Anthony “Big A” Sherrod – Torchbearer of the Clarksdale Sound
Music Maker Foundation – 2025
5 tracks: 28 minutes
According to Music Maker Foundation’s press release, the latest project by Anthony “Big A” Sherrod came together quickly and with a nod to the authenticity that makes the “Clarksdale Sound” so unique and special. The result is the album Torchbearer of the Clarksdale Sound (Listener’s Circle Volume 72), a very personal collection of songs from an artist who is a fixture on Clarksdale’s famed music scene.
The press release goes on to say that Sherrod is the son of gospel singer E.J. Johnson and the godson of “Big Jack” Johnson. He is a devoted champion of his hometown’s blues legacy. Sherrod began playing bass guitar at age five under the tutelage of Mississippi guitar legend Johnnie Billington at the Delta Blues Museum in downtown Clarksdale. Sherrod stuck with the bass, playing in Billington’s band until his mentor’s death in 2013 and then became a mainstay in Clarksdale’s clubs and venues in his own right.
“When I got on the phone with ‘Big A,’ he really won me over,” said Tim Duffy, a co-founder and the Executive Director of Music Maker Foundation. “He’s a young man on a mission to keep this music alive and thriving.”
Everything else, as the press release states, came together quickly. Sherrod, who handles lead vocals and all guitar work, worked closely with producer Jimbo Mathus (guitarist and song-writer with the Squirrel Nut Zippers), who has worked with musicians as diverse as Elvis Costello and the North Mississippi Allstars. The album was recorded at Clarksdale Reels and Mathus says of the session, “I wanted to get ‘Big A’ in his natural environment, this live setting. He had it together.” Mathus also plays keyboards on several tracks.
Joining Sherrod on the album is Heather Crosse on bass and Lee Williams on drums.
Torchbearer of the Clarksdale Sound kicks off with “Baby That Hurt,” a slow soulful song that highlights Sherrod’s big voice and terrific guitar work to finish out the number. Next up is “Don’t Make Me Pay,” a traditional Delta blues tune with strong back beat and Sherrod’s intricate soloing. A true toe-tapper that transports the listener directly to a North Mississippi juke joint.
A great opening sets the scene for “Good Woman,” featuring Jimbo Mathus’s keys and Heather Crosse’s driving bass line. Once again, “Big A” shows off his Clarksdale soul. “My Life” is Sherrod’s most personal track and includes a good groove and emotional storytelling.
Torchbearer of the Clarksdale Sound closes with another intimate number, “Everybody Ain’t Your Friend,” in which Sherrod channels a little Jimmy Reed, along with some of Little Walters’s vocal energy. A tremendous song that’ll get everyone hollering “ain’t your friend” from the dance floor.
Anthony “Big A” Sherrod is definitely the torchbearer of the Clarksdale sound.
