Little Bobby and the Jumpstart

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Little Bobby and the Jumpstart

Written by John Taylor

It's something of a cliché for blues artists to be either "Big" or "Little" something or other. Nowadays the selection of same often seems either arbitrary or ironic.

Whitby, Ontario's Little Bobby, however, comes by his moniker honestly.

"I've been Little Bobby since the day I was born. My dad's name is Bob," he explains, "so growing up in the house with my father, it just happened. When I was a teenager and people were calling the house they'd ask for 'Big Bob' or 'Little Bob.' It was just a natural thing."

Little Bobby, whose real name is Robert Chorney, readily admits his approach to the blues is somewhat anachronistic in this day and age.

"Blues has evolved from its beginnings," he explains. "It's gone from a purely acoustic form of music, then in the fifties in Chicago it became electric, and now contemporary blues is most often crossed over with rock.

"The era we try to address is what's often considered the 'golden era' of blues, before it went completely electric. The bass is usually upright and the guitars are hollow-bodied. It has a lot to do with the instrumentation. There's just a different sound you're going to get with the upright bass and hollow-bodied guitars, although it does mean some stuff isn't appropriate. If you try to play rock with a stand-up bass it just isn't going to work."

Although he was born in Chicago, Bobby didn't become interested in the blues until after he'd moved to Canada.

"I picked up the harmonica in high school," he recalls. "Most of my friends at the time didn't even know I was a musician, because it wasn't that cool. They all thought the blues was 'old man music'."

The lack of a support made for a slow start. "I remember buying a Sonny Boy Williamson record and trying to play along with it," he laughs, "but I only had one harp, and didn't know anything about keys at the time. I knew it didn't sound right, and actually tried to return it to the store, thinking it was broken!"

Things were a little better when Bobby reached the University Of Windsor. "I chose Windsor because it was halfway between Toronto and Chicago, where most of my family still lived. On any given weekend I could hop in my car and catch shows in either city."

He soon discovered an active scene in Detroit as well.

"There was a jam on both Wednesday and Sunday nights with a player out of Detroit named Robert Penn," remembers Bobby, "a sort of B. B. King kind of act, and I eventually found the nerve to ask him if I could get up and blow some harp. That soon turned into a weekly thing, and it kind of branched out into other gigs. There were about six different clubs that booked live blues. On a per-capita basis it was a really active scene."

While in university he also met Kelly Hoppe, now with Big Sugar. "Kelly was really deep," recalls Bobby. "He fronted a band called The Windsor Dukes, and they were kind of my roadmap in terms of where I wanted to go with my music. He was also part owner of a club, and he was really committed to bringing in top acts. That's where I saw Jimmy Rogers, Pinetop Perkins, William Clarke… anyone who was anybody played that room.

"If you don't make people feel something, you're gonna get replaced by somebody that does… it's as simple as that."

"Kelly also put me on the right track in terms of who to listen to. Thanks to him I discovered players like Big Walter Horton, Little Walter, all those guys who really defined what the harmonica is all about." "The Walters", both big and little, continue to influence Bobby, along with Sonny Boy Williamson. "I also like Smiley Lewis a lot, and Jimmy Reed. The list goes on and on, of course, but those are the main guys. Most of the stuff I listen to, the stuff that really influences me, was recorded in the fifties and sixties."

While honing his harmonica chops, Bobby also learned a thing or two about stage craft and how to sing the blues. Unlike many who merely shout them out, Bobby actually sings the blues, employing nuance and emotional shading to get his message across. His performing style is "old school" too; he believes it's important to connect with his audience.

"If you don't make people feel something, you're gonna get replaced by somebody that does… it's as simple as that," he says. "Going back to the woodshed didn't exactly appeal to me, so I learned how to connect."

Like most outfits these days, Bobby's Jumpstarts are a fluid configuration featuring some of southern Ontario's finest talent.

"I play with what you might call a core of musicians," says Bobby. "Anyone who's familiar with the current state of the blues scene in the city (Toronto) knows it can be somewhat incestuous. Michael Pickett will hire my guitar player sometimes, and my bass player might have a gig with Raoul (Bhaneja of Raoul and the Bigtime), or vice-versa.

"We live in a time when it's very challenging to make a living as a blues musician, so the best players end up having to take additional work to stay busy. That's why Downchild's Gary Kendall appears with our band on a fairly regular basis. I used him on the CD when I wanted that solid-body sound."

The CD in question, Tickets In The Glovebox, was released to unanimous critical acclaim in 2001. An equal mix of covers and originals, it mixes classic Chicago grooves with ample doses of west-coast swing and Texas shuffles, and features Jumpstart regulars Peter Schmidt on guitar, bassist Shane Scott, and Bob Vespaziani on drums, along with an extensive guest list.

"I wasn't really trying for an 'all-star review'," claims Bobby. "I play with all the people on the CD on a regular basis, and I selected the players based on who'd be most appropriate for the material."

Still, it can only be considered something of a coup to have Kitchener-by-way-of-Mississippi legend Mel Brown lend a hand on both piano and guitar.

"I've known Mel for about 10 years now," says Bobby. "We met when he had a house-gig at Kitchener's Pop The Gator, one of Canada's premier blues rooms. At the time I lived in Windsor, and I used to travel to Kitchener just to sit in at his jam on Wednesday nights. I've always loved his playing.

"I still play his records, and when I was putting the CD project together it occurred to me that it had been a while since he'd recorded anything featuring his piano playing. It was as simple as asking if he wanted to do it!"

Little Bobby's future plans include a follow-up recording (he's already started work on it) as well as appearances on a highly-anticipated debut from guitarist Pete Schmidt and bassist Shane Scott.

"I wrote a couple of tunes for that one," says Bobby. "I also got a call recently from Brian Volmer of (Can-Rock icons) Helix - they're looking for someone to do a harmonica solo on one of their discs. I guess if B.B. King can play with U2, I can play with Helix!"

Regarding the bluesier side of the Canadian scene, Bobby says, "I like the Twisters out of Vancouver, and Michael Pickett. Gary Kendall's done some great things, and J.P. LePage, from Manitoba, is a fantastic guitar player. J-W Jones and the Rockin' Highliners are both great Canadian acts too. There are lots of others, but that's a start."

With a busy performing schedule, Bobby has little time for hobbies. "I collect rare harmonicas - it's not a massive collection or anything, though. Music takes up most of my time, that and fatherhood!"

Bobby has somewhat mixed feelings about the Internet and its impact on musicians.

"On a personal note, there are people who've contacted us about our music who'd never have had access to the band had it not been for the Internet," he observes. "So in that respect it's been a good thing. And given that blues is literally struggling to survive, anything that brings musicians and fans together is a good thing. I'm not so sure about MP3s and the whole piracy issue, though."

As one of Canada's most talented singers and harmonica players, "Little" Bobby provides unquestionable proof that a performer's "blues name" has no bearing on one's level of talent or dedication.

© Copyright 2003 Feature by John Taylor

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