Pokey LaFarge
“Ragtime and country, jazz and swing; all swirl together on this collection of expertly formed roots nuggets.” Kitty Empire, THE OBSERVER
“LaFarge not only remembers the good times- he is the good times!” Fred Dellar, MOJO
“Pokey’s got a St. Louis thing going. His muse is the Mississippi; maybe that’s what makes his songs run so deep and muddy, though it was on the Ohio that I first met him. With a Bardstown tune he stopped me dead in my tracks—just a kid back then, cutting his teeth on primitive blues, rust jazz, drunk swing – Lord! – what saintly patron brought Clifford Hayes back from the dead and sent him back to Carpet Alley to reclaim his crown? Well, all I can say for certain is nobody sings much like Jimmie Rodgers anymore and nobody crows, rakes, rips, yips, shouts, buzzes or croons quite like Pokey LaFarge either.”Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show)
Pokey LaFarge will release his Rounder Records debut, Something in the Water, in the UK on May 25 and will play UK dates as follows:
May 27, Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
May 28, Oxford, O2 Academy
May 29, London, Islington Assembly Hall
The dozen-song set, produced by Jimmy Sutton (best known for his work with JD McPherson), marks a new landmark in a career that’s already filled with musical highlights. The St. Louis-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist draws from a deep well of American musical traditions to create distinctively personal music that’s timeless rather than retro, transcending the confines of genre in a manner that reflects the artist’s openhearted attitude.
Incorporating elements of early jazz, ragtime, country blues, Western swing, and beyond, LaFarge has created a vibrant, deeply expressive body of work that embodies an expansive musical vision and vivid storytelling sensibility that are wholly his own. He’s also earned a reputation as a tireless, uniquely charismatic live performer, winning a loyal international fan base that regularly packs his rousing, celebratory live shows.
Something in the Water features a diverse cast of talented players, including his own longstanding touring combo as well as members of such notable outfits as NRBQ, the Fat Babies, the Modern Sounds, and the Western Elstons.
