NOTES: This piece is reprinted, with permission, from VintageVinyl.com. There, you can sample music clips from Marquise Knox, as well as purchase the album “Man Child.” You can listen to author Tom Ray on the “Soul Selector,” every Monday afternoon on KDHX, from 4-7 p.m.

By Tom “Papa” Ray

Photo By Todd Jordan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tojosan/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

In 2009, there’s abundant signs of younger musicians taking up the various forms of American blues, and some of them certainly show promise, but for our money, the hands-down player to watch on planet Earth who has yet to reach a 21st birthday is Saint Louis singer/guitarist/harpist/songwriter Marquise Knox.

Raised in a city known for blues as long as blues have been known, Knox is presented here in his first national release, the aptly titled Man Child. Released by the quality-conscious folks at Acoustic Sounds on their APO label in June of this year, the listener will soon understand why he has won the enthusiastic nodding approval of such blues figures as Bobby Rush (who has played two shows here in the past 18 months with the younger man, where Knox confidently stood opposite the most formidable showman in the blues world today).

Not only Rush has expressed his admiration; other elders of the scene (up to and including B.B. King) acknowledge him as a full-fledged member of the academy. In other words, this is not the music one would expect from someone of such young years (especially in a genre where, more than others, power and authority usually is gained over the decades) — the normal reaction by seasoned blues lovers is ‘HE’S HOW OLD?!?’, when faced by the evidence. This is straight up modern blues, with no concessions to rock histrionics. Performers such as Kenny Wayne Shepherd and others may have more years, but with this release it’s clear indeed who is The Old Soul in the body of a teenager. His vocal authority pretty much puts to shame the field of hopefuls, and he’s just getting started.

This 11-song release shows Knox comfortable in the conventions of Delta blues patterns, backed by the fine Alligator recording artist Michael Burkes and band. On guitar Marquise spans both the sonic lessons taken from the late Henry Townsend (who mentored him in the last few years of his life), as well as echoing both Albert King and Lightnin’ Hopkins.

The material sounds strong but relaxed, almost off-hand in assurance — you don’t hear the straining-for-authority often shown by the last highly touted young blues discovery who’s probably recording before the musical fruit is right. No, Mr. Knox shows no lack of control or mastery of the form, and when you reflect this set was cut at the age of 16, the prospects he will be the most notable blues artist of his generation seems a Done Deal.

That’s our take. As always there’s a lot of flashy and loud players claiming to wear The Raiment Of The Blues-Man, but our bet is Marquise Knox is right now the finest blues artist of his generation, and will be the blues figure to beat for years to come.