Burnside band shines in blues series

Garry Burnside, the youngest son of legendary bluesman R.L. Burnside, performed a three-hour show at RJ’s Sports Grill & Bar.

Along with his four bandmates, Burnside displayed his musical proficiency to a full house for the September Blues by Budweiser Concert Series, held earlier this month. The event is sponsored by MK Distributors and hosted by Port City Blues Society.

Introducing the evening’s program was Dave Sadler, Port City Blues Society founding member and master of ceremonies.

“Garry has been captivating audiences since he was 11 years old,” Sadler said. “From intimate cafes to grand concert halls, Burnside’s versatility and range has left a lasting impression on all who have had the pleasure of hearing the music.”

Burnside is the youngest of 14 children born to blues icon R.L. (Robert Lewis) Burnside and Alice Mae Taylor in Holly Springs, Miss. Along with Junior Kimbrough, Joe Ayers and Kenny Brown, R.L. is credited with developing the unique rhythmic style of Cotton Patch Soul Blues that came out of the North Mississippi hill country, rising to international fame in the early 1960s. The elder Burnside released 18 albums during his career.

Led by Burnside’s lead guitar, the Garry Burnside Band is made up of Tesa Daniel on lead vocals, Brian West on keyboard, Kevin Spight on bass and Buddy Rutherford on drums. Burnside told how, with the exception of a few shows, the current band has been playing together for two and a half years.

Despite growing up at the feet of his famous father and being immersed in the blues lifestyle of the genre pioneers, Burnside has developed a style all his own.

“My show is not all about R.L.’s songs,” he said. “It’s been a key influence in my life but my music is more about family and where we come from.”

In addition to original compositions, he mixed in covers of Jimi Hendrix, Freddie King and Allman Brothers classics. Burnside made the cover numbers his own with layers of guitar and keyboard backed by a perfectly synced backline.

Noting the delighted smiles on the rhythm section, a member of the audience commented, “Nobody in this room is having more fun than the drummer and bass player.”

Burnside explained how growing up in Holly Springs, the whole family would go to Junior Kimbrough’s juke joint on weekends to make music.

“The Kimbroughs and Burnsides were like one big family,” he said.

He further shared how, despite their father’s warnings not to, he and older brother Duwayne, who played the April 6 Blues by Budweiser installment, began their music careers by going in the music room, when the old guys took a break, to beat the drums and strum their guitars.

“When we were growing up, there was Junior’s juke joint and the annual Rush College Blues Fest that brought a lot of blues musicians to the area,” he said.

He explained how nowadays, with the blues fest no longer in existence, Duwayne’s club “Burnside’s Bar & Grill” near Holly Springs is keeping that tradition alive with Sunday evening jams.

Burnside’s recordings include 2018’s “The Promise,” 2020’s “Come into My World,” “Acoustic Brothers” and “SUN Bear Jam” and 2021’s “Hill Country Magic.”

“North Mississippi Allstars guitarist Luther Dickinson and I are working on a new album in Boo Mitchell’s Memphis studio titled, ‘It’s My Turn Now.’ It should be out in November 2025,” he said.

Burnside played bass on the North Mississippi Allstars’ 2019 “World Boogie is Coming,” 2013’s “Up and Rolling,” 2004’s “Live at Bonnaroo” and the 2000 hit recording, “Shake Hands with Shorty.”

He also appeared on such Junior Kimbrough historic blues records as 1992’s “All Night Long,” ’93’s “Sad, Lonely Nights,” ’97’s “Most Things Haven’t Worked Out,” ’98’s “God Knows I Tried,” ’99’s “Meet Me in the City” and 2002’s “You Better Run.”

“We’re practicing our thing to make our shows the best we can,” he said. “We play Proud Larry’s in Oxford, Miss., Sept. 28 and the Tavern in Corinth Oct. 5. On Oct. 12, we’ll be at the Bukka White Blues Fest in Aberdeen, Miss.”

Asked about her part as lead singer in the band, Tesa Daniel said, “I come from a rock ‘n’ roll background so learning about the blues from Garry has been a lot of fun. We all mesh together well.”

After finishing a song in the second set that featured the pair’s cascading vocals, Daniel turned to Burnside and asked, “What’s next, boss?”