J.J. Malone is a true blues original. He’s quite clear about which musicians most inspired him – Muddy Waters being his all-time favorite – but he doesn’t sound like any of ’em – not as a singer, nor as guitarist or piano player. He cites Waters, John Lee Hooker, Doctor Clayton, and Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup as early influences on his singing, with Louis Jordan and B.B. King coming into the picture slightly later. The Decatur, Alabama-born, Fairfax, California-based bluesman doesn’t copy anyone – not even himself. Unlike many blues artists who rely on set patterns, Malone is constantly pushing the envelope, playing whatever pops into his head at the moment.
