"The blues is one of America’s first popular music that really influenced everything in the world. A lot of those guys didn’t get recognition or compensation while they were alive so it’s important to me to get their stories out there in a human way. The story needs to be told by black people. The story has been told by a lot of white scholars and Hollywood, which limits the perspective."

Jontavious Willis: Celebration of The Blues

Jontavious Willis is resolved in his mission: to reinvigorate today’s Blues with the spirit of the past. Drawn to a time when the Blues were plentiful and rhythm reigned supreme, Jontavious leverages his unique sound—a synthesis of his Georgia heritage and the rich history of the Blues—to get the world dancing again. A Grammy-nominated musician and songwriter, Jontavious performs original, toe-tapping tunes in the style of Delta, Piedmont, and Texas Blues. With a bawdy, playful sense of humor, he channels the lively “rent parties” and “juke joints” of yesteryear, imparting the vitality of the Blues across communities today. His forthcoming West Georgia Blues (via Strolling Bones Records), a self-produced album featuring a full band, is slated for release August 16th. Jontavious considers himself an ambassador to the Blues, and this latest album brings the versatility of the genre right to the forefront. While tackling time-honored themes of heartbreak, hardship, and resilience, Jontavious also reminds us that the Blues are meant to bring us together in times of celebration through song and dance.

(Jontavious Willis / Photo © by Willam Pirandello - Jontavious Willis Team)

Jontavious was born and raised in rural Georgia, an environment with deep cultural roots that inspire his soulful vocals and virtuosic technique. He spent much of his childhood singing Gospel music with his grandfather at the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church, the site of his earliest live performances. A teenage phenom, Jontavious achieved widespread acclaim when he accompanied living Blues legend Taj Mahal - who would go on to dub him his “Wonderboy” - onstage in 2015. His first opportunity to tour nationally soon followed; he opened for Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ during their joint TajMo tour in 2017.  West Georgia Blues represents the many facets of the Blues as well as Jontavious’ own evolution as an artist and performer. Jontavious engages with the past, present, and future of the genre - all the while inspiring us to groove and let loose.

Interview by Michael Limnios               Archive: Jontavious Willis, 2016 Interview

Special Thanks: Jontavious Willis & Tony Bonyata (Pavement PR)

How has the Blues and Gospel influenced your views of the world? Where does your creative drive come from?

My folks were real big on their Christian faith. Faith is a big part of the gospel side of me, my family and my perspective on the blues. When it comes to the blues and the world, I think the realness of life is so important, not everything is always going to go your way, but you pray and work for the best.

My creative drive comes from my family. My grandparents and my parents. My parents did what they wanted to do in life: my mom was a chef; my dad was an electrician in the military during Vietnam and in his private career. My daddy always told me: no matter what I did to make sure I would be the best. He always said: No matter what, even if you want to paint pictures on a duck’s ass, make sure it’s the best painting.

What moment changed your music life the most?

The first moment was when I first started singing in a choir as a three-year-old, I knew I wanted to be like my granddaddy who was the chairman of the church, was in the choir, and was a quartet singer. I kept going to choir until college, I still get in there every now and again.

The second moment was when my daddy bought me a guitar on December 24, 2010. It was a cheap Fender Squire for $99 - it came with an amplifier, guitar, tuner, and a CD to teach you. I hated that CD so much! How can someone else teach you how to feel and play? But I loved that guitar and by February I was pickin’ it good. Then my grandma got me an acoustic guitar, an old Kfraftsman guitar from the 60s, it was real pretty. That’s where my love for acoustic blues came from.

"My creative drive comes from my family. My grandparents and my parents. My parents did what they wanted to do in life: my mom was a chef; my dad was an electrician in the military during Vietnam and in his private career. My daddy always told me: no matter what I did to make sure I would be the best. He always said: No matter what, even if you want to paint pictures on a duck’s ass, make sure it’s the best painting." (Georgia born bluesman, Jontavious Willis / Photo © by Jontavious Willis Team)

What’s the balance in music between technique (skills) and soul/emotions?

There’s a 50/50 balance between technique and soul. If you have a whole bunch of technique but no soul, it’s lifeless. It’s also important how you were brought up. If you grew up around in the culture and around the elders, it’s in your soul.

What has been the hardest obstacle for you to overcome as a person and as artist and has this helped you become a better blues musician?

I feel it’s hard for me to express my life as a black man from the rural south - I had a good life because I had good parents. I have a country life where we worked hard for what we have. I try to think of where I stand as that person in the United States, and I want to make blues songs that are more about the now. I still want to write about love, but I also want to understand my political view. I look at artists like Josh White and I see that they don’t mind saying what they feel, and I admire what he did as a black musician. I do a nod to him in the song Time Brings About A Change off of the new album, West Georgia Blues.

So, while I have written songs in the past that were focused on larger issues, I’m still working on saying more. On top of that, the world is so used to guitar slingers, so when there’s someone doing something in the traditional blues people don’t associate it with the blues and they gravitate to rock. I’m always playing and I’m always singing. Trying to figure out how an older style of soloing can compete with this rock style that has taken over. Blues is about the song, it’s vocal music - if you take the instruments away and just have the voice, it’s still the blues. But if you take away the voice, you ain’t got shit.

Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album “West Georgia Blues”? How do you prepare for your recordings and performances to help you maintain both spiritual and musical stamina?

I wanted this album to be an album where every song was close to the blues, had roots in the blues, but was my own thing. Some of those songs we had been working on for years like Lula Mae and Charlie Brown. I had never been to the studio for more than a few days but my manager suggested staying for 10 days which was brilliant. We ended up with over 80 usable tracks. It was a great feat, the studio was fantastic, and just the mass of material was so satisfying. When I start playing blues, I just get a second wind. Once I start playing, I’m energized.

"Blues is about the song, it’s vocal music - if you take the instruments away and just have the voice, it’s still the blues. But if you take away the voice, you ain’t got shit." (Grammy-nominated blues musician, Jontavious Willis with Keb' Mo', Paste Studios, NY 2019 / Photo © by Jontavious Willis Team)

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

Be nice, be on time, be courteous. I learned that being on the road and being around professional musicians like Keb’ Mo’ and Taj Mahal.

Why do you think that West Georgia Blues scene continues to generate such a devoted following?

The West Georgia Blues scene is small - it’s really just me and my friend J Hop, and when people take something seriously, it makes other people take it seriously and stay devoted. Plus, it’s not too hard to follow a scene with two people.

Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues? What is the role of music in today’s society?

The blues is one of America’s first popular music that really influenced everything in the world. A lot of those guys didn’t get recognition or compensation while they were alive so it’s important to me to get their stories out there in a human way. The story needs to be told by black people. The story has been told by a lot of white scholars and Hollywood, which limits the perspective.

The role of music has always been an emotional outlet, an outlet for dancing, an intellectual outlet.

Do you think there is an audience for blues music in its current state? or at least a potential for young people to become future audiences and fans?

I wouldn’t have a career if it weren’t for the fans supporting my music and I’m happy to see every day more young people getting into roots music. I’ve converted a lot of people to become blues fans and blues musicians. As it spreads, by default, you get more young people.

Jontavious Willis - Home

(Jontavious Willis / Photo © by Jontavious Willis Team)