Rick Poss cut his teeth sitting at the feet of Texas Blues legends: Mance Lipscomb, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Freddie King, Albert Collins, “Gatemouth” Brown, and others. “I used to sneak in Liberty Hall, in Houston and check out every blues-slinger that came through there – learned an awful lot from them all!”
Born in Greenville, Texas and raised in Bryan, Rick became a frequent visitor to the Mance Lipscomb home in Navasota after catching a monthly coffeehouse gig Mance did in Bryan. “I wouldn’t miss it. I asked him all sorts of guitar stuff… he was suspicious at first but opened up eventually. He used to joke about a young Dylan that followed him around trying to take what he could of Mance’s style and songs!!!” Bob Dylan, like Lucinda Williams and Eric Clapton all cut songs by the great Texas “songster” that Rick so much admired!
For electric guitar influences, Rick thinks Freddie King is a perfect role-model. “He had a huge tone, great chops, and wonderful taste — knew just what to do and what not to play. He was scary in person… and loud, loud, loud!” Poss is also an avid(read obsessive) record collector with tens-of-thousands of titles in his keep. “78’s,45’s,33’s,… loads of really cool stuff; original label Cobra, Chess, Kent, R.P.M,… you name it!…lots of blues, swing , and hillbilly music that I cherish and still learn from.”
Poss also has some songs under his belt that form the core of his new c.d., “the Dying Man… and other Blues”. Cut in Houston with Jack Saunders at the helm, it is a further insight into a Neo-Traditionalist world of slide guitar and stories of noir betrayal-love and loss-death and the blues. With a title track tribute to the late John Fahey, “the Dying Man… and other Blues” should satisfy even the 21st century blues listener.
::: FROM RICK :::
As long as I can remember I’ve loved music. My earliest memories include hearing an endless stream of classical music from Mom’s piano students, and being drawn to TV and movie themes and incidental music.
Seeing “A Hard Day’s Night” as a child, and later meeting Mance Lipscomb, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Jimmy Reed were key inspirations, and influences.
I studied the guitar with Paul Buskirk (Willie Nelson) and Chris Flory (Benny Goodman), but am mostly self-taught.
I’ve been writing songs since I learned my first chord, fronted my own bands and worked extensively in the United States and Europe with Alejandro Escovedo, Jimmy LaFave, Jack Saunders, Jim Lauderdale, Greg Trooper, and Bruce Robison.
I have opened shows for Mance Lipscomb, Buddy Miller, Bo Diddley, Lucinda Williams, Son Volt, Waylon Jennings, Billy Bragg, Robert Cray, and Ben Harper among others.
My discography includes: “Texas Harmonica Rumble” with Lewis Cowdrey, “Gravity” by Alejandro Escovedo, “Buffalo Return to the Plains” by Jimmy LaFave, “Blue Shadows” by Jack Saunders and the Dead End Angels CD “November”.