"I mostly miss all the characters, the old timers, the real deal blues guys and all the craziness that we all experienced together. The situations we all found ourselves in the good and the lousy gigs. The cool clubs and the shithole clubs.  As for the blues music of the past, I miss the simplicity, the grooves, the soul."

Kenny Parker: Motor City's Hellfire Blues

Kenny Parker’s blues education began with the Beatles in the early 1960s, but it wasn’t long before he discovered the roots of their music. Parker grew up in Albion, Michigan and began playing in his first band, the Esquires, at 14. He discovered Albert King and B.B. King in high school via the local record store, and he took his inspiration from them. After graduating from Eastern Michigan University in 1976 and took a job in a Cadillac factory while looking around for the right opportunities to play blues at night. He began working with a paragon of the Detroit scene, Mr. Bo (Louis Bo Collins), and later joined the Butler Twins. While Parker toured Europe with the Butler Twins, JSP founder John Stedman heard him and decided to sign him up for his own recording. The Butler Twins accompanied Parker on his debut recording “Raise The Dead,” where he was also backed by harp master Darrell Nulisch, best known for his work with Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets.                                       (Kenny Parker / Photo by Bill Bresler)

While Parker toured Europe with the Butler Twins, JSP founder John Stedman heard him and decided to sign him up for his own recording. The Butler Twins accompanied Parker on his debut recording “Raise The Dead,” where he was also backed by harp master Darrell Nulisch, best known for his work with Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets. Roaring out of the fiery furnace of the motor city music scene is “Hellfire” (2019), the latest album from Detroit blues guitarist and songwriter Kenny Parker. The eleven tracks feature Parker’s veteran band and his new collaboration with the legendary Jim McCarty and the debut of Dan Devins on vocals and harmonica. Parker and McCarty bring all their experience to bear on the collection of hard-driving blues rockers.

Interview by Michael Limnios          Special Thanks: Kenny Parker & Sally Schroeder

What do you learn about yourself from the Blues people and culture? What does the blues mean to you?

I learn that I don't know everything. I learn that I can be teachable. I’ve learned to appreciate and value those from different backgrounds. We all have hopes and dreams and all try to do our best. We all bleed red (not red state red lol). Blues means everything to me. It is the foundation of all of the music that I care about and have built my career in music around. It has been the one constant in my life for well over 50 years. It has been at the root of all our (U.S.) popular culture at least since the turn of the last century.

How do you describe your songbook and sound? Where does your creative drive come from?

My songbook is an amalgam of everything musically that has touched me in a good way, mostly blues but also rock and roll (the Chuck Berry/Jerry Lee Lewis school of rock and roll) with emphasis on the roll. Also, hillbilly and country music play a part. I aspire or have aspired to be a traditionalist interpreter of the blues but, it hasn't turned out that way. I am a sum of everything I love which I would say is more on the blues rock side of things with occasional forays into more traditional styles. My creative drive comes from a need to express who I am, how I feel. I am driven to do this as if my life depends on it because it feels like it does. I feel like I need this to explain to the world who I am in a way I never have been able to do in any other way.

"I learn that I don't know everything. I learn that I can be teachable. I’ve learned to appreciate and value those from different backgrounds. We all have hopes and dreams and all try to do our best. We all bleed red (not red state red lol). Blues means everything to me." (Kenny Parker / Photo by Dori Sumter)

What keeps a musician passionate over the years in blues? How does your hometown that affect your

What keeps a musician passionate about blues over time. I was first introduced to blues by listening to Cream, and Eric Clapton. I was so blown away by Cream's version of Crossroads by Robert Johnson. I read everything I could about  Cream and Eric and his influences. He mentioned Robert Johnson, Freddie King, B.B. King and so on. So at a very early point, I started learning from Eric's influences because I was hoping that I too could develop into a great guitar player. And I'm still trying but with many more guitar players who had things to learn from. I'm still thinking that If I keep learning, I might become somebody.

