JODY CARROLL

Biography

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Jody Carroll is a blues & Roots performer and songwriter who effortlessly creates bold interpretations of old Blues and American Folk music, his own songs, stories and improvisational musical journeys. He is a Finger style/slide guitar master and amazingly soulful singer blending flavors of old Blues, Folk, Mountain music, Jazz and Rock all together into a true power packed gumbo. 

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JC Has toured with or shared the stage with legends such as Buddy Guy, Honey Boy Edwards, Louisiana Red, R.L Burnside, Johnny Winter, John Mayhall, George Thorogood, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeski, Leo Bud Welch, Robert Cray,  Eddie Kirkland, Robyn Trower, John McEuen , Ural Thomas, Charlie Musslewhite, Canned Heat, Robert Earl Keen, Sonny Landreth, Shameka Copeland, Paul Geramia, Sonny Landreth, Roy Bookbinder and even members of Metallica once back in 1987 (strange story).

He appeared to great critical response at Merlefest 2018 & 21 

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From there to here:

                                

Jody Carroll McMurrian was born on April 5 1968 in an area called the San Joaquin Delta of California. It's a vast water filled area where the Antioch River, the Old River, The San Joaquin River and the Sacramento River all meet up to pour into the San Francisco Bay. His family hails from the hills of Buffalo Valley Oklahoma via Arkansas on his fathers side and Amarillo Texas on his mothers side.

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Jody Carroll grew up hearing whispers of old American music on the radio or from his fathers guitar. His father started him off with a couple Willie Nelson songs and plenty of AM country radio. His grandfather, who also played guitar when he was young,  had come from the remote rural Buffalo Valley hills of Oklahoma 20 years earlier with his family in tow. He and his brothers had been running whiskey in those hills one to many times and had been effectively asked to leave the state by the law. JC's grandfather left town and made his way over to California and then up to the bay area for work in the ship yards of Port Chicago. Jody grew up in the 70's and 80's working on the families Northern California farm, building barns, riding horses, drawing, learning music from old blues, folk, Rock and Soul records.

 

His first guitar was his father's steel guitar that had languished for many years up in the attic until he found it. After secretly playing it for a while, he asked his father to teach him some old folk tunes that he had played in his early years and some lap slide licks. He took to it like a fish devouring all he could learn from the family record collection. After many years of playing in garage rock bands, he happened upon the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music and the recordings of Robert Johnson. That sealed the deal as it where, he took off into the back woods of old weird America and never looked back.

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Jody's Grandfather in Buffalo Valley Oklahoma in

the late 30's 

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In addition to music, he has always been a very active visual artist. Jody holds a Masters degree in Fine Art with and emphasis on painting and has taught at the university level. His work is held within many private collections.

 

 

Recently he was brought to Japan by label BSMF Records out of Osaka for a  critically acclaimed 5 city cd release tour for Old Blood. He toured 5 cities to great acclaim and even learned a couple magic trick's while  there. 

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* Represented in Japan on record label BSMF Records out of Osaka.

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Jody has organized many large concerts and has lectured at universities and private functions regarding the history of American music and the creative process.  Robert Johnson 101 Years Concert,  One event in particular was a 2 part series of tribute shows and lectures dedicated to the late great music historian Harry Smith and his world bending Anthology of American Folk Music. 

The event Blog:

http://deadpanfolk.blogspot.com/

Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dIIqK_nW64

 

 

 

 

Press:

 

"No cliché stuff here. No predictable, typical blues slock here - only smart, eloquent, modern music that is at the same time well soaked in old weird American traditional music.  Daring, original, deep, sweet, dark, exciting are some of the adjectives that come to ones mind when listening to him. You are greeted with a whirlwind of sounds that he creates with his guitar and voice. Deep as the wood’s and delta where he comes from, dark as the river water he grew up swimming in and uplifting as the traditional American melodies and stories he was raised with.." 

Kboo Radio host Steve Murray and Brad Brenner. 

 

‘Get Inside This House’ voted Best Independent Blues Release of the Year by the International Blues Foundation of Memphis.

 

 

"His fingerpicking and slide skills amaze and challenge listeners while his moving vocals draw them into the world of a true story teller.."
Cascade Blues Association Portland, OR 2006

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Oregonian - spellbinding yarns – Oregonian

"spellbinding yarns. In among the mischievous spirits and tortured souls, He plays mystic, conjuring up the dark side of the heart armed only with a guitar and voice. You have to wonder if he didn't strike the same deal as Delta shaman Robert Johnson.."