Michael Messer’s reputation as an innovator in the blues genre and master of slide guitar is well known. For forty years and ten albums Messer has been unafraid to incorporate reggae, African stylings, Hindustani classical music and even turntablism into his individual vision of the blues. Messer’s album ‘King Guitar’ topped the US Living Blues chart, while his latest Call Of The Blues, garnered airplay in over 50 countries. Johnny Cash even professed himself a fan and wrote the liner notes for Michael’s award-winning collaboration album ‘Rhythm Oil’.
“What I hear here is the real thing. This record carried me away to a long time ago, down a Delta dirt road to a land of my musical good-old-daysing.” Johnny Cash – Hendersonville, TN, 1992
In 1973 Chaz Jankel opened his account, placing a track on a Long John Baldry album. Later in the ‘70s he joined Kilburn & The High Roads and started writing with the frontman, one Ian Dury. Jankel’s partnership with Dury continued through The Blockhead years and beyond, producing stone-cold classics such as ‘Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick’ and ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll’. In the 1980s, as well as having success on the US Dance scene, Chaz wrote ‘Ai No Corrida’, a hit for Quincy Jones. Jankel also has composer credits for soundtracks, including D.O.A. and K2. He continues to release solo albums, and tour with The Blockheads.
Chaz and Michael have known each other since those early Blockhead days, but had never managed to get together in a studio or on a stage. Until now…
Mostly We Drive, the first single from the collection, lopes along – inflected with guitars which speak of both cowboy trails and Hawaiian hulas – “One day we die, the rest we’re alive/Some days we walk, mostly we drive.” When the cops pull the narrator over, he wonders – “Will they want my driver’s licence or my genetic code.”
Messer delivers these thought-provoking, often humorous, lyrics in his wry, warm, experienced voice. There is cynicism and existential angst, yes, but there is often a celebratory tone too. The varied, mesmerising rhythms of the music are matched by verses which obviously borrow a poetic ethos and world-worn approach from the likes of JJ Cale, Bob Dylan and blues masters past.
“In early March 2020, we decided that it was about time we got together for a jam. So a few days before the Covid lockdown I drove over to Chaz’s. When I arrived, to my surprise, Chaz had spent the morning in his studio, putting some musical ideas together for me to add my parts to.”
JankeI explains:- “I thought it wise to prepare a few musical sketches on my Mac, based on how I thought we could collaborate. This was really the stock for the soup.”
Messer continues:– “A couple of days later, Chaz sent me some rough mixes. We were both excited about the music and agreed that we had the bones of an album. Then, lockdown was upon us… I started writing lyrics and Chaz continued sending musical ideas over. It wasn’t until September 2021 that we started recording what was to become an album. Over the following year we constructed, created, recorded and mixed the music ourselves, which enabled us to focus. It was a wonderful experience, because we were pulling each other in different directions, and hopefully producing great music along the way.”
Chaz concurs:– “That’s been the journey throughout making this album. There is a cross-over point where our different musical orientations chime and here it is. During our recent photo session, as the camera clicked away, we played through these songs, two guitars, or one guitar and one piano. They felt SO good to play. The path continues…
Michael adds:- “The lyrics on this album, although written by me, were inspired by ideas that came from both of us while talking about all kinds of things, but with themes often returning to the state of our world and how time becomes so precious as we grow older.”
