Moss Gathering
Friday, March 16, 2007
Chicago blues guitarist Joe Moss and his band are coming back to Emporia for a live performance at Natasha’s Billiards & Lounge, 627 Commercial St. The show will begin at 10 p.m. on April 6.
The four-piece band will be performing blues from earlier albums and some numbers from its upcoming album, “Maricela’s Smile,” named for a song Moss wrote for his 5-year-old daughter and his wife.
Reviewers in trade magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and United Kingdom credit Moss for his impeccable playing and solid vocals, calling him “outstanding” and “a monster showman.” An “In the Mix” magazine review of one of the band’s CDs, reviewer Mike O’Cull wrote, “... (I)f you want to see where the blues is going, give The Joe Moss Band a listen. I think you’ll agree the future looks bright.”
Moss has been playing guitar since the age of 15 and was noticed by Buddy Scott during a jam session at Rosa’s Blues Lounge on Chicago’s west side. He soon was playing seven nights a week in Buddy’s Rib Tip band, according to information from Moss’ publicist. He toured Spain with Scott in 1992 and recorded on “Bad Ave.” with him as well.
He played innumerable engagements with many of the men and women noted for their blues style in Chicago. They include Zora Young, Lil’ Smokey Smothers, Syl Johnson, Big Time Sarah, Barkin’ Bill Smith, Lefty Dizz and Magic Slim. He also has backed those artists during international engagements in Turkey, Holland, Belgium, France, Canada, Switzerland and Germany.
Since striking out on his own, he and his band have recorded several albums, including “Monster Love.” Moss, who also does vocals for the group, writes much of the music the played by the Joe Moss Band.
“To me, it’s not so much the form of the music, it’s more about the feeling that the music is trying to convey,” he said in a telephone interview this week. “It’s just a very personal way to convey the feelings that you have to the people that are listening to the music.”
He hears blues in other genres of music.
“I could listen to Hank Williams Sr. and hear blues; I could listen to classical music and hear blues,” he said.
Moss plays 100 to 200 dates a year, and said that live performances appear to be making a comeback after a slowdown in recent years.
“There seems to be like a resurgence of live music that’s just starting to rear its head,” Moss said. “I think my audience is growing.”
In addition to Moss, the band is made up of Charles “Chip” DuBose, drummer; Andre Maritato, bass; and Greg Sefner who, on the road, plays a cut-down version of a Hammond organ.
The size of the cutdown Hammond is only a slight improvement on the full-sized version.
“It’s like carrying a refrigerator everywhere,” Moss said.