With a half century in the blues, the 70-year-old Elvin Bishop still gets “a
little nervous” every time he takes the stage.It’sa matter of respect for the music. “You have to have an
edge to reallydo it right,” the veteran blues rocker said in a recent telephoneinterview.Bishop takes the
main stage in the prime time 8 p.m. spot in Saturday’s Black Swamp Festival show on Sept. 7.Bishop learned
about respecting the music from the lions of the blues.Hefirst heard the sounds of the blues when he was
growing up in theOklahoma countryside. The radio, “my only connection to music,” beamedin the country sounds
as well as early rock ‘n’ roll. Then when he wasin his early teens he heard Jimmy Reed’s harmonica cutting
through thestatic. A spark was struck. “It was all over,” he said. “I just wentcrazy for it.”Using
second-hand guitars, he tried to learn to play, picking up licksfrom Lightnin’ Hopkins and John Lee Hooker
as well as their waywardsense of phrasing, something that got him into trouble when he firststarted playing
with bands.A National Merit Scholarship gave him his choice of colleges to attend,and he picked one of the
best in the country, the University of Chicago.Itwasn’t the college’s academic offerings that attracted him.
Whatattracted him was the city’s legendary blues scene. “The university wasmy cover story.”His major at
school may have been physics, but his major in life was the blues.Hisclassmate in those pursuits was another
young, white blues enthusiastPaul Butterfield, who he met on his first day on campus.At nightthey explored
the Southside clubs that were brimming with the performerswho created the modern blues sound., Muddy Waters,
Etta James, OtisRush, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith and a legion of others.With so much music to absorb, academics
took a back seat. Once he hitcalculus and he could no longer show up just to pass the test, hesubtracted
classwork from his agenda.He and Butterfield found acceptance in the clubs. At that time the Southside was
“like a big southern town.”The bluesmen saw in Bishop someone who “wasn’t very good” but was willing to work
and learn.“They were nice to me,” he said. “They were good guys.”Heended playing with some of them,
including Hound Dog Taylor and JuniorWells, and then he and Butterfield along with guitar virtuoso
MichaelBloomfield formed the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1965. Theintegrated outfit helped introduce the
blues to young white rock fans.By the 1970s Bishop was on his own and scored hits with “Fooled Aroundand
Fell in Love,” “Travelin’ Shoes” and “Sure Feels Good.”He’s continue to travel and record since, though his
touring has slowed down.Inthe 1970s he moved to San Francisco. He now lives, back on the farm, 50miles north
of the city. He’s happy there with his wife and acres offruit trees and gardens, and the lure of the road
doesn’t pull him outas much.“I love performing, but the romance of travel has worn off.”On theday the
telephone interview with Bishop he had his day planned outincluding canning green beans. “I’m a maniac”
about gardening, headmitted.When he goes out he brings a band of veteran musicians forsupport. Each has an
impressive list of past associations, that includesmore than few music legends. Band members are: Ed Earley,
trombone andpercussion; Bob Welsh, guitar and piano; Ruth Davies, bass; S.E. Willis,keyboards and accordion;
and Bobby Cochran, drums and vocals.After 50 years on stage, he said, “I’ve grown a lot more confident. I
don’t try to hide behind the bass player.”“It’s great when things come together,” Bishop said. “I just quit
thinking and the music is just flowing through me.”http://elvinbishopmusic.com/videos/