"The role of music has never changed. It's our ability to tap into each other… find common ground and enjoy collective humanity that is music’s eternal power."

Mike Griot: Blues People Play The Blues

BLUES People are 2023 and 2024 North Jersey Blues Society (NJBS) International Blues Challenge (IBC) Winners, and 2024 IBC Semifinalists in Memphis, TN. BLUES People are Kelton Cooper (vocals/guitar), Mike Griot (bass), Ron Thompson, (keyboards) and Gene Lake (drums). The New Jersey/New York-bound has been compared Meters, Luther Allison, Keb Mo' and Buddy Guy, flattering comparisons the band doesn't take lightly. BLUES People released two well-received promotional singles in 2022 ("The Skin I'm In" and "Troubled Times"), and this year, released its 2024 album The Skin I'm In -- nominated by the Blues Blast 2024 Music Awards for "Best New Artist Debut Album" and widely praised by music critics. Each BLUES People member is a seasoned veteran who have  paid their dues; as individual side men, they have supported a who’s-who of touring “A-Listers”, including Sue Foley, Josh Smith, Kool & the Gang, Ruf Records Blues Caravan, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Bo Diddley, Jr. and Michael Hill’s Blues Mob.

(Photo: BLUES PEOPLE are Kelton Cooper, Mike Griot, Ron Thompson and Gene Lake)

"I'm extremely blessed and honored to make great Blues music with (not only) BLUES People, but those I've worked with in the past," shares Mike Griot, BP bandleader, career bassist, and successful festival producer. "I'm really looking forward to my return to the global blues family at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis." Griot is also civically active, as a Curator and Event Producer at SOPAC (South Orange Performing Arts Center). BLUES People Fall-Winter Shows -- Oct 13: NJBS/IBC FUNDRAISER, CROSSROADS Garwood NJ; Oct 26: LIZZIE ROSE MUSIC ROOM Tuckerton NJ; Dec 22: MONTCLAIR BREWERY Montclair NJ; Jan 7-12: INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE Memphis TN.

Interview by Michael Limnios         Special Thanks: Mike Griot & Doug Deutsch PR

How has the music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken? What does the blues mean to you? 

Very, very heavily. I recall touring both the US and other places around the world… and the diversity of both the audiences and the ages of the fans. You get to know a lot of people when you're moving around the world playing concerts and telling stories. These stories are bound to resonate with many people for many reasons. Although I've toured in many different genres, the Blues uniquely captures something basic about people. It creates awareness and understanding. It is truly remarkable to see people from around the world embrace America's original music... and by extension, the brilliance and perseverance of the African American. For me, the work I've done is both a creative responsibility and an ancestral responsibility. I feel it's a duty and an honor to continue the conversation of those original oppressed peoples... my ancestors.

How did the idea of band come about? How do you describe band’s sound and music philosophy? What is the story behind the name “Blues People”?

Our NYC colleague --VETERAN drummer Gene Lake (David Sanborn/Boz Scaggs/Josh Smith) -- suggested Cooper should do an original project. I agreed, stating “if we become a cover band, lose my number”! I actually wasn’t joking; it was time to sure up our legacy. When COVID shut down the music industry, we did what many did: write and record. With access to multiple studios, we began crafting our “NYC/North Jersey Blues Sound” - while sharing stories of our life and struggles. our work TOGETHER has resulted in our 2024 debut album: “The Skin I’m In”.

As far as the band sound... We hope it taps into are New York and New Jersey roots, the nuances of urban living and the experiences we live daily. Similar to those areas, our music is bound to be influenced by those feelings... with what we'd like to call a Blues intentionality. After all: the First Amendment of the Blues constitution is the freedom of speech and storytelling. That is the essence of the historical and musical truth of the Blues. Our album reflects many feelings... or should I say… many colors of the Blues crayon box. We consider the colors to be the different styles within the Blues. We have essentially paired our unique stories to this diverse box of crayons! The name BLUES People was borrowed from the important work by Leroi Jones (aka Amiri Baraka). It is a general overview of the experience of the African American in America. It is also a metaphor for all of us being “Blues people”.

"The only thing I fear regarding the future of music is that the removal of all of the ways an independent artist can make money and survive will ultimately lead to reducing the amount art we all get to enjoy. My hope is that BLUES  People can inspire others the way we were all inspired as kids." (BLUES PEOPLE are Kelton Cooper, Mike Griot, Ron Thompson and Gene Lake / Photo by Allison Brown)

What moment changed your life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

The birth of my oldest daughter was probably my most life changing moment. I was only 19, but I had to figure out how to fully love and embrace my child and my music. It was a very difficult time. The other moment was the sudden passing of my mother in 2008. This is why I suddenly and unexpectedly had to leave global touring in the Blues world. Although I was working and traveling, I shut it all down to help my family support the uncertain waters that my father would have to navigate. He needed us. We stepped up. I don't regret any of it.

Regarding highlights of my career: there have been so many. Believe it or not, my first cello recital at 8 years old was one of my greatest moments. My mother sat in the small audience in the music room at school. I played for about 5 minutes a piece from memory with piano accompaniment. I don't remember looking down at anything other than the music for the entire time... but when I hit the last few arpeggios, and ended the song... I could see my mother's proud and smiling face. She was crying. That look of pride drowned out any of the applause at the time. Her approval mattered more than anything...

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past?

I actually don't miss the music of the past, because I access it freely through playing it and still listening all the time. What I miss are people's attachment to live music. I think that's a much more important question... or should i say, issue. Although I am a super-user of current technologies, I do miss the amount of people involved in live music when I was young and emerging. It was a vast community... and when I returned home to the New York area in ‘91, I inserted myself as a freelancer in the Manhattan scene specifically to try and work. At that time there were great bass players everywhere... working all over this city. The sheer number of players, clubs and opportunities reinforced my desire to be part of something bigger than myself.

"We consider the colors to be the different styles within the Blues. We have essentially paired our unique stories to this diverse box of crayons! The name BLUES People was borrowed from the important work by Leroi Jones (aka Amiri Baraka). It is a general overview of the experience of the African American in America. It is also a metaphor for all of us being “Blues people”." (Mike Griot / Photo by Allison Brown)

What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

The only thing I fear regarding the future of music is that the removal of all of the ways an independent artist can make money and survive will ultimately lead to reducing the amount art we all get to enjoy. My hope is that BLUES  People can inspire others the way we were all inspired as kids.

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

Music has taught me so much... about myself and others. It has reinforced my instincts about hard work and ambition. It has allowed me to reap the fruits of discipline and patience. It has made me an organization junkie... and a steady leader. It has saved my life many many times.

What's the balance in music between technique and soul/emotions? What is the role of music in today’s society?

This balance obviously applies to all styles of music. In the Blues, for some it is the bedrock of the emotion. The ability to speak your truth on your instrument or through your voice is an absolute required experience that we all enjoy when it's done authentically and truthfully. Many of us joke and say “it's cheaper than therapy”!

The role of music has never changed. It's our ability to tap into each other… find common ground and enjoy collective humanity that is music’s eternal power.

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

Sharing current realities through music is the only way we know how to stay relevant. To be clear: not relevance to the industry per se... but our own relevance to the lives we live and the stories we tell. You can't get more relevant than that...

BLUES PEOPLE - Home

(Photo: BLUES PEOPLE are Kelton Cooper, Mike Griot, Ron Thompson and Gene Lake)