Entertainment

Belfast blues legend Ronnie Greer on his stellar new live record Blues Constellation and backing up the greats

Ronnie Greer has been a stalwart of the north's blues scene for well over 40 years. Having just released his first ever live album, Blues Constellation, the Co Down bluesman chatted to David Roy about the new CD and his distinguished career in music, which has seen him playing with some of the greatest blues musicians in the world

Ronnie Greer in action. Picture by Keery Irvine
Ronnie Greer in action. Picture by Keery Irvine Ronnie Greer in action. Picture by Keery Irvine

"BELFAST was always a big blues city," enthuses veteran Belfast bluesman Ronnie Greer.

"I think it's something to do with the soul of Belfast, the blues seem to hit a chord with the heart and soul of the Belfast mentality. You'll never be selling out the SSE Arena, but there's always a core audience for it. And, of course, Belfast has produced people like Van Morrison, Gary Moore, Jim Daly and Eric Bell."

If anyone would know, it's Ronnie: The Lisburn-based 69-year-old has been at the centre of the blues scene in Northern Ireland since the 1970s, when his guitar skills first came to prominence alongside blues piano maestro Jim Daly in the Jim Daly Blues Band, and has served as part of the backing group for scores of visiting American blues legends over the years.

"We were kind of big fish in a small pond," he tells me. "I've worked with more of the American blues guys by staying in Belfast: if I'd went to Chicago say, I would have been one of 300 guitar players trying to get a gig with these guys, y'know?"

Thus, over the years Ronnie has enjoyed the privilege of playing guitar for the likes of Dr John, Lowell Fulson, Phil Guy, Johnny Mars, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Memphis Slim and many other favourites.

"I counted it up in my head one night and worked out that I've played with round about 70 musicians from America who came over," he tells me of the regular shows he did at Belfast's Errigle Inn and other blues hotspots in the city.

"On their Irish dates it was usually the Jim Daly Band who got the opportunity of backing them, and also Blues Experience, a band I played in with Jackie Flavelle. Between those two and a wee bit then with my own band, I had the opportunity to play with some of the guys from the source.

"All the black American blues guys used to love coming over and playing here because they were treated so well, probably even better than they would have been playing some of their local clubs in Chicago. They went down a storm here and were treated like real celebrities right throughout Europe.

"People like BB King, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy – all those guys were big influences on UK and Irish blues musicians. The British blues bands like The Rolling Stones all revered them, as did Eric Clapton."

Latterly, Ronnie has been wowing blues fans with his signature blend of Chicago blues and modern jazz influences while playing out with his own outfit, whose new release The Ronnie Greer Band & Friends Live: Blues Constellation is out now.

In fact, this stellar-sounding document of a sold-out stand at Lisburn's Island Arts Centre last October was supposed to be sent out into the world in style last Friday night with a special launch gig at the Ards International Guitar Festival, featuring all the musical guests who appeared on the record – horns specialists Linley Hamilton and Dave Howell, singer/guitarists Grainne Duffy and Ken Haddock, crooner and keyboards man Kyron Burke and bassist Gerry McWhinney – returning to perform alongside Ronnie and his regular sidemen Anthony Toner (guitar/vocals), Peter McKinney (drums), Nick Scott (bass) and piano/Hammond wizard John McCullough.

Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic put paid to a special sold-out show that Ronnie says should have been "one of the musical highlights of my life", which will now be rescheduled for later in the year.

"I'm still hoping that it will be, because everybody who's on the album is going to be featured in the show. I'm really looking forward to it, so I hope everyone holds on to their tickets."

As for the album itself, which features a free-flowing 11 tracks combining songs by the likes of John Lee Hooker (Five Long Years), T-Bone Walker (Stormy Monday Blues, featuring Ken Haddock on vocals), Charles Mingus (Nostalgia In Times Square, featuring Linley Hamilton and Dave Howell on horns), Massive Attack (Live With Me, featuring Kyron Bourke on vocals), Van Morrison (Tupelo Honey, featuring Ken Haddock) and Greer's own musical love letter to the blues, Going Down To Clarksdale, the Belfast bluesman says he's thrilled with how Blues Constellation has turned out – especially as he wasn't sure how well the show went on the night they recorded it.

"I felt that we were all playing a little bit 'safe'," admits Ronnie. "From my own point of view, I know I didn't take any chances. I played well within myself, I felt like I didn't stretch myself or go for stuff that I wouldn't normally go for – simply because I was aware of that red light on in the corner. I never feel that comfortable when I'm recording.

"So, on the night, I was a little bit concerned that we might have come across as being a little bit reserved. But everybody who was there at the end of the night told me how great they thought the show was.

"It was only whenever I heard the recording back that, in actual fact, we'd all raised our game on it. I'm really pleased with how good it sounds."

Having finally retired from his day job as sales director at a steel holding stock company back in 2012, Ronnie has been able to make the blues his main gig in life for the past eight years: 2013 brought us his acclaimed solo album, the appropriately titled A Lifetime With The Blues, which he followed up with 2016's equally well received (and also appropriately titled) The Jazz Project – not to mention his regular live appearances at festivals and blues nights around the country.

"I can pick and choose what I want to do and the band is thankfully going very very well," he says.

"We do a lot of arts centres, theatres and festivals and, even though I say it myself, virtually every gig we do these days is sold out. The audiences are very, very receptive."

Indeed, with all 240 tickets for the Blues Constellation launch show having sold out in 72 hours, there will currently be a lot of people listening to this fantastic sounding new concert album on repeat as they count down the days until they can finally experience Ronnie's live show for real.

:: The Ronnie Greer Band & Friends Live: Blues Constellation is available to buy now via Ronniegreer.com