Blues remain John Hammond's life

The amazing thing about John Hammond is his ability to remain the same. After 35 years and almost as many albums, he's still playing the blues, mostly covers of classic tunes, and he's still great. His voice has gotten richer with age, but basically he's still the same guy who popped up at 19 after making the rite-of-passage East Coast to California hitchhike.

So how does he continue to do it and do it with such passion?

"Because I love it, that's how,'' he said recently. "It's my life.''

Hammond was set to play Memphis at the Mid-South Music Festival, recently canceled, and was bringing to town a new album, Long As I Have You, and a love for the city and its music.

"I love playing Memphis,'' he said days before the cancellation. "I was there about a year ago and they're doing some great things there with the venues - more places to play, more ways to hear music.''

Certainly he's well-acquainted with the W.C. Handy Awards, having won several over the years, but a West Coast prep tour for the Far East will keep him away from this year's program. After the West Coast, he will take off on a tour for Japan, then Greece and England. Hammond stays so busy, his itinerary even lists a Sept. 26 date in New Albany, Miss.

"I usually play about 200 dates a year and have for a long time,'' he said. "And it's usually just me and a guitar.''

When reached at his East Coast home, Hammond was "listening to some old Nat King Cole'' from the 1940s and was excited about "getting it at a good price.'' With a repertoire of more than 400 songs, listening is obviously a big part of his work. He was especially interested in hearing about a compilation Johnny Burnette album. He laughs when asked what he does besides music. When he's home he likes to do "normal things, spend time with my family, barbecue,'' and, oh yes, play every day. He's also an accomplished harp player.

"Sure, I try to play at least some every day when I'm home,'' he said. Harp or guitar? "I just pick up something and really don't think that much about it. It just sorta happens.''

Hammond says he doesn't spend time writing. "It's just something I don't do and never really have.'' He just mines all those great old tunes.

Maybe he got his love of the blues from being around it all the time. After all his father, John Hammond Sr., was a legendary talent scout for Columbia records.

"No, that's not it at all,'' he says quickly. "In fact, I was in art school and not even thinking about it. Then I heard some Jimmy Reed . . .Jimmy Reed's music got me interested in playing harmonica, too. The first time I started playing harmonica was with a stand that actually clamped onto the guitar.

"It was very weird-looking. I don't use that anymore, but I do enjoy playing them both at the same time. Actually, it's like playing the piano - one hand doing one thing and the other doing another. It's a real trip.''

His new album, on Pointblank, is exactly what you would expect from Hammond with one different wrinkle - he sings without playing on 12 of the 15 songs. And what a band he's chosen for the album - Little Charlie and the Nightcats.

"I didn't miss (playing on those cuts) for a second. I've worked with these guys enough to know they have impeccable taste.''

And "taste" is what comes through on each tune. The band, led by guitarist Charlie Baty, flows and changes so well, from Willie Dixon's title track to Howling Wolf's "Crying at Daylight.'' They also get into some T-Bone Walker, "I'm Gonna Find My Baby,'' and do it so well, you'd swear T-Bone is coming through the speakers. A personal favorite is the driving "So Many Roads, So Many Trains,'' and I don't think I've heard a harp player whose work I've enjoyed or admired more than Rick Estrin's.

And then there's a surprise for the last three cuts. The band is gone and it's just acoustic Hammond, playing guitar (National steel style) and harp, accompanied by his old friend, Chaz Leary, on washboard. J.J. Cale produced these cuts, while Hammond produced the band cuts.

It's obvious Hammond's magic was really rolling on this one. Long As I Have You is smooth and studied, seemingly effortless at times.

"I usually can do an album in about four days. It took me about a day and a half for this one,'' he says. "Everything just fell in place.''

Blues doesn't get any better than this, in concept or execution. Stay on the road, John Hammond. We need your blues.