Without today’s technical wizardry, mid-20th century music was nothing if not authentic. And because of his song choices and retro style, Atlanta’s Skyler Saufley could easily pass for a contemporary of that era: He’s every bit as genuine.
Equally adept on keys and guitar, Saufley covers songs from the time that gave rise to some of his biggest influences, including pioneering bluesmen T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters, and rock ‘n’ roll trailblazers Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. He plays this music exceptionally well. While still in his 20s, he was selected to perform at the highly competitive International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, and has already been inducted into the Alabama Blues Hall of Fame.
Saufley will perform at Blind Willie’s on Jan. 30. His first album of original music will be released later this year.
Saufley found his life’s work while watching a video of Elvis Presley. “Being a 12-year-old kid, you hear that stuff, and it’s just fun,” he says. “I think a part of it was how authentic he was.”
At first, his parents weren’t on board with his plan to get into music, so he saved money, found a coupon and bought himself a toy guitar from Toys “R” Us. His parents soon bought him a real guitar but not lessons, so he learned the craft by playing along to records.
He almost gave up. “Listening to the [Elvis] record, you hear the cool guitar parts that Scotty Moore was playing, but I always thought that was just Elvis. So it was two guitars on the record, but I always thought that was one guy, and I thought, ‘Well, I can’t play this.’”
Nevertheless, a video of Muddy Waters reinvigorated his aspirations, and he delved into learning to play the blues. “I thought, this is what I want to do, and I just dug deep into that stuff — like a monk in a monastery.”
As a teen, he began sneaking into blues clubs to watch live performances but was often dismayed by what he saw. “When you see what people have done to the music, you realize it is not the same thing. You feel like you have to kind of defend the original artists by playing it right. You have to respect the Black culture it came from. I think a lot of people want to water the blues down to where it’s not even recognizable.”
Saufley was determined to play blues music in a way that was true to its essence as he understood it. To him, that meant faithfully rendering the song but not imitating it.
“I always try to keep it respectful. I’ll change it to fit my style, but I always picture the guy that recorded the song or wrote it — if they were listening to me tonight playing the song, would they think that was cool, or would they think I ruined their song?”
He also began noting differences between excellent performances and average ones. “You can tell when somebody’s up there and they’re just loving it. It’s just what they do, and they’re having a ball.” That was the kind of performer he vowed to be.
“When the audience is digging it, then we play better, and when we play better, this energy just goes back and forth all night, and that, for me, is like a drug. To play on stage for people who love what you do — it makes me love what I do even more.”
At a recent gig, for example, he shared the stage with 86-year-old Lil’ Jimmy Reed. “He’s killing it, and you know he loves what he does. It was standing room only all night — all young people, and they loved him. He’s living it. He’s authentic, and we gravitate towards that.”
Saufley believes young people are hungry for the honest experiences relayed by music played with integrity. “My generation — I think we’re sick of the Hollywood stuff just being crammed down our throats, telling us what’s good and what’s not. I think a lot of us want the root stuff, you know? It’s just refreshing. I guess a good way to say it is you believe them.”
Saufley is heartened by the many young people he knows who are picking up a guitar and learning to play the blues themselves. He advises them to listen to the masters but also to have fun and make the music their own.
The heyday of rock and blues may be decades past, but what makes that music timeless is the same thing that makes a Saufley performance so enjoyable. He explains it this way: “I’m just me, you know? That’s what I would say to people who want to play the blues. Just do you. Yeah.”
MUSIC PREVIEW
Skyler Saufley
8:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at Blind Willie’s. $10. 828 N. Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-873-2583, blindwilliesblues.com
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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