My hometown is a small town in Michigan, Albion. Albion had about 12000 population of which 40% were minorities. The music we listened to reflected our racial make up. Our one record store reflected our diversity. We had all the pop music that was on the radio but we also had the most well known blues records. Mostly B.B. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, maybe Little Milton. Plus some Jazz records. I grew up with Bill Laswell (later became a renown record producer). Bill had a rather large record collection of Rock and Roll, Blues and Jazz. He sent away for a lot of records and he was way ahead of the curve of what was commonly available. It was because of Bill that I was introduced to artists that were not found in the local record store. So because of Bill, I actually heard records by artists that could only be read about in Hit Parade magazines. We also had a few guys that were really accomplished musicians who played with professional bands. In fact the group War and Treaty have roots in Albion. Also: in the U.S., we had radio stations called "Free Channel" radio stations that had powerful transmitters that at night could be picked from all over the country. Such was WCFL and WLS in Chicago and WWL New Orleans. From these stations one could get regionally diverse music.

If you could change one thing in the musical blues world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

If I could change one thing about the Blues World. It would be to educate people about the originators of the music. To celebrate them.

“What keeps a musician passionate about blues over time. I was first introduced to blues by listening to Cream, and Eric Clapton. I was so blown away by Cream's version of Crossroads by Robert Johnson. I read everything I could about  Cream and Eric and his influences. He mentioned Robert Johnson, Freddie King, B.B. King and so on. So at a very early point, I started learning from Eric's influences because I was hoping that I too could develop into a great guitar player. And I'm still trying but with many more guitar players who had things to learn from. I'm still thinking that If I keep learning, I might become somebody.” (Kenny Parker / Photo by Chuck Andersen)

How did you hook up with Louis “Mr. Bo” Collins? How has your experience with the “golden era” of blues influenced the way you compose and perform today?

I hooked up with Mr. Bo (that's what everyone called him) by calling the then head of The Detroit Blues Society looking for some Blues atrists to work with. I had been playing in rock and roll bands (which leaned heavily toward the Blues) and I wanted to play blues. So was directed to Mr Bo and we worked together for a while. We had a really great band. I met a some of the guys that were playing the real thing. This directly led me to joining The Butler Twins.

Regarding "The Golden Era", I think the real "Golden Era" of The Blues mostly happened before my time. But having said that, the blues I love the most happened from the 30s to the very early 60s and that is what I listen to and make my attempts at sounding similar to that era. The artists that I listen to the most would be the delta guys, Son House, Robert Johnson, Tommy Johnson, Willie Brown, then Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Jimmy Reed, early B.B.King, My friend Lazy Lester, Guitar Slim, and others. When I worked with The Butler Twins, they were Deep South (southern US) somewhere between real delta blues and early electric Muddy Waters.

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

Regarding most valuable lessons. Practice, practice, practice. Get out and play. Try to play with better players. Watch not only how they play but their demeanor as well. Listen, always listen. Play with the band. One note in the right place beats a thousand notes that might be great but doesn't fit what's happening. Then listen some more. Be kind to the younger guys. Especially those that are there to learn. Other lessons that I've learned: everybody has their own idea of how things should be. Unless you're really Freddie King or Stevie Ray Vaughn or B.B. King, then you still need to blend in to what is going on. Then search for your tribe. 

“Regarding reimagining older blues styles. I may have been trying to show that me and my band could hang with the prevailing top groups of the day. Along with trying to write lyrics that made a decent story that more or less touched on the same themes as has always been done.” (Kenny Parker, Detroit-based hard-driving blues rocker / Photo by Dori Sumter)

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

Why it is important to spread the blues. It is important because it, in nearly all cases, especially in popular music, it all started with the blues. Everything with a beat evolved from the blues even if it is a stretch to hear it. If the beat is one, two, three, four, it started with the blues. Eminem's beats started with the blues. Eddie Van Halen's music started with the blues. Lil Wayne's music started with the blues. Taylor Swift's music started with the blues.

Regarding the most important element. Is the feel. It is good to have enough technique to be able to play your instrument but some of the greatest blues artists were not great players. Muddy Waters (in my opinion the greatest bluesman of the modern era) was not a great guitar player but his feel for the blues is second to none. John Lee Hooker was not a guitar virtuoso but there has never been anyone whose signature sound is as close to the essence of the human spirit than the 1948 version of Boogie Chillen. So feel and honesty, simplicity.

