Kirk Fletcher

Keep On Pushing

Vizztone Label Group

Kirk Fletcher’s family originally from Pine Bluff, Arkansas moved to the LA suburb of Lakewood, California. Hid dad was a pastor and eventually sold the house in Lakewood to move to Compton in south LA, where he would build his church. At the age of eight  in his father’s church, Fletcher first picked up a guitar. One day Kirk and his older  brother Walter Jr. visited Music Works, a small LA guitar shop, and befriended Jeff  Rivera, Robben Ford’s guitar tech. “We started hanging out and I would help load gear, change strings and just be a fly on the wall to some of the most amazing music I’ve  ever heard”.

Fletcher started seeking out other musicians and befriended Al Blake, harpist and  vocalist from the Hollywood Fats Band. Fletcher was invited for dinner on Sunday  nights at Blake’s house where he was exposed to early traditional blues. Through Blake he was introduced to Junior Watson and Lynwood Slim. In 1999 Fletcher  recorded his debut album “I’m Here and I’m Gone” on the JSP imprint with guest vocalist Jackie Payne; the album was produced by Jimmy Morello.

Fletcher is one of the most complete guitarists on the scene today as he knows  how to play rhythm behind a harpist or vocalist and make them sound better. In 2004 Fletcher released his second album “Shades of Blue” on Delta Groove  Records. Around this time Blake introduced Fletcher to Kim Wilson of The  Fabulous Thunderbirds. One night at Antoine’s Fletcher met and played with his heroes Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, and Hubert Sumlin. Fletcher wound up playing on Wilson’s Grammy nominated live album “Smokin’ Joint”. He went on the road for three years with the Thunderbirds and can be heard playing on their 2005 “Painted On” album. Fletcher has been nominated four times as Best- Instrumentalist-Guitar at The Blues Music Awards, twice for Best Contemporary Blues Album, and once for the Gibson Guitar Award. Follow-up albums include 2010’s “My Turn”, 2014’s “Burning Blues: Live At The Baked Potato”, 2018’s  “Hold On”, 2020’s “My Blues Pathway” and the new “Keep On Pushing”.

“Keep On Pushing” is co-produced with JD Simo. Included are three originals written by Fletcher and seven selected covers. The ensemble includes Fletcher, guitar and vocals; JD Simo, guitar and slide guitar; Ron Eoff, bass; and Jason Smay, drums. The album was recorded by Glenn Nashida at the Wow and  Flutter Studio in East Nashville.

Fletcher opens with the first of seven selected covers. “It’s Love Baby” written by Ted Jarrett in 1955 was recorded by Louis Brooks and His Hi-Toppers “I don’t know why I love you, I don’t know why I feel this way, well I think about you baby 24 hours a day…5 o’clock, 6 o’clock, I think about you 24 hours of the day”. On “Just A Dream” written by Big Bill Broonzy and recorded by Muddy Waters in  1960, Fletcher sings “it was a dream I had on my mind, but when I woke up,  baby, not a thing could I find…I dreamed I got married but when I woke up not a thing could I find”.

“I’m Gonna Dig Myself A Hole” was written and recorded by Arthur Crudup on RCA Victor Records in 1951, as Fletcher chants, “I’m gonna dig myself a hole, way down in the ground, but when I do they’ll be no one around”. “Every Dog Has It’s Day” was written in 1988 by Edward Bocage aka Eddie Bo, a New  Orleans songwriter, as Fletcher chimes “If I get a dollar, I’m gonna squeeze it  til it pops, every dog has it’s day”.

On “Lost Love” written by Percy Mayfiend and included in his 1970 first ‘best of’ collection, Fletcher cries “Baby please come back to me, baby please come  back to me…I need your love to set me free, I got up early one morning and I could see I was alone, baby please come back to me, I need your love to set me free. “Croke” written by Fletcher is a salute to West Coast jump Blues and an instrumental with Fletcher and Simo trading guitar licks.

“Keep On Pushing”, the title track, written by Fletcher features him as he howls “I keep on pushing, keep on pushing, time waits for no one, you got to keep moving on”. “Think Twice Before You Speak” written by Al K. Smith was recorded by Al King in 1966 as Fletcher croons “just try to think twice, before you speak, if you think someone did you wrong, think twice before you speak, if you think  your girl gave her love to someone else, think twice before you speak”.

On the lowdown “Here In The Dark”, written by Bernard Anders and recorded by T-Bone Walker in 1985, Fletcher groans “well, I’m feeling dark and I can’t see the  light of day…I just want her to come home…oh yes it’s cold outside…when I’m here in the night, in my heart I feel so sad, my only love has given me the blues so bad’. On the closer, another instrumental Fletcher and Simo once again trade guitar licks.

Fletcher states “Keep On Pushing” “is a positive message in these uncertain times that we live in…I’m grateful to share this album with you”. We are grateful to be able  to once again enjoy a healthy Kirk Fletcher.

Richard Ludmerer

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