"Németh
is not only the fastest rising star on the national blues scene, he
may be the best white blues singer in the history of the genre."
East Bay
Express
A native of Idaho, Németh developed a keen interest in music at a young age. Idaho is hardly the place anyone would conjure up as a hotbed of soul-blues, but for Németh, it’s where his love for the genre begn, and the starting point for a journey that’s taken him from his first gigs fronting a teenage blues band to San Francisco, where he signed with Blind Pig Records and worked with blues legend Elvin Bishop, featuring on Bishop’s Grammy nominated album The Blues Rolls.
“I learned a lot living in Oakland and San Francisco,” Németh says, “especially from recording and performing with Elvin Bishop."
After
logging over 1000 concerts between 2007 and 2011, Németh released a
pair of live solo albums showcasing his 25 most popular songs. Those
discs, titled Blues Live and Soul Live, received five Blues Music
Award nominations—the most ever for any live release.
Not one to rest on his laurels, and forever pushing the bounderies of his art, Németh decided a change was needed. In early 2013, he settled down in Memphis, Tennessee with his wife and family.
“I
moved to Memphis because it is the epicenter for soul and blues,”
Németh confirms. “The
wealth of knowledge runs deep in the instincts of its musicians and
its studios.” Incidentailly,
Memphis is also the home of The Blues Foundation and the Blues Hall
Of Fame.
Németh soon met up with producer and musician Scott Bomar, composer of film scores for Hustle & Flow and Black Snake Moan, and Cyndi Lauper’s Memphis Blues producer. Backed by the Bo-Keys, Bomar’s group of veteran Memphis musicians who made their names playing with the likes of Al Green, O.V. Wright, Rufus Thomas, and the Bar-Kays. laid down thirteen tracks that caught the ear of music industry veteran Charles Driebe. Following Driebe's introduction, Blue Corn Music quickly signed Németh, adding him to a roster that boasts the likes of Ruthie Foster, Gurf Morlix, and Steve Forbert.
Memphis
Grease was released to critical acclaim in 2014 and went to no. 4 in the Billboard blues album charts. This was soon followed by further recognition when Németh was awarded Soul
Blues Male Artists of the Year 2014, an honour Németh is very proud of.
Videos
Audio
John Nemeth performs live in The BluesMobile studios
John
Németh is an award-winning electric blues and soul harmonica player,
singer, and songwriter.
A native of Idaho, Németh developed a keen interest in music at a young age. Idaho is hardly the place anyone would conjure up as a hotbed of soul-blues, but for Németh, it’s where his love for the genre begn, and the starting point for a journey that’s taken him from his first gigs fronting a teenage blues band to San Francisco, where he signed with Blind Pig Records and worked with blues legend Elvin Bishop, featuring on Bishop’s Grammy nominated album The Blues Rolls.
“I learned a lot living in Oakland and San Francisco,” Németh says, “especially from recording and performing with Elvin Bishop."
 |
| Németh and Bishop |
Not one to rest on his laurels, and forever pushing the bounderies of his art, Németh decided a change was needed. In early 2013, he settled down in Memphis, Tennessee with his wife and family.
Németh soon met up with producer and musician Scott Bomar, composer of film scores for Hustle & Flow and Black Snake Moan, and Cyndi Lauper’s Memphis Blues producer. Backed by the Bo-Keys, Bomar’s group of veteran Memphis musicians who made their names playing with the likes of Al Green, O.V. Wright, Rufus Thomas, and the Bar-Kays. laid down thirteen tracks that caught the ear of music industry veteran Charles Driebe. Following Driebe's introduction, Blue Corn Music quickly signed Németh, adding him to a roster that boasts the likes of Ruthie Foster, Gurf Morlix, and Steve Forbert.
Memphis
Grease embodies everything that sets this artist apart from the
soul-blues revivalist pack: it’s innovative and unique while
epitomizing the absolute best of the genre. It’s a deeply forged
amalgamation of scorching harmonica-driven blues and sweet blue-eyed
soul ala the Box Tops or Roy Head, delivered via two fistfuls of
originals and a trio of carefully chosen covers: Otis Rush’s
hard-driving “Three Times a Fool”; an electrifying take on Howard
Tate’s “Stop”; and Roy Orbison’s “Crying”, reinvented
here as a slow-burning soul number that matches anything that came
out of late-1960s Muscle Shoals. Together, Németh and the Bo-Keys take soul-blues from a
simmer to a full boil.
Demand
for Nemeth's live performances means that he travels extensively
within the US and abroad. For example, in 2015 Nemeth paid two visits
to Europe; touring Spain and Scandinavia. 2014 saw Nemeth touring in
the UK, with spots at Ronnie Scott's and a session on the Paul Jones'
Rhythm and Blues Show for BBC Radio 2.
 |
| L to R: Paddy Milner, Marcus Bonfanti and John Németh (London 2014) |
"Sooner or Later" - John Nemeth
John Nemeth performing "Do You Really Want That Woman" at Music City Roots Live From The Factory 2015
John Nemeth performing "Country Boy" at Music City Roots Live From The Factory 2015
John Nemeth performs "Bad Luck Is My Name" live at the 88.1 KDHX Studios in St. Louis, January 30, 2105
Audio
John Nemeth performs live in The BluesMobile studios
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