Biography

Click Here for more Delmark Releases!

Mississippi Heat – Hattiesburg Blues
(with special guests Lurrie Bell and Carl Weathersby)
Delmark DE 795 (2008)
Compact Disc

Pierre Lacocque has led Mississippi Heat since its inception in 1991. The harmonica player has always surrounded himself with the cream of the crop of Chicago blues players. Lurrie Bell, who appeared on Heat’s 2005 One Eye Open (DVD 1783, CD DE 783), is back again for two songs as is lead vocalist Inetta Visor. Guitarist Carl Weathersby plays throughout and sings on the tune “Hell and Back”. The Chicago Horns and latin percussionist Ruben Alvarez also lend their talents to add a very nice touch to this varied disc. Contains twelve songs, many of which are brand new original compositions!

Mississippi Heat
Hattiesburg Blues
Delmark DE 795

THE HEAT IS ON ... AND HERE TO STAY
Pierre Lacocque has done it again. With Hattiesburg Blues, he offers a fresh new slab of Delta-based Chicago blues. Mississippi Heat is one of the best bands on the scene today, succeeding in creating new paths to explore while staying rooted in the traditional Chicago blues. Complete notes by Robert Sacré enclosed.

1. Tiger Man 4:05
2. Chicago Is My Home 4:48
3. Forgot You Had A Home 5:33
4. How Much Worse Can It Be? 5:33
5. Soft-Hearted Woman 4:59
6. Hattiesburg Blues 4:01
7. Gone So Long 3:13
8. Light From Within 5:57
9. Calypso In Blue 5:33
10. Hell And Back 5:30
11. Say Something Good 4:22
12. Foolish Man 4:21
13. Nature Is Cryin' 4:42

All songs by Pierre Lacocque, Ransart Music, BMI except 5 by Denise Lasalle, Malaco Music Co./Ordena Music/Peer Music III, BMI, 8 by Visor/Lacocque, TheTrueSpiritWorks/Ransart Music, BMI, 10 by Lacocque/Cameron, Ransart Music, BMI/Chi-Bone Music, ASCAP and 11 by Andrew Osis, Lubricated Music, BMI.

Pierre Lacocque, harmonica
Inetta Visor, vocals
Giles Corey, guitar (solos on 3,4,9,11), vocal (11)
Chris "Hambone" Cameron, piano, organ, Wurlitzer, clavinet
Spurling Banks, bass
Stephen Howard replaces Banks on 4,5,8,12,13
Kenny Smith, drums
Dujuan Austin replaces Smith on 4,9,10

With Special Guests:
Carl Weathersby, guitar (solos 5,6,8,10,12,13), vocal (10)
Lurrie Bell, vocals and lead guitar (2,7)
Ruben Alvarez, Latin percussion (4,6,9,13)
Devin Thompson, vocal (12)
Kenny Anderson, trumpet and horn arrangements
Hank Ford, tenor saxophone
Bill McFarland, trombone

www.delmark.com
CP 2008 Delmark Records


Album Production and Supervision: Robert G. Koester
Produced by Pierre Lacocque and Steve Wagner
Recorded at Riverside Studio, Chicago by Steve Wagner on September 9-11, 2007
Mixed and Mastered at Riverside Studio, Chicago, by Steve Wagner and Eric Butkus
Photography: Marc Monaghan (cover); Jocelyn Sicotte
Design: Dave Forte/ForDzine
Visit Mississippi Heat on the web at www.mississippiheat.net

A special thanks goes to Chris “Hambone” Cameron who helped me put these songs together. The many hours working together have solidified an already deep friendship and appreciation of your awesome musicianship. Thanks also to Giles Corey, Chris Winters, and Stephen Howard for your help, and to Eddie C. Campbell and especially to John O’Connor, for reading my lyrics and making useful suggestions. Without my booking agents there would be no Mississippi Heat. Therefore a special thanks also goes to you, here and abroad for your work and dedication to the band: Jay Reil and Michel Lacocque (Chicago), Rene Moisan at Productions Bros. (Montreal), and Jean-Philippe Kauffman/Bernard Villeneuve at Willing Productions (Toulouse, France). My family, especially my wife and children, siblings, and parents deserve a special mention as they are continuously showing steadfast belief in me. Thanks goes also to my friends and fans: Norm & Kyra, Christine, Joe at Shaker Microphones, Kattie, Monique, Robert, Georges, Ron & Sandy, Jeff & Micki, John P., John B., and Mark. You are all adding so much joy to my life. A special mention goes to Rich Kanski for the numerous CDs you are sending to me for my listening pleasure! Finally, my gratitude goes to you all at Delmark Records who have been closely involved with the project, especially Steve Wagner and Eric Butkus for your friendship, professionalism and unflinching support.

