Jerron ‘Blind Boy’ Paxton puts the true blues back into Byron

Jerron ‘Blind Boy’ Paxton grew up on a diet of blues and jazz, from artists such as Fats Waller and Bessie Smith.

Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton was born to the blues. The 27-year-old Californian grew up on a diet of blues and jazz from the 1920s and 30s, from artists such as Fats ­Waller, Bessie Smith and Blind Lemon Jefferson.

The singer channelled those influences as he entertained a large crowd at Bluesfest in Byron Bay yesterday.

“That’s the music I grew up with,” said Paxton, who is on his first Australian tour. “It’s my ­people’s music.”

Paxton is one of the few practitioners of traditional blues at a festival that in recent years has blossomed ­beyond its name, ­incorporating all forms of roots music and rock ’n’ roll into its five-day roster over Easter.

He owes his authentic blues style to his grandparents, who moved to Los Angeles from the blues heartland of Louisiana 50 years ago. “I’m one generation away from a cotton field,” he said. “If my grandma hadn’t decided to move, my mother and me would both have been born in a cotton field. It’s only because she decided to move to Los Angeles that this opportunity came about.”

Paxton is skilled in piano, banjo, guitar, violin and even the spoons, as well as singing, all talents he developed as a schoolboy, but says he was not highly driven as a musician.

“From learning the instruments I got more and more interested in the music and where it comes from,” he said. “It was a natural thing. I’m a lazy person. I’m the person you want to give a job to ’cos I’ll figure out the easiest way to do it. I’ll get it done with as little effort as possible. Music is the same way for me.”

He moved to New York as a teenager to study music but dropped out because the program was too modern.

“There was a big lack of respect for the first jazz music,” he said. “The dean at my school didn’t know who (jazz legend) Jelly Roll Morton was. I didn’t have a very good time there. As my grandfather used to say: ‘Never let school get in the way of your education’. I sure didn’t. I got more education playing music.”

Paxton lost most of his sight at the age of 17, but is not completely blind. “I’m not Ray Charles blind,” he said. “More Mr Magoo.”

Paxton plans to start writing and recording his own material, but said he is still learning his craft, while he tours playing the music that is his calling.

“I’m in the beginning stages,” he said. “There’s a lot of good music I still have to learn.”

Paxton returns to the Bluesfest stage tomorrow and on the final day, Monday. Today’s line up includes The Wailers, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Joe Bonamassa.