John Hammond's New Album "Push Comes To Shove"

John Hammond is February's featured artist.

2007 from Back Porch Records

It’s a precious few artists who reinvent themselves at the age of 64, but blues luminary John Hammond proves himself the ultimate untraditional traditionalist as the dozen stellar songs on Push Comes To Shove illustrate. Produced by G Love (the innovative and soulful Philly singer/guitarist and longtime Hammond fanatic), Push Comes To Shove is a dynamic step up from In Your Arms Again, Hammond’s 2005 effort. Push Comes To Shove marks an increased output in Hammond’s original compositions - he penned five of the CD’s 12 songs - and there’s a bold collaboration with Dutton in the hip hop-tinged blues of “Tore Down” as well as a handful of personalized renderings of traditional blues numbers, a musical modus operandi that has earned Hammond multiple Grammy nominations since his 1962 self-titled Vanguard Records debut. Since that bow, Hammond has made 31 records, often touring year-round, learning from and playing with musical greats and friends including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Duane Allman, Michael Bloomfield, J.J. Cale, Tom Waits, The Band and many, many others. Those unparalleled experiences and authenticity shine through brightly on Push Comes To Shove.

Producer G Love who counts Hammond as one of his own main musical influences, and was still in high school when he first snuck into a club to see his idol live, was beyond thrilled when the call came to produce Push Comes To Shove. And he knew what he wanted from Hammond: “My objective was for him to include more originals,” says G Love. “In 30 records, he hadn’t done any writing until a few years ago. [Hammond’s first original composition appeared on 2003’s Ready For Love, he then penned two more original songs on 2005’s In Your Arms Again]. There are now five of John’s songs on this record and the title track is quintessential John Hammond. To me, it symbolizes what the record is about. It's raw, it's dirty, it's blues, but it still has a funky edge to it.”

Hammond’s wife Marla, who executive produced the album, is a big inspiration for and booster of her husband’s original material, though Hammond says humbly, “I’m new at songwriting; I’m just getting the hang of it. I recently discovered this aspect of myself. I was always a little bit intimidated writing songs because I knew so many people who wrote so well and it just flowed through them. For me, I knew so many great songs; I didn’t feel my calling was necessarily songwriting. That said, the last few years, thanks to coaxing from Marla, I’ve found my voice and it’s been delightful.” Of the songs he chooses to record, Hammond explains, “I don’t like the word ‘cover.’ It doesn’t resound in my brain. When you do a song, you make it your own. The songs I chose to go along with the tunes I wrote for Push Comes To Shove were songs I felt I could make my own and add my dimension to. Some are traditional -- there’s one by Junior Wells (“Come On In This House”) and Little Walter (“Everything Gonna Be Alright”); artists I’ve worked with and admired. I got all inside of these songs. I’ve been a blues singer for 44 years; I’ve recorded so many songs, and sung so many titles, I’ve absorbed a lot of the genre.”

And he’s absorbed straight from the source. Of the album’s title and title track, Hammond says: “I worked on and off for years with a drummer named Charles Otis, a musician who played with Little Richard and Frogman Henry; a real New Orleans cat. Charles had all these expressions and ‘isms,’ and he was a true mentor. He’d say stuff like ‘I’m a very nice person but when push comes to shove, I can be extremely dangerous.’” Several of those Otis phrases inspired titles to songs on Push Comes To Shove. Hammond gives major credit to his band for the stellar sound and feel of the songs on Push Comes To Shove. “The band we put together, Stephen Hodges on drums, Marty Ballou on bass -- I’ve recorded and toured with them, we’re a tight unit. We added Bruce Katz on piano and organ; he’s a gem who has added all these extra dynamics, he’s the newest member. It was terrific to have all these guys in the same room and everyone admiring everyone else. That’s the way it’s supposed to be; when you feel good about your playing and your ideas and everybody is on the same page. And Garrett Dutton, [aka G Love] was certainly no slouch! We had the ingredients for doing exactly what we hoped to do. Marla’s idea of using G Love as producer really had a ring to it.”

You can read the rest of the story about the album here.