Photo Credit: The Jontavious Willis Team

What does smothered cabbage, a young Della Reese, and the blues have to do with one another? Well, maybe one day the Grammy-nominated Jontavious Willis will pen a song about all three but for now they are just a few of the things that came up in this back-and-forth exchange with the singer-songwriter who grew up appreciating the South’s contribution to hip hop, but ultimately found himself a guitar and poured his heart into the blues. Today, Jontavious Willis is staying busy. Not only can you see him everywhere from festivals to cruises, but also anywhere you get your music as his 2024 release, ‘West Georgia Blues,’ drops everywhere on August 16th. 

Kendra: Acclaimed in 2015, a debut the following year, and Grammy-nominated not even five years later. However, going back before all of that – where were you drawing musical inspiration from in rural Georgia as a kid? 

Jontavious Willis: Everywhere around me; church, friends, elders. A lot of old recordings. Nobody sat me down and taught me. On my own, I listened to old blues recordings from the teens through the ’50s, that’s the majority of my inspiration and where I get the musical vocabulary of the blues and understand the different varieties of the blues. One of the albums, in particular, was ‘Crossroads’ by Robert Johnson, it talked about all of Johnson’s influences. That really got me to understand how there were multiple generations of blues before Robert Johnson. Of course, growing up in Georgia, I was also listening to albums by OutKast, DMX, Ludacris, Ying-Yang Twins, and Lil’ John – they were hot at the time.  The rest is from elders, my family, and Greenville, Georgia.

Kendra: Staying in Georgia for a second because I do believe where we start plays such a crucial role in how we move about life. I’m a trailer park kid and that’s apparent whenever faced with difficulty because I’ve already seen the worst so it’s easy to keep a level head. For you though, how do you think your rural beginnings have influenced how you not only approach life’s more difficult moments but also your creativity? 

Jontavious Willis: I’m a country kid, I’ve learned to appreciate complex simplicity. When people look at how simple the country is, many overlook things. The blues is similar, I think being in a rural environment gives me the space to meditate and think things over when it gets tough. I got a lot of that from the older folks, in particular my grandmother and grandfather. They really knew how to look through a tough situation. I look at music the same way, I think of different topics and think how I can attack the topics from different angles – how can I look at it from the perspective of someone else? One of those other perspectives might have the solution.

Kendra: Now let’s talk about ‘West Georgia Blues.’ I’m a huge foodie and appreciate what southern cuisine has done for the culinary world so much, but if you had to compare your 2024 release to a signature southern dish, which would it be and why? 

Jontavious Willis: Smothered cabbage with some fat meat in it. Maybe there’s like a piece of ham in there. I feel like you could eat it by itself or as a side.

Kendra: One of the songs that can be found on ‘West Georgia Blues’ is “Keep Your Worries on the Dance Floor.” It felt very much like the Bluesy cousin of that “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” song. In a time where worry is probably the most commonly felt emotion in Americans, I can’t help but feel this song was inspired by the constant doom currently found, not only in America, but the world at large? 

Jontavious Willis: Yeah, it definitely talks about doom all over the world, but I wrote it from a smaller perspective – the things that I see among the people I know. The verses include examples of all kinds of hardships and all of them come together on the dance floor. I did have the big picture in mind but I was even more focused on the smaller picture.

Kendra: I read that your music evokes the feelings felt at juke joints and rent parties, the latter harkening back to an era I feel is too often overlooked by the media. With that, if a streamer came to you to helm the music department of a TV series based around the Harlem Renaissance, which song off ‘West Georgia Blues’ would you say could be the theme song – and which actors would you love to see as the leads? 

Jontavious Willis: I would choose “Lula Mae.” That song is an in-your-face song and Memphis Minnie’s music is in your face. Langston Hughes wrote about Memphis Minnie. I would love to see Hallie Berry and Samuel L. Jackson play Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy. If I could go back in time, I would love to see a young Della Reese and Ossie Davis doing those roles.

Kendra: With new music comes concerts, and you do have a dozen or so on the books, a lot of them being festivals. Do you feel like festivals are keeping genres like blues and jazz alive and well in today’s world of streaming and internet culture? 

Jontavious Willis: It gives a good opportunity for people to hear traditional blues but rock and rock blues often get more attention and headline spots. Traditional blues can be just as exciting as rock, I hope folks give it a listen because it will open up a world.

Kendra: Time for a side note – With it being summer, I’d love to know – and for you to share – your favorite road trip song. Like, what’s the one song that has to be on your mix when you hit the road? 

Jontavious Willis: I don’t have a single song for road trips, I put my 25,000 songs on shuffle. I do have a “groove” playlist which is all R&B from the ’60s – ’80s. But I mostly listen to blues – all kinds of blues.

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘West Georgia Blue’ out on August 16th and some dates already planned, what are your plans as we start to roll into the fall? 

Jontavious Willis: Keep writing, touring, and enjoying life. I’m really looking forward to playing Redwood Coast Music Festival, AmericanaFest, and The Blues Cruise and a great fall tour.