Bluesman Jontavious Willis talks about growing up on old-school singing, performing

Jontavious Willis Jamaine Campbell photo

Last week, I served up a young singer-songwriter, Haley Reinhart, who is a definite “old soul” putting a new spin on today’s pop music scene. Today, I’m pleased to introduce a young gentleman, all of 24 years old, Jontavious Willis, who has a similar impact on the blues genre with his latest album, “Spectacular Class,” which was nominated for a Grammy in 2020. He’ll be making his Maine debut with an appearance at One Longfellow Square on April 8 and will be a part of this year’s edition of the North Atlantic Blues Festival happening on July 15 and 16. Needless to say, I was very interested in getting to know this talented multi-instrumentalist, so a telephone interview was arranged. He called me from his Greenville, Georgia, home where he lives immersed in traditional country blues.

Q: After listening to your recordings, I must confess that for a young man you seem to have a decidedly old soul, the sound and feel you bring to what you do is uncanny.
Willis: What I bring comes from the country and growing up around a lot of older people. I’ve been hanging out with a lot of older folks and older people were my best friends, yeah, that’s mostly what it is. Growing up in church and never straying away from the country and not being embarrassed about where I came from. A lot of the folks of where I’m from share some of the characteristics that color my blues with that old-school vibe. A lot of what I embrace comes straight from my family, especially my granddad.

Q: Have you played in Maine before?
Willis: I don’t think I ever have performed in Maine. I ate in Kittery after playing in New Hampshire, though.

Q: Well, this year you’re going to be playing twice, the gig at One Longfellow Square and also at the North Atlantic Blues Festival. I think you’re going to like One Longfellow, that’s one fine venue, for sure, and that festival in Rockland is incredible, as well.
Willis: Yeah, and I can’t wait!

Q: Now, is the Portland show a solo performance for you or will you have some backing musicians?
Willis: I’m going to play solo. Sometimes I do have a band but, yeah, the way I learned to play was solo, and I keep the tradition of solo musicians. That’s mostly what I listen to. I prefer blues from the ’20s to the ’50s, getting into the early band stuff. I like that kind of stuff but, like I said, most of my practice and technique comes straight from the early solo blues, so I’ll be playing it solo.

Q: So I guess it doesn’t bother you to be called an old soul, then.
Willis: Ah (pause) … nah, nah (chuckle)!

Q: (Laughter) You had to pause for a minute.
Willis: (Chuckle) Yeah, I don’t know, but I’ll take it, I’ll take it. I guess once I actually get older (laughter) I’ll hate to have to get young. I just think it is because a lot of people don’t listen to the old-school music. They’re not really acquainted with old-school singing and old-school performing, and that’s just all the stuff I ever grew up on; that’s everything I’ve ever seen. So, all I’m doing is just duplicating what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard in an old-school town from an old-school family.

Q: I think that the music transcends time and to hear you doing what I’ve heard from other people back years and decades ago is familiar and a joy to hear now.
Willis: Well, thank you brother, I appreciate that.

Q: Now, what can folks expect coming up to the Longfellow Square show?
Willis: Well, some comedic, down-home blues and good story-telling, and that’s about all, man. I’m not sure how long my set is, but it’ll be good. I try to put in some nice, funny, quirky stuff. I think the blues is kind of like a mountain — it’s not all down and it’s not all up, but it varies. I try to put some different emotions in, some sad, some happy. So, yeah, it’ll be the whole experience of solo acoustic blues.

Q: And because you’re solo, you don’t have to worry about whether the band knows what you’re going to do next, you can go pretty much where the audience or your muse feels like going.
Willis: Yes, that is the luxury of playing solo, and that’s one thing I hate to give up when I play with a band. You know, the band is more orchestrated; you can have more dynamics with the drum and the bass and stuff, but I love the one-on-one interaction with the crowd. I like the electric; I like the band, but the acoustic solo, man, that’s my thing!

Q: Now, I’ve been listening to your 2019 album, so I’ve got to ask: are you working on something new?
Willis: Yeah, I’m planning on putting something out this year. I’m recording this year, for sure, but I’ve got a lot of recordings I’ve done in between then and now. I’ve got about 40 I could actually use now.

Q: Any idea when you could release a new album?
Willis: I plan to put it out around late, late summer. So, yeah, man I’ve got a lot of good tunes written up, and we’ll have stuff cooking soon. We’re recording at the end of May and the beginning of June.

Q: Well, seeing this will be your first time at One Longfellow Square and you’re first time performing in Maine, is there anything, sir, that you’d like me to pass on to the folks reading this article?
Willis: Just that I’m glad to be in Maine and actually playing this time and not just eating lobster (chuckle). But, yeah, that’s about it, bro; I’m happy for my first time playing in Maine.

Q: Anything else you want me to pass on?
Willis: Tell them to come on out if they enjoy roots/traditional acoustic blues in varying styles, some Piedmont, Delta, Texas and whatever. So tell them to come on and be a part of it.

Lucky Clark, a 2018 “Keeping the Blues Alive” Award winner, has spent more than 50 years writing about good music and the people who make it. He can be reached at luckyc@myfairpoint.net if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.

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Bluesman Jontavious Willis talks about growing up on old-school singing, performing

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