Jackson Free Press

Though he's legally blind like many of the great bluesmen, Sam Myers made his way to the center stage mic at 930 Blues Cafe in November like he's lived there—at a mic—his whole life. In fact, he has. This Laurel, Miss., native played trumpet as a child, but at the age of 10 switched to drums, and then played then more than 10 years for the legendary Elmore James. In 1960 and 1961, Myers recorded with Elmore James in New Orleans. James played slide on four songs by Myers, including his most famous song, "Angel Child," and Myers played harmonica on several James tunes, including the classic "Look on Yonder's Wall." One of Myers' later songs, "Sleeping in the Ground" was covered by Eric Clapton and Robert Cray.

At 66, Myers stands among the best of the old Mississippi blues aristocracy, wearing Coke-bottle-thick glasses, a purple jacket and a wide black leather sash across his torso to house his harmonicas for ready access. Myers has played in nearly every juke joint in his home state of Mississippi since the early 1960s. He is said to have one of the best authentic Delta blues harmonica sounds alive today—but he doesn't care for the modern trend of divvying the blues up into subcatgories of "Delta Blues," "Chicago Blues" or "Texas Blues." "It either is the blues, or it isn't," Myers said. "I don't fool around with much of this wannabe so-called 'blues' today. Everybody wants to have roots in the blues nowadays."

True. Bands from Widespread Panic to Metallica have claimed blues as an influence on their sound at some point. It's said that 2003 will be called the "Year of the Blues." Mississippi is certainly seeing an increased attention toward its native art form. "Europeans have really developed a love for the blues. It's not something they can find right outside their back door. So they tend to go crazy on our tours over there," Myers said during his last trip to 930. He still enjoys going to rock concerts and a wide variety of live musical acts, to see how new artists blend old sounds with new ones. "If they are sincerely trying to create something artistically it shows they aren't just trying to latch onto a sound because it's popular to do so." Sam can recall every detail of every jam and recording sessions he's had in his 40-plus years in the business. A casual conversation with him is like a rare vintage page out of a who's who in blues history. In addition to his current tour, he is working on his official autobiography.

Since 1986 Myers has played with the Texas-based Anson Funderburgh and The Rockets, helping them win eight prestigious W.C. Handy awards, three for Blues Band of the Year.. Fuderburgh, with his rowdy and razor-sharp guitar of modern electric Texas blues, intertwines a contemporary edge to Myers' Mississippi soulful stylings. The band's most recent CD, "Change in My Pocket," came out last year on the Bullseye label.

Herman Snell is the music editor of the Jackson Free Press.