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John Primer (US)

Primer, a respected African-American blues guitarist, celebrated his 68th birthday this year, in a full health and touring spur. Like many best artists of the genre, he comes from Mississippi, but he rose to fame being part of the popular Chicago blues scene. Back in the 1960’s and 70’s he played with nearly everyone with a name and appeared in all local clubs. The best hitmaker of blues, Willie Dixon, invited him to his Chicago All Stars Band in 1979. A little later, Primer received his biggest award as a sideman: he was invited to be a co-player as well as a support performer by nobody else than the king of Chicago blues, Muddy Waters, who had an unbelievable artistic and commercial comeback in the early 1980’s.

After Water died, Primer began to play with another legend, the guitarist and vocalist Magic Slim in his band Teardrops where he would remain for 14 years. The Real Deal, his first solo, and the most famous recording with his own material to date, was released in 1995; Primer has been on an “endless tour” since then and made records for leading blues labels. His performance at United Islands will be his premiere in the Czech Republic and local blues aficionados can tick another meeting with a legend.