EMM J-J 2018 Final

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Generations at the Cross Roads UPCOMING EVENTS NATHAN - June 10 Blind Tiger ROY - June 8 Luxe Restaurant Article by Brad Cardille • Photos by Bill Clubb I'm sitting across from Nathan Pope in his parents' home in rural southern Alamance County. In his room, we are surrounded by drums, keyboards and recording equipment. His mainstay guitars hanging from the walls. Nate is 15 years old, and if you haven't heard, he's kind of a big deal. At 2 years old Nathan's "Teddy Bear" was a small red First Act Discovery guitar with a yellow flame decor, a gift from COVERING his Grandmother. "I carried it everywhere I went, even Disney World" he says. Listening to Kenny Wayne Shepherd while riding on the lawnmower with his mother and practicing in the backseat of the car on the long rides to and from home, he began the journey of honing his craft. By the time he was 6 years old, Nathan was picking out melodies and learning songs on his own. At age 10, he began appearing on local stages. Now at the ripe age of 15, he's a staple on the Blues Festival Circuit. He's represented the Triangle Blues Society, played in Memphis (in front of Morgan Freeman). Nathan has just recently completed his first CD. titled "I'm Not Alone." The collections' lyrics are set deeply in his unwavering faith and the musical work on the guitar is put down squarely on some of his biggest, more modern influences, Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Gary Moore. "They're not just dreams, they're plans, there is no plan B" "At this age (15) I already know the direction I want to go" He tells me. "They're not just dreams, they're plans, there is no plan B" he says. As we discuss further, a more tangible albeit lofty goal comes to light and inspired by Joe Bonamassa's live performances at The Hall "My main goal is to play The Royal Albert Hall, that's where I want to play" he says. Impossible? Certainly not. Improbable? Maybe. If you mean improbable like a 2 year old would literally embrace a guitar constantly, picking up songs and melodies on his own at 6, playing gigs at 10 and becoming a fixture and standout on the scene? Writing and releasing his own music at 15? Well Then, it seems we may want to rethink those odds When asked about his approach to song writing, Nathan tells me, "I stay away from the typical 'Baby, why did you leave me?' kind of stuff." Rather, Nathan's approach to lyrical topics and phrasings are more related to human emotions as evident from his time spent in church and a deep seated faith. "I still go back to the older blues music and how it makes me feel when it comes to composing and creating structure in my music" he says. "I'm a guitarist yes, but I'm really a blues guitarist" he tells me. When pressed for clarification, it was clear that Nate wanted to be understood, stating "All the enthusiasts about music out there don't be completely triggered about what I'm going to say. Blues is probably as real a type of music as you can get. Because it's emotion, true playing, no fake instruments, and souls being poured into a song. That's how I've always seen it" he continues. "It's honestly about the most pure, original and realistic music as you can possibly get." Nathan is keenly aware of the torch he is holding. With a firm grasp of blues and gospel music from the previous generations and a youthful, brazenly confident approach to his own music, Nathan journeys towards his own legacy of being a beacon of influence in blues based music for his up and coming generation. My first introduction and greeting with Nathan occurred at the 221 Lounge in Greensboro. He was there to join in and play a few songs with Roy Roberts. Now, if you hadn't heard of Nathan Pope before this article, it's understandable as he has but just started to chart his course. But Roy Roberts? Admittedly, I knew of Roy Roberts...or I thought I knew of Roy Roberts. That is until I sat down with him at his studio in Greensboro. It felt like 10 minutes but it was every bit of two hours, and even then I had to tear myself away back home.
