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The Fall Line Blues Project
A collaboration between Jontavious Willis and Henry Jacobs, the aim of the Fall Line Blues Project is to spend time with the men and women of the Fall Line region (Georgia and Alabama in particular) and document them playing their music.
Our first interview was held in July, 2018 with Horace Combs of Greenville, Georgia, followed by interviews with Eddie Hinton (Pearson, Ga.), Albert White (Atlanta, Ga.). Our most recent interview was held in Bern, Switzerland with Guy Davis during the 46th Internationales Jazz Festival.
Earlier in February 2017, we also spent a memorable day with Henry “Gip” Gipson, the iconic bluesman and owner of Gip's Place, the legendary juke joint in Bessemer, Alabama (sadly, Gip passed away in October 2019 at the age of ninety-nine).
This documentary project is a labor of love and stories will be shared when possible. Down the road we may ask for support to keep it going, but until then, listen in and feel free to share the music with others.
Guy Davis
“I’d be playing and my grandma would say, ‘you know, you sound just like your grandpa’. And that would just put air in me, make me feel elevated, feel connected.”
Henry “Gip” Gibson
“Since 1952 I have been doing what I love and that is bringing folks together with music and love for each other.”
Albert white
“We would open shows for B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Ray Charles, Fats Dominos…”
Horace combs
“My mom and dad bought me one of them wind-up Roy Rogers guitars … I wanted to stomp that thing because I wanted one that would play.”
Eddie Hinton
"I used to make my own guitars; made them out of tire wire. And you couldn't tune the thing, but if you fram on it enough, you'd get a good little sound out of it."