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(return
to part 1)
What do you look for in
an artist you're considering signing?
Generally, I look for people who have a deep
awareness of the tradition without wanting to copy the
tradition. I look for people who, onstage, can bring a catharsis
to the audience. People who can touch the audience's soul, and
touch my soul. The live performance is very, very important
to me. Imagine my thrill when I first saw Shemekia Copeland,
who at 17 was singing with so much depth and subtlety that it
was like she had been singing for 40 years.
I also look for people who already have started
gathering a regional following, and who maybe already have a
little bit of a press kit.
Let's get specific for
a moment. Corey Harris, whom you signed in the mid-'90s, went
on to become one of the decade's biggest success stories. What
did you see in him that made you feel he'd be a good fit for
Alligator?
Well, what I saw in Corey Harris and what
he turned out to be were two different things. The Corey Harris
I first heard was a very traditional acoustic bluesman doing
only a little original material, but singing with such depth
and soul that even when he was singing a Fred McDowell song he
was singing like he'd lived it.
So what I signed was a solo acoustic bluesman. But what I got
was a world-music visionary who had a whole new direction for
blues - one that will scare some blues fans but one that I think
is very important. Greens From the Garden is one of the
most challenging records we've ever released. And I have to say
that I originally didn't like it. It was a little too much for
me. His growth between Fish and Greens was a giant
step, and I wasn't ready to take that step with him. My imagination
wasn't as big as Corey's. It took me a lot of listens
to realize how brilliant that album is. I think it's one of the
first "new millennium" blues records.
Tell us about working with
Albert Collins, who was with Alligator from 1978 through 1986.
Albert was the first artist we had who had
an audience among rock fans. Koko Taylor obviously had a big
reputation when she came to Alligator, but only among blues fans.
It took a long time to get her known to a national audience again;
"Wang Dang Doodle" had been a hit on black radio, but
it was not a rock record. With Albert, what we got was one of
the most original electric guitar players ever in blues.
And he had a very warm stage personality. People loved him
in addition to loving the music.
We managed Albert for nine years, and I traveled all around the
world with him. I just adored the guy. He was one of the gentlest
people I've ever known, so sweet and so modest. At the end of
his shows, he'd often say, "Thank you for accepting me."
And that was heartfelt. He meant that. As far as he was concerned,
he was guilty until proven innocent, and that meant that he had
to ask for the audience's approval every night.
I miss him terribly and I think about him all the time. Albert
left the label, and when I saw him later there was a little bitterness.
He was between contracts, and Pointblank had made a very generous
offer to him. And Albert never sat down and said, "Bruce,
I want to explore this other opportunity," and it hurt my
feelings a lot. So there was a rift between us for a while. After
he discovered he had cancer, before he knew it was terminal,
he said, "Bruce, I'm sorry I left, and when I'm done with
this contract I want to come back to you." And he gave me
a big hug. I felt as though I had my friend back. He was truly
one of the great artists of his generation, and I was blessed
to have been able to record him.
I've been blessed multiple times, in fact. There's so much about
my life that has been beyond my wildest expectations. Not so
much in the financial department, but in terms of everything
else in my life I'm one of the happiest, most rewarded people
you'll ever meet.
(continue
to part 3)
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