Texas Scratch (from left to right: Vince Converse, Buddy Whittington, Jim Suhler)
Buddy Whittington is a blues guitarist known for playing with some of the biggest names of the genre, including a long association with John Mayall. He is also a founding member of Texas Scratch, a supergroup of three Texas guitarists who have recently released their long-awaited debut album on Quarto Valley Records. The album showcases the trio’s fiery, passionate, and diverse blues-rock styles. In this interview, we explore Buddy’s musical history and Texas Scratch.
How did you meet Jim Suhler and Vince Converse and what led to you playing together?
Hi Jason, Jim is from Dallas and I am from Fort Worth, maybe 30 miles apart, and we have known each other for quite a few years from playing a lot of the same local venues and being on some of the same festival shows across the US that John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers (my former boss) and George Thorogood (Jim’s current boss) were on together. I must admit I had never met Vince Converse until we showed up at the studio to record the tunes for ‘Texas Scratch’ but I was aware of him and his fine playing from his ‘Sunset Heights’ days and the ‘Rattlesnake Guitar’ album.
How do you feel about finally releasing your album after 14 years of waiting and what are your hopes and expectations for it?
We are just THRILLED to finally have the record released and see the light of day. We are planning to get out and enjoy playing the tunes together on some shows to support the album and make more folks aware of it’s existence.
What are your recollections from recording the material?
I just remember a LONG drive from Dallas to Dover, New Jersey with Jim and having lots of laughs getting the tunes together between a week’s worth of hilarity at breakfast and dinner and just hanging out a bit together.
How would you describe the sound and style of Texas Scratch?
‘Blues/Rock Texas Style’ kinda encompasses it I think, having a lot of the same influences between us growing up in the 70’s like Freddie King, Bugs Henderson, Johnny Winter and ZZ Top to name just a few.
“I’d Rather be Lucky Than Good” is one of the lead tracks from the album. What is the meaning behind the title and the lyrics and how does it reflect your attitude towards life and music?
You had best ask Mr Suhler that question since he actually wrote the song, but I think it is just that pure luck and good fortune sometimes takes precedence over anything you might have labored hard at trying to ‘get it going’ such as a relationship, or a band.
Were your songs on the album, material you already had at the time or were they inspired from the sessions?
I had written ‘Texas Trios’ for the Texas Scratch project, it’s just a statement on how many great Texas bands were comprised of a single guitar, bass and drums, like the lyrics say, “Buddy Holly, Jerry and Joe B, Johnny Winter, Tommy (Shannon) and Unk (Uncle John Turner) Billy, Frank and Dusty (ZZ Top) without a spare wheel in the trunk (or the ‘boot’ as you guys know it), Bugs, Rockin’ Ron and Bobby (the late, great Bugs Henderson’s band) Stevie, Tommy and Chris (SRV’s Double Trouble), John T, Paul and GJ (an awesome Texas Trio known as ‘BLACKHORSE’) Linda, Curly and Nitz (John Nitzinger’s band, more about that in a bit) and I threw in ‘Buddy, Jimmy and Vince’ just for a laugh.
The last verse mentions ‘Jojo, Henry and Ringo’ you might know them as Los Lonely Boys from the San Angelo area out towards west Texas. They had a real cool hit a few years back called ‘Heaven’.
How did growing up in Texas shape your musical identity and what are some of the distinctive features of Texas blues?
Well first off, I am no blues aficianado, and we can only be a product of our influences. But I am fortunate to have seen Freddie King, Johnny Winter, ZZ Top, John Nitzinger and many others back in my formative years. Just don’t request ‘Chances Are’, Johnny Mathis was a Texan also but decidedly not cut from the same cloth as the aforementioned bunch. All these guys were playing blues as they understood it, with a rock edge, and opened the ears of generations of listeners to it.
The song “Louisiana Cock Fight” written by John Nitzinger of Fort Worth and released on his debut album on Capitol Records NITZINGER in 1972 that was a hit for our local hero, we just wanted to pay tribute. My song ‘Ain’t Got The Scratch’ is just a comment on the financial climate here at Casa de Whitt around the first of the month when ALL the bills are due.
How did you first get interested in playing the guitar and who were your early influences?
My sister had a great record collection, remember I came up during ‘British Invasion’ time, and there was a lot for me to listen to and learn from. She also had quite a few American R&B/Soul albums by the likes of The Temptations, The Four Tops, Gary ‘US’ Bonds and some GREAT Jimmy Reed and Slim Harpo 45’s like ‘Big Boss Man’ and Baby Scratch my Back’. What treasures those are. Mom and dad were huge fans of Country and Western Swing, and there were a couple of locally produced music shows on TV Saturday afternoons called ‘Big ‘D’ Jamboree’ and ‘Cowtown Jamboree’ that my dad and I would watch. I just had to know what brand of guitars (lotsa Telecasters) and amps (lotsa Twin Reverbs) all those guys were using. To this day I still love all the ‘Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys’ tunes, Very accomplished country guys playing jazz. Still wish I could keep up with Eldon Shamblin and his pioneering rhythm guitar style. And you might look up ‘Country Guitar’ by Phil Baugh on youtube just to get an idea of what a great player Phil was. Roy Nichols with Merle Haggard, Don Rich with Buck Owens there are so many great ones to try to steal licks from.
You guys had The Shadows, we had The Ventures. First 331/3 LP I ever bought with my lawn mowing money was ‘Walk, Don’t Run’ by The Ventures. Bob Bogle on lead guitar before he started playing bass and Nokie Edwards took over on guitar. These tunes were accessible to players just starting out and I was able to figure out a lot of their stuff with the help of their “Play Guitar With The Ventures” albums. Us old guys didn’t have Youtube back then!
What was it like to join John Mayall’s band and how did you develop your style and skills during your 15 years with him?
I must say, it was the gig of a lifetime for me, and it lasted for a long while. As I write this, Mr Mayall had his 90th birthday yesterday. I can never thank him enough for taking a chance on me. It was like WHAMMO, Welcome to the REAL music bidness!
How do you approach your guitar playing and what are some of the techniques and tricks that you use to create your signature tone and sound?
No tricks here, I just try to get a warm, naturally sustaining tone with as few ‘help me’ boxes as possible, but in this day and age of what used to be known as ‘sound reinforcement’ it is difficult to play at a stage volume that lets your amp breathe without the sound man getting overexcited.
How do you keep your passion and creativity for playing the blues alive and what are some of the new things that you are learning or experimenting with?
I just try to play at least a little every day, and try to keep regular gigs booked to keep the arthritis and carpal tunnel at bay. And I try to have a new tune ‘on the back burner’ to keep the writing juices flowing, but with all the streaming going on that we hardly get paid for, it is a little challenging to stay with it.
Are there any particular albums and/or songs that you’ve featured on that you would like to highlight and if so, tell us more?
You might check out the Dr Wu’ Texas Blues Project, I have played and sang on quite a few of their albums, perhaps most notably the song ‘Slow Rolling Train’ (Movie Version) on Volume 4. I have played that tune a LOT in the UK, Spain and here at home.
What’s next for you in 2024?
I am just gonna stay with it as long as I can, and try to crank a few more tunes out. Thanks to all your readers/listeners for taking the time to check us out!