THE HEAT IS ON ... AND HERE TO STAY
All the way from the swamps of Mississippi up to the winds of Chicago.
Pierre Lacocque has done it again. With Hattiesburg Blues, he offers a fresh new slab of Delta-based Chicago blues with a strong Latin feel. Pierre is really one of a kind. His story can be read on Mississippi Heat’s web site. There you get details of his life, and what brought him to Chicago in 1969.
To make it short, his passion for the blues harmonica was triggered by geniuses like Walter Horton and Junior Wells whom he heard in clubs. Years later, the pupil reached the status of master himself, living an eventful life, with many episodes, some great and happy, some sad and awful, that eventually led to the birth of his group Mississippi Heat in 1991 (while being managed by his charismatic brother Michel). These brothers are inseparable. They form the nucleus of the group, working tirelessly to achieve their goal: playing Chicago Blues with a unique sound. Mississippi Heat is one of the best bands on the scene today, succeeding in creating new paths to explore while staying rooted in the traditional Chicago blues of the ‘50s.
Band leader, outstanding harp player and composer, Pierre’s vision of the blues is focused. He is wonderfully original. Indeed, instead of relying on old confirmed clichés, he writes new exciting stuff which, combined with his talent to attract first-rate musicians, explains the longevity of Mississippi Heat.
Hattiesburg Blues is their second album for Delmark and their 8th CD overall (see www.mississippiheat.net). As with previous CDs, the recording session (2 full days) had its share of drama. For instance, in the morning of the first day of recording and prior to going to the studio, Pierre cut his upper lip while trimming his moustache to take away unwanted hair that might interfere with his harp playing. He had a hard time stopping the bleeding! Thankfully, the cut was located slightly away from his lip’s playing range so he could blow his harp without further problems. Here is another incident on that day: Carl Weathersby injured his right thumb while playing his guitar. Like Lurrie Bell, Carl uses his right thumb as a guitar pick! He played the remaining of the session with a bandaged thumb. To top it all, Giles Corey had the stomach flu and had to sit down to play. In spite of this, the recording unfolded amazingly well. Rehearsals paid up big dividends!

On Hattiesburg Blues Pierre introduces new dimensions to his compositions, like the Latin-blues tunes Calypso In Blue, How Much Worse Can It Be, or Hattiesburg Blues, revealing his love for Vickie, his Cuban wife of thirty years, for her side of the family, and for his 3 Latin god-children. Other exciting new dimensions are the addition of a gospel-flavored song, Latin percussion, and the inclusion of the Chicago Horns.

The Cast
Pierre Lacocque needs no introduction. He is an inspired band leader and a harmonica virtuoso. He can make you laugh, weep or dance at will; always with finesse. All along this CD his technique and musical imagination are superlative. And to boot, he is an amazing arranger and a sensitive songwriter (he wrote or co-wrote all but two of the songs on this record!).
As a trademark, the band has an ensemble sound: all musicians are featured and contribute on recordings as well as on stage. Once again this holds true on Hattiesburg Blues.

Inetta Visor, has been with Mississippi Heat since 2001. She is one of those artists who keeps improving as she performs and records. On this album she wrote the beautiful lyrics to "Light From Within" (Pierre helped with the musical score). She enjoys herself singing the exciting "Tiger Man" - and the rest of the band too - with provocative erotic lyrics, and she sings her heart out on "How Much Worse Can It Be", led by Giles Corey on guitar. You can also hear her “tango-ing” pleasantly on "Hattiesburg Blues". Listen also to her sensuous and gorgeous rendition of Denise LaSalle’s "Soft Hearted Woman". Finally, "Nature Is Cryin'", the ecological tribute to Al Gore, is a welcome addition to this CD, demonstrating Pierre’s musical versatility as a song writer, and his commitment to making the world a better place.

