Jazz band leader Stuart Macbeth talks to one of his heroes – the equally eccentric American country, ragtime and blues artist Pokey LaFarge, ahead of his Oxford show

Pokey LaFarge can trace his musical roots back to the aptly named town of Normal, Illinois.

Normal lies about 130 miles south west of Chicago, and it’s where he spent his teenage years in the company of his grandfather. Normal is also where Pokey discovered the blues, “played to me in a local pizza parlour, by a man named Juice.” “Grandpa bought me a beat up old Yamaha guitar when I was 14,” he grins, tapping his fingertips on the table. “Later I discovered bluegrass through the records of Bill Monroe, so I traded the guitar in for a mandolin.”

The result is Pokey’s staggering mix of early jazz, ragtime, country blues, Western swing, and old time country music. The 31-year-old, who started out busking in the street, has earned his reputation as a tireless, charismatic entertainer. Now he has legions of fans scrapping for tickets.

“At first I was listening to people like Memphis Minnie, Big Bill Broonzy, Skip James and Tampa Red. That’s just to name a few” he gesticulates, engaging on the subject of the blues. “If you want to pick one record to get into the blues then I’d say go for Rats in My Kitchen by Sleepy John Estes.”

It’s a connoisseur’s choice. Estes cut a series of stunning 78s throughout the 1930s, accompanied by magnificent mandolin picking by “Yank” Rachell. Pokey has released his own work on a 78rpm record, cut in London in the studio of Lewis Durham from Kitty, Daisy and Lewis. But most of our talk today is about Pokey’s new and seventh long playing record, Something in the Water.

“It really feels like I’m taking a big step forward on this album” he says, “while we were recording it, I kept thinking, ‘hey, we’re really on to something here.’”

“I’ve come to England to tour the record with my band: That’s TJ Muller on cornet, Chloe Feoranzo on clarinet, Adam Hoskins on guitar, Joey Glynn on double bass and Ryan Koenig on harmonica, washboard and snare drum.”

Like Pokey, the musicians all hail from the American Midwest: “They’re from Wisconsin and Illinois and Chicago and St Louis, and there’s a certain attitude that comes across in the songs, in the way we perform them.” Pokey claims to have met most of them while hitchhiking.

The album includes uptempo stompers such as Wanna Be Your Man,along with swinging ballads and Pokey’s own interpretation of classics such as Charley Patton’s All Night Long.

“You can expect a bigger sound than on any previous record I’ve made” he enthuses. “There are drums on nearly every track, and three and four-part vocal harmonies laced throughout. I think it’s a bit more catchy, too, with the added emphasis on rhythm.”

Pokey – whose was born Andrew Hessiler but has kept the nickname his mother gave him as a child – is a frequent visitor to the UK. He performed on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny television show in 2012 and has more recently appeared at Womad, Cambridge Folk Festival and, of course, at the O2 Academy in Oxford. “I like Oxford a great deal,” he admits, “although I also like it being in Leeds and Birmingham – because I like places that other people overlook!”

Pokey is a restless spirit who continues to work even when on the tour bus.

“Days on the tour bus are always different” he tells me, “but there’s a lot of writing. I love to read too. Classic American literature has had a big impact on me. Authors like Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac are huge.”

So does he ever find time to rest? “Well,” he laughs, “I like to sneak in naps while we’re driving to the next gig. Late nights and early mornings are spent like that.

“Then you have to sort of freshen up, stretch your legs and shake off the drive when you get to the venue. Before I know it, it’s show time again!”

What can audiences expect when show time comes to Oxford?

“They’ll have a blast! All audiences have their own vibe going. Some shows in the UK are more rowdy than some shows in the US, that I have to admit. I will say we always have fun when we play in the UK, and play some really good shows that are usually pretty packed up or sold out. So given that, and the fact that we don’t live in Europe and tour as much there, they can expect something really energetic and upbeat.”

After his UK shows Pokey will travel to France, Belgium and the Netherlands before continuing to tour in North America. Next month they will play huge festivals such as Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee, sharing the bill with the likes of Billy Joel and Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant.

“After that we’ll just have to see” Pokey concludes.”I imagine there will be a new record in the not-so-distant future, and I’m working on some other creative projects too.

“It’s an exciting time”.

CHECK IT OUT
Pokey LaFarge plays tonight at the O2 Academy Oxford, Cowley Road, Oxford. Doors 7pm.
Book at ticketweb.co.uk