Crib Notes

Hermon Hitson is an old-school Georgia soul, rock and R&B man who is perhaps one of the best kept secrets in town. He’s played songs with everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Santana and the Allman Bros. to the Mighty Hannibal. For this show, he will be playing with his band the Buckboard Express and focusing primarily on songs from his ’68 rock/soul LP You Are Too Much for the Human Heart.

Hermon paid a visit to my office a few months back and told me some pretty amazing stories about hanging out and feeling no pain in the ’60s while playing with the likes of everyone from too many rock and roll legends to name, including Jimi Hendrix, who played guitar on Hitson’s mid ’60s album, Free Spirit.

To get a little background on hermon I asked DJ/record addict and Georgiasoul.com blogger Brian Poust if he could weigh in with a bit of a history lesson on Hermon’s career. First he suggested that I read this.

Later, Poust write back later with the following words:

Born in Philly, moved to Jacksonville, FL as a toddler. [Hermon] started the Stereophonics, competed with Jacksonville’s rival band the Soul Chargers, a band featuring James Fountain as singer. Hermon moved to Atlanta and started the Rockin’ Tonics after playing some prior gigs here. The Soul Chargers followed to Atlanta a few years later, and Hermon now uses the Soul Chargers drummer in his band, the Buckboard Express.

Hermon became friends with Lee Moses and Freddie Terrell (who also plays with Hermon on occasion now) and the three of them – all guitarists – worked closely together through the rest of the ’60s and early ’70s. When Hannibal moved back to ATL from LA in the mid ’60s, Hermon also befriended him, which paid off pretty big when Hannibal paid for and produced the “Sweet Rose” 45.

Hermon recorded eight 45’s during the most substantial part of his career, and toured in Joe Tex’s band, as well as Major Lance’s band during the ’70s/’80s. A lot of people (Hermon included) like to play up the Jimi Hendrix connection, but I think his work stands up well enough on its own rather than having to play the Hendrix card on a regular basis.

To me, Hermon’s music is a perfect example of what sets Southern soul apart from everything else. The slick sounds of Philly, sweet Chicago and Motown influenced Detroit records are great, but the grit in Hermon’s voice, the style of his guitar playing and the feeling – especially in his ballads – is purely Southern. Also, while a lot of soul artists from Hermon’s era have gone almost entirely into the blues club circuit, Hermon has remained true to what he has done best all along.

Local space funk all-stars Noot d’ Noot also perform. $10. 9 p.m. Sat., May 2. The Drunken Unicorn.

Videos of Hermon Hitson after the jump.

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Richard Lloyd is the former/sometimes guitarist for the seminal NYC art-punk outfit Television, and later for Cleveland, OH’s Rocket from the Tombs. As an American punk icon Lloyd played a first-hand role in shaping the course of evolution for art-punk on this side of the Atlantic, but his solo career has remained in obscurity.

He is best described as eccentric man, and if you ask him about the songs he writes he’ll talk your ear off with allegories about dreams, monks and man’s need to face his inner animals. He’s not quite the austere art rock figure from the ‘70s that I had envisioned before talking with him about his forthcoming album of Jimi Hendrix covers, called The Jamie Neverts Story.

Lloyd is actually one of the more engaging and not to mention memorable interviews I’ve done in a while. Even though his talk of religion and philosophy went a bit over my head at times, he was never heavy handed. I even looked up things like Antinomian, Malimath and Velvert Turner when I hung up the phone. I reached for the Dictionary not because he made me feel dumb, but because his level of enthusiasm was that infectious.

Lloyd plays Smith’s Olde Bar on Tues., Aug. 5 at 9 p.m. fronting the Sufimonkey Trio (featuring fellow Television alum, drummer Billy Ficca). He’ll also do a meet-and-greet at Criminal Records before the show at or around 7 p.m.

Richard Lloyd: I usually allow 20-30 minutes for interviews by telephone but my record company guy screwed up and scheduled someone else for 6:15 p.m., which is ridiculous, I know, But what are you gonna do?

Chad Radford: It will just make me ask better questions.

I hope so, but I am verbose so you’ll have to shut me up.

The club in Atlanta where you’re playing has your show listed as “an evening with Richard Lloyd…”

I guess that means there’s no opening act. We have two hours of material, so there’s no problem with that.

Is it a comprehensive set spanning your whole career? Are we going to hear some Television songs?

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