Carl Weathersby appears on all of Mississippi Heat’s recordings since 1998, with the exception of One Eye Open – Live at Rosa’s Lounge (Delmark 783, 2005). They recorded 4 CDs together in a 10 years span. As with Lurrie Bell, Pierre works with Carl as often as possible. Here, Carl appears on rhythm and/or lead guitar on all tracks and sings on "Hell And Back". As always, he plays here with gusto, feeling and soul.
Kenny Smith, the son of famous drummer Willie Big Eyes Smith, is among the best blues drummers alive. Pierre says he is one of the few musicians he knows who understands his musical style best, and that with him he can venture and create. When Kenny is unavailable, Dujuan Austin (son of Buddy Guy’s drummer Tim Austin), plays with the HEAT. Dujuan appears here on three great cuts.
Guitar wizard Lurrie Bell and Mississippi Heat also go back many years. Lurrie here plays razor sharp guitar licks and sings on "Chicago Is My Home" – a strong blues composition that fits Lurrie like a glove - and "Gone So Long". Lurrie adds a unique value to this exciting CD.

Giles Corey joined Mississippi Heat in 2006. He had played guitar with blues legends like Otis Rush, Billy Branch, Magic Slim... He is quite a guitar player-singer! Just listen to his Santana-like solos on "Calypso In Blue", "How Much Worse Can It Be", "Forgot You Had A Home", or his singing and playing guitar on his own "Say Something Good".
Spurling Banks and Stephen Howard are the two bass players used on this recording. Spurling who played with the Heat from about 2002 until last December 2007, is an awesome musician who is just as comfortable with Gospel, R&B, Jazz and/or with blues. Stephen is a former band alumnus (late 1990s to 2002), and a perfect “compadre” to Kenny Smith.
Chris “Hambone” Cameron, a musician’s musician, played and recorded with great artists like John Mayall, Etta James, Howard Levy, and James Brown. He helped Pierre with some of the musical arrangements. His contributions on this album are always on and tasty. Hambone directed Pierre to Ruben Alvarez when he knew Pierre needed a Latin percussionist. They had played together with John Mayall. Ruben did a superb job here on four Latin-tinged cuts. Hambone also recommended Devin Thompson as a male guest singer for the haunting Gospel-blues "Foolish Man". Devin is quite a passionate singer!

Last but not least, The Chicago Horns complete Hattiesburg Blues’ cast. What an ingenious idea to include them here! Led by Kenny Anderson on trumpet they deliver some of the most innovative scores I have heard in years.

Hattiesburg Blues is Mississippi Heat’s best recording to date. It has a great live and spontaneous feel. Now sit down and relax ... the Heat is on!
-Robert Sacré
Since 1983, Mr. Sacré has taught a class at the Université de Liège (Belgium) entitled “African American Music and Literature”.


Other Delmark albums of interest:
Mississippi Heat, One Eye Open - Live at Rosa's Blues Lounge (783, DVD 1783)
Carey & Lurrie Bell, Getting' Up - Live (791, DVD 1791)
Lurrie Bell, Blues Had A Baby (736)
Kiss Of Sweet Blues (724)
700 Blues (700)
Mercurial Son (679)
Jimmy Burns, Live at B.L.U.E.S. (789, DVD 1789)
Tail Dragger, My Head Is Bald (782, DVD 1782)
Little Arthur Duncan, Live at Rosa's Blues Lounge (793, DVD 1793)
Junior Wells, Hoodoo Man Blues (612) with Buddy Guy
Southside Blues Jam (628) with Buddy Guy, Otis Spann
Blues Hit Big Town (640) with Muddy Waters, Elmore James
Live at Theresa's - 1975 (787) with Byther Smith

Send for free catalog of jazz & blues:
Delmark Records, 1 800 684 3480, 4121 N. Rockwell,
Chicago, IL 60618
www.delmark.com
CP 2008 Delmark Records

RADIO CHARTS: This album reached #1 on XM-Radio (US Satellite]. HATTIESBURG BLUES reached #5 spot for two consecutive months on the national blues radio charts. It also ranked within the top 10 best blues recordings for three months in a row (as reported by LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE).