“Mystery Meat Blues Band – we’ve been going for almost 10 years now and we’re still cooking,” said Williamson, who provides keyboards, vocals and harmonicas to the eclectic mixture of musicians who make up the band’s variations. The group’s incarnations (from four to 10 members) range from a blues band to a jazz band to a Dixieland band with elements of vaudeville, all done with their own unique approach to each tune.
Following a recent headline performance at Prestonsburg’s Mountain Arts Center, the band plans to soon release an album of all original music tentatively titled “Hot Off The Grill.”
Williamson is quick to credit the band’s success and recognition (the group is now nominated for an Appalachian Emmy in the Best Blues Band category) to musical partner Robert Daniels, who he says “Is the other half of my brain.”
Mystery Meat Blues Band is further made up of bassist Kenneth Burchett, percussionist David Bentley, Matt Scofield on mandolin and guitar, guitarist Russ Preston (who has since moved away but did record with the band on their forthcoming album), Sam Fields on trombone, Allen Riffle on multiple woodwinds, Tom Jude on trumpet, and Chase Fleming on trombone and ocarina.
With two band directors among the diverse musical crew, Williamson said they like to do things differently.
“We like to take what people like and mess with it. We try to find a different flavor or genre. Like when we do House of the Rising Sun we do it like a 1920s swing band.”
Mystery Meat Blues Band fans tend to know them from performances in the area, although Williamson said they’ve found a new audience in thanks to a video they made featuring Bigfoot chasing them around Prestonsburg’s landmark spots.
“We were locally popular, but now we’re international with Bigfoot. We’re not super famous, but we are appreciated.”
Watch here:
MYSTERY MEAT MEETS BIGFOOT – YouTube
But Adam has been researching his next gig his entire life.
Williamson is now set to launch an entirely new multi-tiered multimedia project entitled, CRIPTT.
“”The spotlight will be on professional people living with physical impairments. It will a resource for them to laugh, relate, and utilize,” Williamson said.
Williamson, who faces daily challenges related to his cerebral palsy, notes that he has personal experience with the way some people perceive individuals with physical impairments.
“I want to change the public perceptions that some may people have of those living with physical impairments, because honestly, it sucks.”
CRIPTT will feature original concepts and artwork, including an original comic strip, podcasts , and articles related to the physically impaired professional.
While Williamson may be the face of CRIPTT, the true master mind behind the project is Barker, – a little green turtle.
“He’s the promotions manager of our band, (The Mystery Meat Blues Band), and does all the artwork for CRIPTT. He’s rough and tumble. He has a tough shell, but tells our story well and he has a heart of gold,” Williamson said.
CRIPTT is expected to launch mid-March.
For information about the Mystery Meat blues band contact them on Facebook
For more information contact adam.williamson0@gmail.com
