The Soul of John Black

John "JB" Bigham, the mastermind behind power trio The Soul Of John Black, has a remarkable résumé. For almost a decade, he played guitar and keyboards with Fishbone, contributing to three of the band's best albums. He's written songs for Miles Davis and played on the jazz legend's last studio...

By J. Poet

May 10, 2007

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John "JB" Bigham, the mastermind behind power trio The Soul Of John Black, has a remarkable résumé. For almost a decade, he played guitar and keyboards with Fishbone, contributing to three of the band's best albums. He's written songs for Miles Davis and played on the jazz legend's last studio album. He's played on sessions with Eminem, Dr. Dre, Nikka Costa and Everlast. The eclectic chops he's picked up in his career, including more than a bit of Jimi Hendrix's electric guitar squall, are put to good use when he's onstage with his stripped-down trio. As you might expect from the band's moniker, their celebration takes place at the crossroads where soul, blues, swamp and African-American folk music mingle to produce a sound that's primal and modern, streetwise and sophisticated. Vocally, Bigham echoes the blues pioneers and soul crooners that have influenced him over the years — Leadbelly, John Lee Hooker, Al Green — but it's his jaw-dropping fretwork and the trio's irresistible groove that will pull you out of your seat and onto the dance floor.

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