Born and raised in rural Georgia, Jontavious Willis first achieved widespread acclaim as a teenage phenom, when he accompanied the Blues legend Taj Mahal — who would go on to dub him his “Wonderboy” — onstage back in 2015.
His full-length debut, 2016’s Blue Metamorphosis won the Blues Foundation‘s International Blues Challenge Award for Best Self-Produced Album. His first opportunity to tour nationally soon followed; he opened for Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ during their joint tour back in 2017. Building upon a rapidly growing profile within the blues scene, his sophomore album 2019’s Grammy-nominated Spectacular Class saw Willis survey an array of Blues styles with dynamic ensemble performances.
Throughout his career, Willis has been on a mission to reinvigorate today’s blues with the spirit of the past. Drawn to a time when the Blues was plentiful and rhythm was king, Willis leverages his unique sound — a synthesis of his Georgia heritage and the Blues’ rich history — to get the world dancing again. With a bawdy, playful sense of humor, Willis channels the “rent parties” and “juke joints” of yesterday, imparting the vitality of the Blues across contemporary communities.
His forthcoming self-produced, third album, the 15-song West Georgia Blues is reportedly an invitation to everyone — whether Blues fans or someone just passing through the genre — to connect with the universal emotions captured through the Blues. Thematically, the album tackles timeless themes of heartbreak, hardship and resilience while reminding the listener that the Blues are meant to bring us together in times of celebration and commiseration. Something that’s much-needed in our desperate time.
West Georgia Blues‘ latest single “Keep Your Worries On The Dance Floor” is an old school synthesis of R&B, DC go-go and blues, built around a groove so funky that it would make the most downtrodden, heartbroken and beaten down of us get on that dance floor, paired with Willis’ easy-going yet soulfully empathetic delivery. But at its core, the song is a gentle reminder that while life can be so very hard, that for a few minutes, you can blissfully forget on that dance floor with folks, who may be suffering just like you, right now.
West Georgia Blues is slated for an August 16, 2024 release through Strolling Bones Records.