Bman's Blues Report

The only album by Blind Arvella Gray, a nearly forgotten street singer who spent the latter part of his life performing folk, blues and gospel music at Chicagos Maxwell Street flea market and at rapid-transit depots, received a deluxe reissue on August 2, 2005. The album, The Singing Drifter, was originally released in 1972 on vinyl and fewer than 1,000 copies were sold. Unavailable for more than 30 years, the album has now been released as a CD with full liner notes, extensive photography and four bonus tracks. The reissue kicks off the new Conjuroo Recordings label, an indie record company headed by Cary Baker, president of the music publicity company called conqueroo based in Sherman Oaks, Calif. Conjuroo is marketed by Emergent Music Marketing and distributed through RED Distribution. As a teenager in Chicago in the 70s, Baker made several forays to Maxwell Street to watch Gray, and was even responsible for connecting the artist with the label that released Drifter, the Wilme...

Blind Arvella Gray (January 28, 1906 – September 7, 1980) was an American blues, folk and gospel singer and guitarist. His birth name was James Dixon, and he was born in Somerville, Texas, United States. He spent the latter part of his life performing and busking folk, blues and gospel music at Chicago's Maxwell Street flea market and at rapid-transit depots. Gray's only album, 1973's The Singing Drifter was reissued on the (Conjuroo) Conqueroo record label in 2005. The re-issue producer was Cary Baker, who wrote the liner notes for the original Birch Records vinyl LP. Gray died in Chicago, Illinois in September 1980, at the age of 74An excerpt from a tribute to Chicago Blues by Jim Morrissette, Raul Zaritsky, and Linda Williams. Features a performance by Blind Arvella Gray, a 72-year-old blues musician at Chicago's Maxwell Street Market. “Like” Bman’s Facebook page (available in over 50 languages). I will not relay senseless nonsense. In this way I can get out t...