MH: How are you feeling for tonight’s gig?

SR: I’m up for it. I’m ready.

MH: Have you played a university before?

SR: Done a lot of them, in America. A few in England and a few in Europe. I prefer playing them, because you have a younger audience, well a mixed audience, and you’re received very well. It’s got a new flavour, people have different expectations. New ears, new ideas.

MH: What still keeps you motivated?

SR: What I’ve learned is, it’s back to the basic beginning for me, it’s still all about the people. No matter whether you record or have a career as long as mine, that’s been going on for almost 30 years. Every night it should be fresh, should be a new situation so to speak.

MH: What role do you think blues has in today’s music?

SR: Well is definitely the foundation to a lot of music, a lot of people don’t want to say that but, blues is the foundation.. Although they say, it’s only three chords and it’s very simple; it’s not. It’s the feeling, the technique, its trying to get your point across with very few words and syllables. The blues is all about feeling, making people relax. If you have a strenuous day at college, put on the blues.

MH: What are you thinking about tonight’s gig? Is it going to be a marathon, three hour gig, or something shorter?

SR: I’m looking for the maximum. Whatever happens, happens at my gigs, that’s where it’s at with me.  

MH: So it could be an hour an a half, three hours, it could be anything?

SR: It could be an hour and a half, it could be four hours. We don’t know, you know.

MH: You’ve played a four hour gig before?

SR: Oh I’ve played them. Many times, in America. In England, best I’ve done is like three and a half.

MH: That’s quite a rare thing to find in today’s music.

SR: Yes it is, but if you’re loving what you are doing and the set, and people are into it; why quit?

MH: What’s on your turntable at the moment? Any albums of 2009?

SR: Well I listen to all music, and the thing about is that I’m going into country blues, kind of thing at the moment, I’m listening to it, because of the words. They are well written and it’s about the family, stories about people. You know I listen to all types of music, but most music today when you get away from country blues, is music just for dance or emotion or you know, power. When I think, country and blues are relatively close together because they tell a story, and they talk about people.  

MH: Any nerves still backstage, before a gig?

SR: I get nervous every night, because I don’t know what to expect from me. Every night there’s a new creation. It depends on mood, last night we might have been in a melancholy mood, tonight we might be in a real rush mood; it depends on when I’m at.

MH: So you don’t have any planned setlist?

SR: I don’t, I just play by head and feeling. I have enough songs, to grab this one, and grab that one, you know.

MH: What was working with Paul Simon, on the Graceland album like?

SR: That was phenomenal, that is exactly what I'm talking about, a mixture of all sorts of ethnic music all mixed into this cauldron, because you know I’m from Louisiana. So in Louisiana we just mix everything, and throw everything into the pot, and when it comes out, it's all good.

MH: I saw in October, last year, you played 11 gigs in 11 days, how do you do that?

SR: Well I don’t play for me, again I play for the people, and my soul is always ready to give. I’m a person who likes to give, because I do receive a lot. If I see people hugging, when they leave the gig, I really feel like I’ve done something, from my part you know.

MH: Anymore aspirations? Anything you want to achieve?

SR: Yes what I want to do is I want to go into promotion for young people. I want to encourage all young people to get into music. It is an outlet, when there is no where else to release, you can always get into music

MH: Are you looking to record anymore studio albums?

SR: Well the problem with the studio album has been, I've had like several big labels which attract me you know , but what I think I'm going to do is, I'm not going to comply to anyone , I'm just going to do my thing, and record my own CD.

MH: Free spirit?

SR: Yes free spirit!

MH: How’s the pizza?

SR: Oh the pizzas great, the atmosphere is great, and you’re great. Thanks a lot.

MH: Thank you Sherman.

 

Matt Hunter