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

What am I doing to make my music relevant? I am just getting back into the creative process. I have had different challenges in the last 4 or 5 years that took my eye off the ball. I am getting back into the creative side of things. I have been exploring some new stuff. Trying to learn some new styles. I am also remixing some if my earlier songs to clean up the recording and overall sound. Whether I do anything with it remains to be seen. Basically I am trying a few things in order to be fresh.

Truthfully I have not given much thought to what I contribute to new generations. If anything, I have tried to the best of my ability to avoid doing too much "Rock Blues" but I have certainly contributed to that style. I may give a younger person my take on a direction to explore mostly for them to explore an artist or style that they might not be familiar with. Sadly, at 73, I am still trying to make  my imprint on the world. To come up with the "perfect" record to leave as a legacy. Hopefully this quest will play out to the end to keep me hungry. And the real goal is to make a great record. I am fortunate that I've made a couple of pretty good records. I just want to keep getting better. Pablo Casals, in his 90s was asked why he keeps practicing. He replied that he thinks he's making progress. 

“Why it is important to spread the blues. It is important because it, in nearly all cases, especially in popular music, it all started with the blues. Everything with a beat evolved from the blues even if it is a stretch to hear it. If the beat is one, two, three, four, it started with the blues. Eminem's beats started with the blues. Eddie Van Halen's music started with the blues. Lil Wayne's music started with the blues. Taylor Swift's music started with the blues.” (Kenny Parker / Photo by Jane Cassini)

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

Further thoughts regarding career navigation. As foe the difference between bars and festivals. Bars are way more intimate. Easier to pickup vibes and energy from the crowd. I always look forward to festivals but almost invariably they do very little to satisfy one's creative itch. The crowds are usually fairly far away. Unless one is the headliner, people are really not paying close attention. And the sound systems, particularly on stage are really awful and rather than the band grooving together, individually we are mostly playing the songs by memory rather than by feeding off each other.

Your work is known for creatively reimagining blues tradition. How do you balance respect for the roots with experimentation?

Regarding reimagining older blues styles. I may have been trying to show that me and my band could hang with the prevailing top groups of the day. Along with trying to write lyrics that made a decent story that more or less touched on the same themes as has always been done. I have had a little bit of critical success but mostly no one expressing any interest outside of Southeastern Michigan in hiring us for live shows which is too bad for the people because the band really can cook. We are all getting older and the appeal of going on the road has mostly waned so recording and a light performinf schedule seems to be the way for now.

“Regarding "The Golden Era", I think the real "Golden Era" of The Blues mostly happened before my time. But having said that, the blues I love the most happened from the 30s to the very early 60s and that is what I listen to and make my attempts at sounding similar to that era.” (Kenny Parker & Jim McCarty, Detroit blues legends on stage jamming’ together / Photo by Bob Boiteau)

Which acquaintances have been the most important experiences? What was the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Meeting my bass player/longest motor city friend Mike Marshall has been the most important element in my musical development. He is my rock. He is to me what Ian Stewart was to the Rolling Stones. Also, Jim McCarty but not in a way many might think. When I started hanging out in Detroit in the early 1970s, he was the daddy of all Detroit rock and roll guitar players. a title that he still holds without interruption since the mid-60s. I learned so much from watching him play way before I ever became friends with him. Mainly an attitude, an intensity.  The best advice anyone ever gave me is less is more/ don't be afraid of space/ let it come to you. Kind of one big lesson rolled up altogether

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

All I can say, and I can speak for nearly everyone I know: it is a fucking miracle that those of us that are still alive made it this far and have lived to fight another day. Pardon my language but there truly is no other word in the English language that will suffice.

