John Primer - Grown in Mississippi

Release date: April 11, 2025

Blues House Productions Records

By Robin Zimmerman

L to R: John Primer, Lightnin' Malcom, Deak Harp/ Photo: Michael Lepek

Blues Hall of Famer John Primer turned 80 this year but rather than taking a break, he continues to add more brushstrokes of success to his long and storied career.

Besides the 2023 Blues Hall of Fame induction, the three-time Grammy nominated artist recently received a Blues Music Award for best Traditional Male Blues Artist. His Crawlin’ Kingsnake collaboration with Bob Corritore also won for best Traditional Blues Album. But with the release of his latest album, Grown in Mississippi, it’s safe to say that Primer should make room for more trophies when next year’s award season rolls around.

Grown in Mississippi represents a return to Primer’s humble beginnings growing up on a sharecropper farm in Camden, Mississippi. Like so many bluesmen of his generation he migrated to Chicago when he was eighteen. He progressed from busking on Maxwell Street to becoming a key member of Muddy Water’s band and famously shared the Checkerboard Lounge stage with the Rolling Stones. He then spent several years playing behind Magic Slim before he assumed his current role as front man of the Real Deal Blues band.

But despite all his Chicago successes and international accolades, those Mississippi roots run deep, and Primer figured that it was high time to remind people where he comes from.

His wife and manager, Lisa Becker Primer, saw firsthand how Grown in Mississippi came to fruition and it’s a story of serendipitous encounters, Delta connections and those long-lasting bonds between blues musicians. She said that “John just wanted to go back to his roots, dig in and do an album that explored his beginnings.”

One of the caveats for Grown in Mississippi was that this album had to be Mississippi-centric in every aspect of its production, including the recording studio. Lisa Primer said, “Clarksdale Mississippi is so special, and we always love going down there.” She added that many years ago, John recorded with another artist at Gary Vincent’s Clarksdale Soundstage Studio, which has “such a cool vibe.”

In the first of many serendipitous encounters, Primer said she approached producer Michael Frank  (of Earwig Music) to see if he knew of the studio in Clarksdale. It turned out that Frank is close friends with Vincent so that helped solve the studio issue.

In another nod to the significance of Mississippi music, John Primer insisted on using Delta area artists in lieu of his regular band. Thanks to his iconic status, Lisa Primer said that “we knew a big chunk of them” including harmonica player, Deak Harp, who goes back to Primer’s Magic Slim days when Harp was living in the Chicago area.

Bobby Rush is another collaborator on Grown in Mississippi with “Nothin’ but a Chicken Wing” being one of the album’s standout tracks. Rush and Primer have a “very special” decades long relationship that made this collaboration especially meaningful. Lisa Primer said that the 91-year-old Rush and octogenarian Primer were like “two little boys” in the studio as they traded some guitar licks and shared lots of laughs.

That old Mississippi magic certainly seemed to have a hand in recruiting Rush to join Primer. Lisa recounted that, “we ran into Bobby pumping gas and said, “get your ass into the studio, we need an hour of your time.”  Rush gladly agreed and it’s yet another example of how this album was totally meant to be.

Legendary harp player Charlie Musselwhite is another enthusiastic collaborator who is featured on two tracks, “Baby Please Don’t Go’ and “Shame, Shame, Shame.” Lisa Primer said that “Charlie was one of the first guys to say, “hell yeah” and “I’ll do two.” She added that “He really practiced so when he came in, he just laid it down and it sounds incredible.”

It was also fortunate that Gary Vincent has lived in Clarksdale for a long time and “knows everyone.” As both a musician and a producer, he could connect the Chicagoans with Mississippi artists best suited for Primer’s passion project. Vincent brought pianist Billy Earheart on board and recruited Rosalind “Mississippi Rose” Wilcox to “add some jewelry” with her tambourine skills on daughter Aliya Primer’s gospel track, “Lay My Burdens Down.” `Mississippi-based pianist, Eden Brent, also showcases her keyboard wizardry on this uplifting song.

Gospel is just one of the musical styles featured on Grown in Mississippi. From the opening notes of “John’s Blues Holler” and other Primer originals to some Muddy Waters standards, Willie Dixon’s “Meet Me at the Bottom” and a nice version of Louisiana’s Red bawdy “Let Me Be Your Electrician,” Primer hits all styles of Mississippi music.

Regular Real Deal band member, Steve Bell Harrington, plays harp with the boss man on both “Let Me Be Your Electrician” and “A Better Day.” Lisa Primer said that he made the cut because he and his family relocated to the Magnolia State, “so he counts as a Mississippian.”

Steve Lightnin’ Malcom is another popular Mississippi musician who is featured on both “When I Met the Blues” and “Walkin’ Blues” that showcase Primer’s take on the Hill Country style of music. Lisa Primer said “Hill Country music is different from what John normally plays. He doesn’t normally play that style, but we wanted to incorporate as many Mississippi styles as possible. He took that Hill Country and made it his own. “

Fittingly, the Grown in Mississippi CD release party was held down in Clarksdale, Mississippi, during their annual Juke Joint Festival in April. Here, Primer was reunited with many of the artists who contributed their talents on the album. On the festival’s opening night, Primer shared the stage with Deak Harp, Lightnin’ Malcom, harp player Watermelon Slim, and Eden Brent. He also played at Ground Zero, Cathead Records and a few other venues during the festival.

Primer’s many appearances at the Juke Joint Festival were facilitated by Cathead owner Roger Stolle, who also co-founded the Juke Joint Festival. Primer said that “Roger was so wonderful and got us five gigs.” She added, “John was just over the moon, John loves going home. It’s a homecoming and I love bringing him home and I love booking him at home. He’s a different person when he’s in Mississippi. He misses it.”

John Primer will have other opportunities to play in Mississippi as Lisa Primer revealed that he will be coming back to Clarksdale for the Juke Joint Festival in 2026. Ground Zero co-owner, actor Morgan Freeman, also specifically asked Primer to headline Ground Zero’s recent 24th anniversary party.

With Primer so firmly solidified in Chicago blues music history, it’s heartening to see him getting so much recognition in his home state of Mississippi.  Lisa Primer summed it up when she said, “John’s the last one and they all know it. He came from where they came from and has the similar vibration that they do, and he’s loved and respected.”

Now, with Grown in Mississippi getting so much positive buzz, Primer’s star should continue to rise like the moon over the Mississippi cotton fields. While many in their eighties might be content to rest on their laurels, he has returned to his roots, which has resulted in a wonderful release for the ages.

Several other artists contributed to the success of this project including Rickey “Quicksand” Martin and Lee Williams on drums and Harvell Williams Junior on bass. Michael Frank was the producer with Steve Hausheer serving as co-producer. It was recorded, mixed and mastered by Gary Vincent at his Clarksdale Soundstage Studio. Lisa Becker Primer was the executive producer of Grown in Mississippi, which was recorded on May 12th-14th, 2023 and October 8th -9th of 2023 and on July 6th, 2024.

About the Author: Blues enthusiast Robin Zimmerman, a.k.a. Rockin' Robin, writes a Blues Blog and is a regular contributor to Chicago Blues Guide

To buy the music, visit: www.blueshouseproductions.com

website: www.johnprimerblues.com