J. Monque'D

J. Monque'D comes from the school of musicians who say if you are going to play the blues, you have got to live the blues. This blues man has certainly done that; they ought to make a movie of his life. It's a story of poverty and privation, hardships, and hard knocks. Death. Alcoholism. Abuse. Vietnam. Divorce. Drugs. If it just stopped right there, it would be just another sad story. But because J. Monque'D has prevailed, liked some old cussed snake in a song, it's the story of the blues. Born into a less-than-functional family of mixed heritage of Native-American, Cajun, African-American, and Anglo descent, J. Monque'D went to live with his grandparents in Pointe a la Hache, deep in the Acadiana country of Louisiana. It was there that his grandmother gave him his first harmonica when he was four, and taught him a traditional song that was perhaps prophetic: "Trouble in Mind." The song says, "If trouble don't kill me, I'll live a long time." Monque'D is a survivor, making it through a tour of duty in Vietnam, a stint in prison for stalking his ex-wife who he said kidnapped his daughter, the death of his twin sister, to name a few troubles. He has scratched around at odd jobs, working in sugarcane fields and truck farming. In the French Quarter, he was a Lucky Dog vendor and a Bourbon Street strip-joint barker. Having seen the more desperate side of life cannot help but be evident in his music. Monque'D has been playing professionally in New Orleans since he was 13. A musician's musician, they keep asking him to pour on his brand of blues at clubs, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and on the radio. He has played with R&B greats like Dr. John, Earl King, and Michael Ward. But when Monque'D steps out front and does his own material, he is the main man. He...