Coming from a musical family, Bibb’s father Leon introduced him to the folk scene from an early age (he even remembers having a conversation with Bob Dylan as a child), and his uncle, the great John Lewis of Modern Jazz Quartet, gave him an early jazz influence.
By the age of 16, Bibb was accompanying his father’s band as a guitarist and by the end of his teenage years he was travelling across Europe, immersing himself in the global sounds of the continent and reconnecting to the blues.
Eric Bibb’s discography is one of the most impressive of any modern bluesman. His 1972 debut album, Ain’t It Grand, put him on the map as a blues and folk voice and he has since released twenty-two studio albums, all of them acclaimed and well-loved by fans all over the world.
His international outlook is mirrored in his list of duet partners, which extends to the world’s four corners. Few artists have released more collaborative projects and Eric has joined forces with the great Odetta (an icon of his youth), Taj Mahal, Mamadou Diabaté, George Benson and many more.
He will release Dear America on September 10, an album that deconstructs his deep and tumultuous relationship with his native US, where, “for all its associations with pain and its bloody history,” he has always found “incredible hope and optimism.” Listen to a cut here.
Eric’s Qwest TV playlist reflects his international mentality and range of influences. The blues is represented by a Bukka White documentary and jazz by concerts from Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines. Elsewhere, the African roots of the blues are carried into the modern world by the great Malian kora master, Sékou Kouyaté and the griot music group, Trio Da Kali. Notable for its scope, this playlist also touches on Fado music from Portugal, classical music from Estonia and reggae from Jamaica.
We salute you, Eric!
