Mark “Nessie” Nesmith – A Sinner’s Prayer
Self- Released
12 Tracks – 36 minutes
Mark Nesmith is a multi-talented performer and artist. This is his first solo album, and it was selected by the Houston Blues Society as their Best Self-produced Album representing the society at the 2025 International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January. Mark is also a member of the Southeast Texas based band, Melon Jelly, which was the winner of the 2024 Houston Blues Challenge, which means they will be competing at the IBC in January also.
Mark’s musical range has led him to perform in many genres ranging from blues, folk, rock, funk and Americana. In addition to Melon Jelly, he also plays in the folk and Amerciana band Courtney Hale Revia and Rustic Bird and backed country artist Chris Bergeron. He previously led the Dallas based bands Hackberry Road and Lone Star Republic. He has shared the stage with Rick Derringer and opened for Crystal Gayle. Located in Belmont, Texas, Mark has toured throughout the mid-south region. In addition to his musical abilities, he is also an established painter with art included in multiple exhibitions, art galleries, and collections in more than thirty states and has appeared in numerous art magazines.
The twelve songs on this album are all originals composed solely by Mark. He plays all of the instruments heard on the album including all guitars, electric and upright bass, drums, percussion and harmonica. He also sings lead vocals with Rainy Kimbrough contributing additional vocals on three cuts.
The title track opens the album with the sentiment “Lord I Don’t Know what to do / I need a little help / It’s been a long time since I spoke to you / Please won’t you hear me?” “Death Row” identifies “We are all born with a death sentence…there is no appeal”. The first two songs feature his slide guitar. “Stone on My Soul” moves to a smooth guitar as he identifies “They say a prayer is the key to heaven”.
“When The Storm Comes” “there ain’t no place to hide…you best kneel down and pray”. Next, he sings “Trouble hangs on like an old bottle and chain / no matter how hard you try / it all ends up just the same / but “It’s not Your Fault” with some fine finger-picking guitar. The “Wolves at My Door”, “Oh Lord, can you hear me cry out, I fear for my life Lord” “Oh God, walk beside me”.
He woke up this morning with “Snow on the Ground” and has no gloves, no electricity, no wood for a fire, his cupboard is bare, and “the bed was empty, my baby can’t be found”. “Blues When I Wake Up” gets thing rocking as he also has blues “when I lay down at night, blues when the sun is shining, and blues when I turn out the lights” and “it has been a month of Sundays since I have seen my baby smile”. “I would walk 500 miles just to hold my baby again”. He then identifies that girl is a “Honey Trap”, “once you have a taste there ain’t no turning back”.
The “Woman of My Dreams” “drinks her whiskey neat, drinks her coffee with three creams, she has lovely curves and a sexy mind”. Now he is “Stuck Inside” “with nothing much to do, they say it is just for a little while, it’s already been a month or two”. The song was obviously written during the pandemic shutdown as he identifies at the end that he has the “quarantine blues”. He pulls out the harmonica on “Knots” and notes that he is “all twisted up inside”.
Mark clearly has troubles and is deep into the blues. The music is a mix of Delta and Texas blues.