THE BLUES As I stepped out of the car by the side of the house and approached the studio building in the back, I felt almost like a trespasser. I climbed the stairs, the door is open, and a gentlemen sitting by the door greets me as he rises to leave me alone with Roy who is sitting across the room a bit. Instantly, I felt the presence of a man who has lived much more than I have. I can't quite explain it, but I admired him before he even started talking. As a musician myself and a lover of all things music, I knew that I was about to have the privilege of experiencing. Roy quickly wiped away any feelings of intrusion I may have had before and I was grateful to settle in. The studio was filled with old school equipment and memorabilia on the walls from six decades of making music. I asked him if we could start at the beginning and we most certainly did. Roy grew up in a small town called Livingston, Tennessee, just east of Nashville. As a boy, he would listen to the radio stations broadcasting from Nashville, mostly country music, but blues and R&B as well. Inspired, he saved up his money and bought his first guitar at age 14 from Sears. He knew then that farm life was not to be his future. At age 18, Roy left Tennessee and came to Greensboro to live with his Uncle. While out cruising with his friends, they stopped in at a club where Jerry Butler was performing. Being impressed at his playing and also, the attention received from the ladies, convinced Roy to become a professional musician. He quickly became a regular in the circuit playing with the likes of Guitar Kimbers' Untouchables. It only took one chance for Roy when Solomon Burke asked him to sit in as Bass player on a gig. Soon, Roy had taken over guitar duties while touring with Solomon Burke and a career was born. That initial opportunity spawned other touring gigs with legendary performers such as Eddie Floyd, Stevie Wonder and Otis Redding to name just a few. He formed The Roy Roberts Experience and toured the regional circuit, as well as up and down the southeast coast. Roy cut many records through the sixties and seventies. Then came the Disco era, the majority of shows and events quickly disappeared for Blues and R&B artists, including Roy Roberts." I played about 300 different clubs nationally and in 30 days they all started cancelling our shows." Roy says. He reaches out to an old friend, Arthur Smith of "The Arthur Smith Show" and "Guitar Boogie" fame that predates Chuck Berry by a decade. Arthur and Roy record a couple of songs together and some bookings in the Madison - Mayodan area. Roy's country music career took off. Roy Roberts and the Chocolate Cowboys, Roy tells me "That was the hottest thing I did in terms of gigs and making money, we would be booked a year in advance." After a near decade long run, his good friend and fellow country artist O.B. mine." It sparked Roy back to performing and the blues music he had started with, so many years before. He moved back to Greensboro, formed a band and he hasn't looked back since. April 7th, <strong>2018</strong> at the 221 Lounge in downtown Greensboro. I know this place well. The old Flat Iron. Worked here, played here, late nights here. Memories...good and bad. But tonight "I heard it and thought, he's got a style kind of like mine" something exceptional, a 15 year old prodigy joins a Blues legend on stage. Nathan comes on stage as Roy and his band The Quest have already warmed up the crowd. They work their way through several blues standards and stretch them out a bit for Nathan and the band. It sounds great! The beautiful thing about blues music is it has a familiarity to its artists that allows a 15 year old to connect spontaneously with a legend in his 70s seamlessly. Nathan's control of tone is remarkable on his Gold top Les Paul, which practically hides his body from the crowd due to his stature. But his playing is urgent and aggressive, as it should be, at this stage of his career. Roy Roberts is unwavering, cool and mesmerizing on stage. Guess you get that skill set after 6 decades of performing and it shows. But something even larger is happening here. This vein of music we call "The Blues," which permeates inside every genre of modern music today, has two of its finest representatives meeting at a crossroads tonight. A crossroads of generations. One who has laid the foundation of music and a legacy that never dies. So that the other can build "The Blues" into the music of the next generation and start the next chapter of roots music. www.royrobertsblues.com www.nathanpopemusic.com "It's honestly about the most pure, original and realistic music as you can possibly get" McClinton passed away in Nashville in 1987. It devastated him, Roy walked away from music in 1989 to take a break. Roy spent his time working in his studio cutting Gospel music for the next few years, until one day he hears an artist on the radio. It was Robert Cray and his song "Phone Booth." Roy says "I heard it and thought, he's got a style kind of like Live at 221 Lounge Greensboro
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