North Carolina is a hot bed for the blues and blues preservation. The Music Maker Relief Foundation was formed to provide assistance and recognition for struggling and relatively unknown blues musicians. At the of age 79, guitarist/vocalist John Dee Holeman can still pick and jam with the best of them. The new release by John Dee Holeman, entitled “You Got To Lose, You Can’t Win All The Time” (Music Maker), captures the true melodic Piedmont blues sound once covered by Blind Boy Fuller. Holeman demonstrates that he can also capture the Texas blues style of such artists as Lightnin’ Hopkins as he displays on his cover of the Hopkins classic “Mojo Hand.” Other favorites on John Dee’s new recording are: Early Letter Blues, One Black Rat, John Dee Jam and the title track - You Got To Lose, You Can’t Win All The Time.”

Like so many blues artists, it sometimes requires a driving force or younger guiding light to bring out the true essence and talent of a hidden blues treasure. Zeke Hutchins, drummer in Tift Merritt’s alt-country band is the producer, drummer and arranger of this new release. Tift Merrit joins Levon Helm, B.B. King and Bonnie Raitt to name a few as board members of the Music Maker Foundation.

Other musicians influenced by Holeman joined the cast to produce this solid blues recording (Tim Duffy: acoustic guitar, Cool John Ferguson: rhythm electic guitar, Jay Brown: bass & Slewfoot: harmonica). John Dee Holeman was born in Orange County, North Carolina in 1929. As well as being a blues musician he is a storyteller and dancer. Besides this latest release you can also look for “Bull Durham Blues” also on the Music Maker label. Save an artist, support the blues and upgrade your blues collection by bringing home this “winner” today.

Greg “Doc” Lefebre