YOU could listen to the blues for a lifetime and never move an inch in your understanding. Conversely you could be lucky enough to hear a man who not only knows how to play the blues but, more importantly, why he plays the blues.

Such a man is Sherman Robertson, described rather cryptically as 'the the new kid from the old school' he is, more accurately, a man for whom the blues is what he is, more than what he does. But he's no slavish follower of tradition, his soul-soaked songs are the future of the genre rather than a sepia-tinged portrait anchored in the past.

Born in Beaux Bridge, Louisiana he was raised in Texas and the first musician to ignite the spark in him was Hank Williams. He saw Williams perform on TV and the die was cast. He got his first guitar at the age of 13 and sooned gained a reputation as a fine musician, joining his first band Connie's Combo led by his High School music teacher. In the late 60s he spent six weeks on the road with Bobby 'Blue' Bland and also backed Junior Parker. That led to the formation of his own band, Sherman Robertson and the Crosstown Blues Band and two albums recorded for Lunar II.

In the 70s he became a 'part-time' musician, playing weekends whilst working to raise a family. Then Clifton Chenier 'The King of Zydeco' asked him to do ' a few' dates. Five years later on and Robertson joined Terrance Simien's band and went on to play with Rockin' Dopsie and Johnny Clyde Copeland. As word spread, Robertson was chosen as a guitarist for Paul Simon's seminal 80s album Graceland and soon after he was signed to Atlantic Records where he released a solo album, I'm The Man in 1993, which was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award. A second Atlantic album Here and Now was released in 1996 but Robertson felt constrained by a large label and signed for the independent AudioQuest, releasing Going Back Home in 1988 which was described as 'potent singing and sizzling guitar'.

Sherman Robertson is a working musician in every sense and still travels the world bringing his passionate blues to an ever-growing audience. Blues Matters caught up with him at his home in Houston, Texas and spent an hour at the feet of a man who is destined to be remembered as a great entertainer and a great innovator.

BM: Why did you become a blues musician? Not so much the process but what drove you to it?

SR: Two blocks from where I lived was a place called Walker's Lounge and it was there that I first heard Albert Collins. I was also listening to the old Duke and Peacock records which featured people like Don Robey, Bobby Bland, BB King and Albert Collins. The blues was the mainstream music for my generation with people like Wilson Pickett and later Sam Cooke leading the way, it was a part of my upbringing. Also the Blues musicians were the ones making the money, they had the suits and the cadillacs. In those days you could hear the blues 7 days a week plus matinees.

BM: The blues is as much about what each musican brings to a song. What do you bring that makes it uniquely Sherman Robertson's?

SR: I bring a power and a groove to the music. I always try to paint a story picture with a guitar and lyrics. But it's live performances that get the juice going. My father was from SW Louisiana and I follow his advice 'never cheat the paying man, he works hard for his money, you should too'. I think audiences respond to that, when they see a musician being real up there they appreciate it.

BM: Hank Williams is not the first name to spring to mind when lisening to Sherman Robertson. What influence did he have on you ?

SR: Hank Williams' music always sounded so depressed and browbeaten that something just grabbed me. He was always brutally honest, pouring his heart out and living his life through his music.

BM: Who are the musicians you listen to and say 'yeah' that's how it should be done'?

SR: I really like Eric Clapton I think Eric has approached his music in a different way throughout the changing phases of his life, always developing. Bobby Bland is also someone whose music I admire. Peter Green is another one, I think is a great blues man and then there's the sheer intensity of Freddy King.

BM: Your music has real deep grove to it, it's soul/blues more than just blues. Are you happy with that and how would you define Sherman Robertson for the layman?

SR: I'm happy if the music feels right. If I can't put me into it then it doesn't work. I guess that's the essence of what I do, it's me putting it out there for the audience.

BM: Working on Graceland must have been quite an experience how did that come about?

SR: I was playing Zydeco with a musician called 'Rockin Dopsie' and a man called Dickie Landry who was involved with Paul Simon was looking for a band with a SW Louisiana groove. Paul Simon was crazy about the Zydeco rhythms particularly a song called That's My Mother where the rhythm went against the music. When we'd finished Paul turned to me and said: 'Sherman, that's a great, great rhythm'. I have to say that just to be in the same room as him, never mind playing with him was a highlight of my career

BM: You've been a musician at a high level for some time. Do you still get a thrill from the blues?

SR: I still feel the same intensity that I always did. Although I'm disappointed with the music industry, when I get on the bandstand that's my thing. I can be going through a depressed day but the stage is my freedom room. Recording is great but a studio can't compare with playing live

BM: You've been described as 'the new kid from the old school' suggesting you've brought nothing new to the genre. Isn't that a bit of a backhanded compliment?

SR: I don't really know what 'old school' they're referring to. Maybe it's that the people I learned from in the 50s humped garbage and cleaned the streets. The blues was the music of their life and I've tried to bring that in.

BM: Many American artists reckon that UK audiences appreciate the 'live experience' more. Do you agree?

SR: Absolutely, audiences in Britain realy appreciate the visual and I like getting close to an audience where I can watch the emotion on their faces.

BM: How do you think the Blues is perceived today?

SR: The blues is like life it goes through the cycles and we've all got to pass through those doors. Sadly it's losing it's tastiness. The people who should appreciate it aren't proud of the music anymore. The blues doesn't seem to have the same value, it used to have a story attached now it doesn't. Robert Johnson lived a blues life, that doesn't exist anymore. How can you get the same emotion from singing 'my hard drive just died'. I'm concerned now with where the blues goes next. As I said earlier I'm disappoined with the industry. If we don't look after the blues then we'll lose it.

BM: What ambitions do you still have?

SR: I'm trying to evolve my blues. I haven't lived the life that Johnson did, I didn't see or experience the things he did, so my blues is a happy blues. I want to lead from the front to inspire people by taking a negative and making it a positive. What's wrong with singing about a guy who wins for a change? I've always fought against the stereotyping of the blues. I've found out that I was before my time but I'll persevere.

Michael Mee from Blues Matters Magazine 2004