How did you get started playing in clubs?
Me and my friend, Eve Monsees, she`s another musician I`ve known since third grade, since about eight or nine years old. We started playing guitar about the same time and we both played blues guitar. So we went down to this club called Babe`s one night on 6th Street. They had a blues jam and we got up on stage for the first time playing this blues jam. From then, people have been calling her and calling me to do gigs. We used to play in a group together, but we split up and went on our separate ways now.
Nobody in your family has any musical background?
My Mom claims she can`t sing. My Dad claims he can sing. He trys real hard. My great grandparents were real musical. Both my great grandmothers played piano at church. I guess from that gospel setting, I don`t know how that came in.
So how do you feel when you come to a club like JJ`s and you get the audience response? Everyone loves you. Can you tell the difference in the different clubs you play?
Um. Well, I guess, definitely.
Do you feed off the response?
Oh Yeah. Definitely. If the crowd`s not into it, I`m just kind of playing. When the energy`s up, the energy you get from there goes into it.
Anything that`s off the wall you can tell me about yourself?
I`m pretty plain.
Tell me about the places you play and about your recording.
We play at clubs like Joe`s Generic Bar, the most popular bar that we play the most. It`s just an all night type blues bar. We play there all the time. Antone`s every now and then and The Continental Club, East Side Lounge. Other places around. As far as the CD goes, we did it all by ourselves independently. There`s a guy named Stuart Sullivan, we did it in his studio in a couple of days. It`s in Austin. It`s different stuff. It has jazz stuff, soul type stuff and blues.
You talked about your blues influences. What about your soul influences and your jazz influences?
Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong. As far as singers, I love the female singers, Ella Fitzgerald. Just that whole big band sound. As far as the soul-jazz stuff, Jimmy Smith, things like that. I like Al Green, I like Bob Marley. I love Bob Marley and Marvin Gay. And all that stuff. I love it.
Any other interests besides music?
I used to play basketball. In my sophomore year we had a game and I told my coach I had to miss a game because I had a gig. He pulled me aside and said, “Gary you need to pick that damn Rock and Roll or you can pick basketball.” I picked the music. I wanted to play basketball and be a NBA star like Michael Jordan. It didn`t happen.
You have a talent. What brought you here to J&J`s?
Thank you. Wes, actually. He sent me an e-mail and asked me to do this Albert King tribute. Hopefully I will be down here again.
Who are the guys you are playing with on stage tonight?
Jason Moeller on drums, Matt Farrell plays piano. I love having him play, he`s great.
All of you are young except for Homer.
Yeah. But Homer`s the man. You can`t beat him. Yeah, I saw Matt play with the Keller Brother`s band. He moved up to Minnesota, Michigan or somewhere up north. He moved back in town and was trying to pick up gigs. I snatched him up right away. He`s the hottest thing.
Is he on your CD?
Yeah, he and Jay both, and it`s just us. I ended up playing bass on some of the songs. I`m not a great bass player.
Are you planning to shop your CD on tours or anything?
We are sending it to radio stations all over and clubs all over.
All songs on Gary`s CD are written and arranged by him. Maybe you can hear some of his influences in his music, but mostly you can hear Gary Clark. His vocals, guitar and song writing talents seem to be those of a more seasoned musician. In light of this, we know we can expect a wonderfully bright future in the blues by Gary Clark, Jr.
Me and my friend, Eve Monsees, she`s another musician I`ve known since third grade, since about eight or nine years old. We started playing guitar about the same time and we both played blues guitar. So we went down to this club called Babe`s one night on 6th Street. They had a blues jam and we got up on stage for the first time playing this blues jam. From then, people have been calling her and calling me to do gigs. We used to play in a group together, but we split up and went on our separate ways now.
Nobody in your family has any musical background?
My Mom claims she can`t sing. My Dad claims he can sing. He trys real hard. My great grandparents were real musical. Both my great grandmothers played piano at church. I guess from that gospel setting, I don`t know how that came in.
So how do you feel when you come to a club like JJ`s and you get the audience response? Everyone loves you. Can you tell the difference in the different clubs you play?
Um. Well, I guess, definitely.
Do you feed off the response?
Oh Yeah. Definitely. If the crowd`s not into it, I`m just kind of playing. When the energy`s up, the energy you get from there goes into it.
Anything that`s off the wall you can tell me about yourself?
I`m pretty plain.
Tell me about the places you play and about your recording.
We play at clubs like Joe`s Generic Bar, the most popular bar that we play the most. It`s just an all night type blues bar. We play there all the time. Antone`s every now and then and The Continental Club, East Side Lounge. Other places around. As far as the CD goes, we did it all by ourselves independently. There`s a guy named Stuart Sullivan, we did it in his studio in a couple of days. It`s in Austin. It`s different stuff. It has jazz stuff, soul type stuff and blues.
You talked about your blues influences. What about your soul influences and your jazz influences?
Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong. As far as singers, I love the female singers, Ella Fitzgerald. Just that whole big band sound. As far as the soul-
Any other interests besides music?
I used to play basketball. In my sophomore year we had a game and I told my coach I had to miss a game because I had a gig. He pulled me aside and said, “Gary you need to pick that damn Rock and Roll or you can pick basketball.” I picked the music. I wanted to play basketball and be a NBA star like Michael Jordan. It didn`t happen.
You have a talent. What brought you here to J&J`s?
Thank you. Wes, actually. He sent me an e-
Who are the guys you are playing with on stage tonight?
Jason Moeller on drums, Matt Farrell plays piano. I love having him play, he`s great.
All of you are young except for Homer.
Yeah. But Homer`s the man. You can`t beat him. Yeah, I saw Matt play with the Keller Brother`s band. He moved up to Minnesota, Michigan or somewhere up north. He moved back in town and was trying to pick up gigs. I snatched him up right away. He`s the hottest thing.
Is he on your CD?
Yeah, he and Jay both, and it`s just us. I ended up playing bass on some of the songs. I`m not a great bass player.
Are you planning to shop your CD on tours or anything?
We are sending it to radio stations all over and clubs all over.
All songs on Gary`s CD are written and arranged by him. Maybe you can hear some of his influences in his music, but mostly you can hear Gary Clark. His vocals, guitar and song writing talents seem to be those of a more seasoned musician. In light of this, we know we can expect a wonderfully bright future in the blues by Gary Clark, Jr.
