the chance to play with Champion Jack Dupree. Adrian moved to England in 1974 and a year later, signed a contract with Splash Records, who released thru EMI two singles (soul oriented) and an album thru PYE in 1976. That same year saw him join Jimmy James & the Vagabonds.

(Photo: Andrian Byron Burns)

From 1979, Adrian's style began to emerge as he performed with musical friends from different backrounds such as Jim Mullen, Sally Barker, Tommy Chase and Mick Pini. Adrian has toured through Europe as well as Asia and the U.S. He has and continues to play in many Festivals and has shared the stage with such artists as B.B. King, Luther & Bernard Allison, Robert Cray, Charlie Musselwhite, The Dubliners, The Ford Blues Band, Marva Wright, Louisiana Red, Otis Grand, Roy Rodgers, Johnny Mars, Gregg Wright, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, John Renbourne and many others. Adrian is featured on the Rhythm Kings Albums "Groovin" and "Double Bill". He has toured with them throughout the U.K. during the past two years. He has made various albums and for the past last years, Adrian has gained fame as a solo artist, both for his fabulous voice and for his incredible acoustic work.

Interview by Michael Limnios             Archive: Andrian Byron Burns, 2019 Interview

How has the Blues and music generally influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

I would say that being a universal artform, it’s allowed me to communicate with a lot of people whom I’d otherwise not be able share with. Likewise, it’s allowed me to travel to places I wouldn’t have imagined to ever seeing as a child. Blues is a very fundamental language in music. In essence, it speaks truer of emotion rather than vocabulary. While you can find plenty of sophistication, it, at base allows simple et profound understanding. That’s why it’s so popular around the world.

What moment changed your music life the most? What keeps a musician passionate after more than five decades in rock, blues?

There have been a LOT of seminal moments! Hearing Howling Wolf for the first time, My first time playing on a stage with other people….Being at Woodstock…

What keeps me passionate is that when you think you’ve heard it all, someone comes and blows your conceptions out of the water. Every now and then, I meet and play with people who are heavily invested in the art rather than looking for a paycheck for repeating the same thing over and over.

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

Outside of listening to a lot of music, which I’ve always done, I’m getting around recording, sampling and midi. It’s another mountain to climb….

“Technique has to always be in service of emotion. We play to emote. No one wants to pay theatre tickets to hear someone read Shakespeare….They want to see you ACT! There are players who can riff with great speed and vocabulary without saying anything much. Albert King never had to!” (Photo: Andrian Byron Burns, Singer-songwriter Adrian speaks a variety of musical dialects)

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

I’ve learned that to really invest in this art, you have to be open. You listen to EVERYTHING. Music is a language. Blues, Jazz, Classical, Rock and Roll,Bluegrass, etc are all dialects. The more you listen, the better you find your own self. You also need to get along with people and keep ego in check. Music isn’t a competition. Participation should be encouraged. The important thing is to keep trying to grow and expand. I learned to read and write music. Was it essential? No, but it’s good to have the tool in the box.

Are there any memories from Alexis Korner, Louisiana Red, The Dubliners, and Little Richard, which you’d like to share with us?

Oh man! There’s a LOT of tales, but this article would turn into a book! (laughs). I remember the warmth of both Alexis and Red…. Red would play all night! At one festival, we had to remind him that he needed to sleep because he had a train at 6:00 in the morning… Little Richard was larger than life! An ego the size of a planet, but I’ve never seen ANYONE work harder on stage than him. He must’ve lost ten kilos of sweat every performance. The Dubliners were absolutely great fun to be with! We were catching a connecting flight from Zargreb toDubrovnik…The bus driver taking us to the flight was acting as security, so was blocking the way for anyone not with the Dubliners. When I was stopped and asked who I was, I replied ‘DUBLINERS!’ When we boarded the plane, they broke out laughing saying “Ah! Our Afro-American Branch..”

What's the balance in music between technique (skills) and soul/emotions?Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues?

Technique has to always be in service of emotion. We play to emote. No one wants to pay theatre tickets to hear someone read Shakespeare….They want to see you ACT! There are players who can riff with great speed and vocabulary without saying anything much. Albert King never had to!

“I’ve learned that to really invest in this art, you have to be open. You listen to EVERYTHING. Music is a language. Blues, Jazz, Classical, Rock and Roll,Bluegrass, etc are all dialects. The more you listen, the better you find your own self.”

(Photo: Andrian Byron Burns)

From the musical and feeling point of view is there any difference between the old-cats great bluesmen and the young blues musicians?

There are some EXXCELLENT “young” blues cats out there! Every generation seems to give us people to admire. If the tradition carries on, it’s because of the inspiration of the past blues persons (Let’s not forget there are also great Blues women as well as men…) The real difference is that the influences are broader than they were in the 40’s or 50’s….

You’ve worked in many different settings, from clubs and studios to open air festivals and juke joints. How do you navigate between these different worlds?

Sometimes with difficulty (Ha! Ha!) I can get lost…. Seriously, the main difference is between studio and live work. Festivals can have their difficulties…How long and far you’ve travelled, whether playing with musicians you know, or those presented to you; has the material been rehearsed, or even listened to… On the whole, I love theatres and clubs where people are there especially to listen. Every now and then I also am blessed with the occasional house concert! It’s great up close and personal! Especially nice whenI get to pay fully acoustic. It gets back to the roots….