What do you miss most nowadays from the blues of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I mostly miss all the characters, the old timers, the real deal blues guys and all the craziness that we all experienced together. The situations we all found ourselves in the good and the lousy gigs. The cool clubs and the shithole clubs.  As for the blues music of the past, I miss the simplicity, the grooves, the soul. To me it has become so rock and roll oriented or r&b oriented. It has become all about guitar slingers and less about great songs. My fear is that this trend continues. Also, the gigs and clubs and especially the pay is dwindling and interest in live music in general especially at the club level, seems to be disappearing.                                (Kenny Parker / Photo by Jane Cassisi)

"All I can say is what I’ve always said: that African American culture has driven popular culture for as long as I’ve been around. The blues is at the root of all popular American music like forever."

What touched (emotionally) you from Michigan's blues scene? Which is the most interesting period in local scene?

What touched me the most has been the chance to get to know and play with a number of Detroit’s legendary greats' some of who were one or two degrees of separation from the very root of the original tree of this great music. Son House lived his final years here in Detroit. He is buried here. My friend Little Mac Collins was friends and played with Calvin Frazier who came to Detroit with Robert Johnson, Sippie Wallace, Alberta Adams, my friend Lazy Lester, Lightning Slim. I played for years with The Butler Twins, Johnny "Yard Dog" Jones, Louis "Mr. Bo" Collins, Johnny Bassett, BoBo Jenkins, Preacher Peanut, Baby Pepper Yancy, Beverly Yancy, "Uncle" Jessie White, Jessie who drove Albert King's bus.  Tremendous cats. Ss for the most interesting time, the 50s and 60s must have been pretty great. I wasn't here so I don't know firsthand, the 70s were cool because a lot of great old-time cats were still viable. We often didn't recognize their greatness until later. These players were just here and there at clubs.

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

Well the blues and rock counterculture were really intertwined in Detroit. A lot of the gigs in the 60s and 70s would have nights where the old-time blues guys played and nights where the rock and rollers played at the same clubs. The real rock and rollers. Not the cover band/bar band scene but the scene of folks playing original music or rock and roll closely related to r&b and blues. It influenced me politically, it was a very liberal sort of scene. Many of the gigs for blues-based rock and rollers and blues cats were in and around Wayne State University, which was an extremely liberal scene. Almost my whole time in Detroit has involved venturing out into little clubs where funky nasty lowdown rock and roll and blues or blues-based music was being played. It encompassed everything for me. I started hanging out in Detroit starting in 1970 which was only three years after the riots. I must say that not once did I feel that inside the clubs where the cats I knew were playing, was there an overt or noticeable feeling of racial tension. the music transcended that in my experience. The musicians were just trying to dig each other. As far as the journeys that I’ve taken, even when I was a teen, on a family vacation, I would be looking for blues records in different towns or cities. My mother's side of the family is from the deep south and when we went south, I would take my guitar. I would look for records. Visit the salvation army of some southern city mainly small towns in rural Georgia or Jacksonville Florida looking for blues records. Ever since I can remember, when I would wake up in the morning some Muddy Waters groove would be in my head.

What is the impact of Blues music and culture to the racial, political, and socio-cultural implications?                                        (Photo: Kenny Parker)

All I can say is what I’ve always said: that African American culture has driven popular culture for as long as I’ve been around. The blues is at the root of all popular American music like forever. There are lots of times where I’ve thought how cool it would be to live in Belgium or the Netherlands because of how laid back those places seem to be but, sooner rather than later I would miss the melting pot that is the USA. The culture, as for music, I have always told people that if it doesn't have an element of African American influence, I don't want to hear it.

Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really want to go for a whole day?

I have two places that I would want to go. It would be hard to pick just one. First, when I was eleven, my 6th grade class went to see a high school play's dress rehearsal. the play was carousel. The girl that played Julie Jordan was to my eleven-year-old self the most beautiful girl that I’d ever seen. I was thunderstruck. the very next day, in real life, the girl died. I was crushed and it stayed with me for 50 years. I would love to be able to go back and sit with her on a park bench and just talk to her. The 2nd thing would be to travel back to early 1971 and see the original six Allman Brothers Band again right about at the time that the recorded "Live at Fillmore East". I saw them a couple weeks before they recorded that album, and more than anything in my life, that set me on this path. Those two things: the pain in my soul that when I heard B.B. King's guitar I knew that feeling along with the sheer brilliant musicianship of The ABB sums up the journey of my life.