Joyous Perrin---A Jewel in the Crown of the Blues Tri-State Blues Magazine, N.Y. ; Issue #5 May/June 1998 When Joyous Perrin speaks, she reveals her southern roots in a subtle way. There's just a trace of a drawl that has gradually dissipated over time. Maybe dissipated isn't the correct word. Let's say worn away and evolved. Her raspy, soft-spoken inflections belie the full throttle tenacity in her vocals that express her 23 years of professional dedication to R&B and Blues.
The first time we were introduced to Ms. Perrin was a revelation. She was sitting in, in a supportive role, playing bass and singing for another group. We had arrived a t Bay Street Blues just a bit late, and dropped in on the middle of the first set. I was under the impression that this was her band. So much for the role of sideperson. Born in Iowa, her bio tells us that she's made several stops on the way to New York City. We need only listen to a few songs from her repertoire to realize that these stops were not transient. Wherever Joyous Perrin hung her hat became a developmental exercise in learning. When she sings and plays New Orleans, Chicago, Texas, and Memphis styles, there is no perceptual rag. It's the real thing. And strong. And compelling. Don't you dare not pay attention. It's your loss if you don't give of yourself completely. How could you not, when she's putting out 125 percent?Aside from geographical influences, she' appeared with a few familiar faces; Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Bob Margolin, Tracy Nelson, John Prine, Mink Deville, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Southside Johnny, The Nighthawks, Mary Wells, Steve Forbert, Delbert McClinton, Gary U.S. Bonds, John Phillips, Walter Wolfman Washington, Poppa Chubby, Johnny 'Clyde' Copeland, and Shemekia Copeland, to name a few.
Our second encounter with Joyous was again at Bay Street Blues, but this time she was fronting her own band. We made great sacrifices to arrive in a timely fashion. The effort was well worth our troubles. The lineup consisted of drums, keyboards, guitar, and Joyous on bass and lead vocals. As the band began to vamp on one chord, we were instantaneously treated to a performer who needed no warm-up. She was sizzling, and it was only the first song! We must have heard 'Runnin' and Hidin' one thousand times before, but his was decidedly different. We were under the spell of a woman with a commanding presence. Her bass playing is strong, solid and propulsive, but that voice! Its texture is expressive at every level. Rich, seductive, raw, and wise are expressions that come close, but are inadequate, for an accurate representation. There must be some idiomatic foreign expressions that are more appropriate. Suffice it to say, she makes that PA work hard, and you find yourself catching your breath and sighing in time to her phrases.We would expect her persona to show at least a touch of distance, or aloofness if your will, but there isn't a trace. She makes eye contact with almost everyone and chooses one person at a time to be the recipient of her message replete with turmoil and strength. At no point does she convey self pity or despair. It's refreshing to hear the blues from a person who's been through the ringer and lives on in spite of misfortune and injustice. There are many who portray this attitude. She's one of a few who make it convincing. One of the most significant attributes of a successful front person is the ability to share the spotlight with someone else. Her guitarist, Alexander Rastapchin, teased the crowd repeatedly with adventurous, melodic, cool-tone Strat solos that ranged from brilliant double stops and keening single notes to explosive multicolored turnarounds. All the while, she stepped back approvingly, encouraging the audience to become a part of his shining display of talent. She's a true professional. And a wise leader. The Etta James standard, "I'd Rather Go Blind", became a showcase for Joy's orgasmic preaching caresses. She delights in holding a note as she stretches it up, down, and sideways. The guitar solos complemented her in the most agonizing satisfying way. To quote Joy herself, "you really have to hold onto your dream." She's been doing this for too long without receiving the wide recognition she so justly deserves. It doesn't get much better than this. She's an icon in an everyday disguise. She should be on the front page.
By Ira Bolterman; Photo by Darrell E. Bridges 1994
Excerpts from Press Review by Rick Gerics; Personal Reviews, NYC; 1994:
"Everybody I run into used to play in a band. Used to: Most have given it up. You really have to hold onto your dream" -Joyous Perrin, Charlotte Observer 1983
Nobody holds on harder than Joyous Perrin. She is the diehard veteran, playing bass for the last 23 years while singing Rock & Roll, R&B, and Blues. She's sat it with, backed up, or opened for
the likes of Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Bob Margolin, Tracy Nelson, John Prine, Martha Reeves, Southside Johnny, Iron Butterfly, Mary Wells, Steve Forbert, Delbert McClinton, Peter Noone, and Catfish Hodge. Before that she was a folk singer. Before that…
Background, family, favorite food, favorite color, etc., are the surface details. It may reveal a little insight to know, for instance, that she's from Missouri and came to New York by way of Virginia and North Carolina, with a few other stops along the way, or that she first discovered she could sing when her mother taught her harmony to "The Yellow Rose of Texas" at the tender age of 3, but all this and a million and one other bits of living add up to one powerful singer. And it's here that someone can connect with the real Joyous.
The Blues can touch people where they ache and love. One need not be a Blues musician to understand with capital "u". Mostly, people need a guide, someone to say things in away that they can't, someone with that musical and lyrical vocabulary that makes sense of something as frustrating and often incomprehensible as living.
When she sings, Joyous Perrin can reach inside you and caress your soul, take you up without mercy then gently lay you down. She'll expose her own inner turmoil and desires with raw energy and an honesty that makes the whole thing a shared experience rather than an exercise in self-indulgence.
She's a team player with a healthy enough ego that a feature band member or a guest sit-in can take center stage and run with it, with her blessing. "I say so for it," says Ms. Perrin. If you can outshine me onstage it makes us all look better." But she is the undeniable force that drives the band forward.
Catch this woman live whenever you can. She's destined for bigger and better things and you'll want to experience the magic in a smaller venue while you can where the musical connection is more intimate and personal.
When she lays down a pulse with her bass that signals something coming; When she picks out an audience member and performs specially for that one person; When she conducts her band with a swing of her bas or a reassuring nod to the guitar player; And especially when she sings, Joyous Perrin is the Blues.
-Rick Gerics
Photo: Darrell E. Bridges