With the family name of Burnside, Cedric Burnside felt such a responsibility to his legacy that he named his musical calling the Cedric Burnside Project.
The grandson of R.L. Burnside, one of the originators of a certain blues sound born in north Mississippi, Cedric Burnside has been making his own name since the age of 13, when he was learning from his granddad on the front porch of their home in Holly Springs, Miss.
“My father was a drummer, and I was raised from the age of 6 by my granddad,” Burnside says. “Of the houses I grew up in, there were a couple that only had back porches, but it was mostly front porches that we did our thing on.
“We didn’t have a radio back then, so we had to supply our own music if we wanted to hear some, and there were house parties every weekend, and later, we played juke joints.”
He was also hearing and observing the music made by his younger brother, Cody, as well as their uncle, Garry, plus family friend Junior Kimbrough.
Drums were Cedric Burnside’s first instrument, but he later added guitar to his skill set. He has gone from playing with family members to the Cedric Burnside Project, which for two years has consisted of he and guitarist Trenton Ayers, with whom he grew up in north Mississippi. At times the two are both playing guitar.
“I’ve been trying to teach Trenton to play drums, since I was able to pick up guitar,” Burnside says with a laugh, “but he’s not that keen on the idea. He says he plans to stick with guitar.”
Prior to the Project, Burnside toured and recorded with Lightnin’ Malcolm in2006 when the duo, calling themselves The Juke Joint Duo, released a CD, Two Man Wrecking Crew.
Along the way, Cedric Burnside won two Blues Music Awards: Best New Artist Debut in 2009 for Two Man Wrecking Crew and in 2010 for Drummer of the Year.
In his relatively brief career, Cedric Burnside has performed or recorded with Jimmy Buffett, Widespread Panic, Galactic, Bobby Rush, Honeyboy Edwards, the North Mississippi Allstars, Big Head Todd & the Monsters and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. One of his more memorable experiences was participating in a 100 Year Robert Johnson anniversary tour, on which he sang the Johnson songs “Come on in My Kitchen” and “Walkin’ Blues.”
“In our shows these days, we mostly do our own songs, plus some of my granddad’s and Junior Kimbrough’s,” Burnside says. “We’ve got too much music to try to get in those Robert Johnson songs.”
The Cedric Burnside Project released its first solo album, The Way I Am, in 2011, and is nearing the release of the next CD, which Burnside will name Hear Me When I Sing, for a special reason.
“I had a brother who passed Oct. 17, and that was a favorite saying of his,” Burnside says. “He really inspired me.”
Cedric Burnside Project
9 p.m. Friday, Eureka Blues Weekend, Basin Park Hotel ballroom, 12 Spring St., Eureka Springs
Admission: $20
(479) 253-7377
eurekaspringsblues.com
9:30 p.m. Saturday, White Water Tavern, West Seventh and Thayer streets, Little Rock
Admission: $10
(501) 375-8400
whitewatertavern.com
Weekend, Pages 35 on 06/13/2013