Jerron Paxton‘s new album Things Done Changed was released earlier this month on Smithsonian Folkways. On 26th October, Jerron made his BBC Television debut on the ‘Later…with Jools Holland’ series, beginning with What’s Gonna Become of Me, a song from his new album on Smithsonian Folkways, Things Done Changed.
Jools later interviewed Jerron. Jerron spoke of his love for 1930s-era Black music styles, including blues, ragtime, folk, and old-time roots music, referencing American blues and gospel singer-songwriter and musician Lemon Jefferson before playing a short instrumental tune accompanied by Jools on piano, who was clearly loving every moment. The full programme is available on BBCi Player for you to watch again (if you have access). It was an interesting chat with Jools, who noted that Jerron was also an exceptional piano player – I’m sure if time was available, we may have witnessed a piano duet, but it was great to hear them chat, and I especially loved Jerron’s reference to folk music, which ties in perfectly with the foundations of Smithsonian Folkways, whose music catalogue is one of the most fascinating and diverse offerings in the world:
All music is music, you know. I don’t care where it comes from, especially folk music, music that comes out of the ground; it doesn’t matter if you’re from England or Japan or Senegal or Mississippi, all that music that comes up out of the ground is natural in its beautiful way and I find this way of connecting to all the natural musics of the world.
As Danny Neill said in his KLOF Mag album review: “In so many ways, past sounds have never sounded so thoroughly born of the present. Jerron Paxton is undoubtedly in a league of his own with this; Things Done Changed is a finely crafted album for today made oh so skilfully with the tools of yesterday.”
He demonstrated those skills perfectly in this BBC debut, where he also performed Leroy Carr’s Night Time is the Right Time, accompanied again by Jools Holland on piano.
Things Done Changed (18th October 2024) Smithsonian Folkways
Order Things Done Changed: https://orcd.co/jerron-paxton