“When I was 13 and started playing guitar, I was listening to everything from The Beatles to Ben Harper, Black Sabbath to early Led Zeppelin.
Although it seems quite eclectic on the surface, I now see how deeply rooted in blues all those artists are, and how much of an effect the blues still has on my psyche and the way I write.” Jess Parker told The Bluesletter.
It’s over a year since her last Bendigo show. She’s looking forward to returning.
“It gives me an excuse to spend time in an incredibly beautiful part of Victoria, and to visit my friends. The last time I played was around a year ago and was the night I first met my partner Benny Gerrard (White Lightning, Catfish Voodoo). There was a last-minute set change, but we fatefully crossed paths during load-in and the rest is history. So, needless to say, Bendigo holds a pretty special place in my heart.”
Jess Parker & The Troubled Waters are a folky swamp-blues outfit from Melbourne. Parker is joined by Sean Figgers on drums, complementing her dark vocals and howling guitar.
Parker and Figgers grew-up playing music together through their high school years.
They’re currently working on a debut EP, Goin’ Swimming, which is scheduled for a mid-2018 release. They will tour the US shortly afterwards with fellow Victorian blues outfit, White Lightning.
Jess Parker & The Troubled Waters are building an impressive catalogue of songs. Audiences can expect to hear a repertoire that includes Riverbed Blues, My Old Skin, and Paperweight. They also cover No More, My Lawd, an old prison song from 1947 by Alan Lomax. “Around the time he discovered Leadbelly,” she said, “truly haunting”.
Jess Parker plays a late afternoon set on the balcony of the Rifle Brigade Hotel at the BB&RMF Showcase on Sunday 25 February.
