It’s an old, old story here in Memphis — in this case, told three times over. The friends in the band Black Cream all grew up surrounded by the music of Black churches, then matured and applied that experience to creating more worldly music with a distinctly pop-rock appeal. As a result, it’s hard to describe Black Cream with the usual labels of the music industry (though of course that’s another hallmark of Memphis groups). But there’s no denying they’re a “power trio,” for this three piece combo of bass, guitar, and drums can pack a wallop.
Should you walk in on their set at the right moment, you might think you’ve found a Jimi Hendrix tribute band — until the vocals kick in. The rich, soulful singing, sometimes breaking out into three part harmonies, sounds more like vintage Cream or perhaps latter-day Isley Brothers. But then you’d realize: This band was playing original music, and even their cover versions were approached from left field. That’s when you’ve found the real Black Cream.
Those soulful vocals are no accident. Chris Barnes, the group’s drummer and principal singer, is one half of The Sensational Barnes Brothers, an old-school gospel project he pursues with his sibling Courtney. But that’s just one iteration of the very musical Barnes family. Duke and Deborah Barnes were a sought-after gospel duo around Memphis in the ’70s and ’80s. By the 1990s, they had so encouraged their four children to sing that the kids formed their own performing group, Joy. Over time, they’ve become the go-to background vocalists on many local records, especially Chris, who also sings with the Bar-Kays.
Meanwhile, bassist and singer Derek Brassel says, “I come from a semi-musical family. My family roots don’t run as deep as the Barnes’, but my father is a great vocalist who sang with O’Landa Draper and other gospel groups. A lot of Memphis musicians start on drums, and I got my first drum set when I was 3 or 4. In seventh grade, I bought my first guitar. And I grew up watching, in Mississippi Boulevard church, Thomas Brown, the guitar player there. He’s legendary.”
That’s when Barnes chimes in more directly about Brassel’s current work: “And now Derek is Everlast’s touring bass and guitar player!”
Though guitarist and vocalist Thomas O. Crivens, better known as T.O., doesn’t tour with a Grammy-winning singer, he comes to the band with his own bona fides. As the executive director and producer of Beale Street Caravan, he certainly knows his music, but it’s more the way he throws himself into the guitar that’s distinctive. The group’s one release to date, “All I Need Is You,” reveals his crunchy electric tone from the opening notes, and his edgy rock riffing and soloing elevate the song beyond its more pop charms.
T.O. was also first exposed to music through church. “My dad was a pastor and my mom was a teacher, but she also played organ for dad in church.” He didn’t catch the music bug until later, though. “I started playing guitar in college, where a friend had a guitar and a Carlos Santana songbook. I wanted to play drums all my life but the guitar represented something musical that I could afford and do myself. Then my dad burned me some Wes Montgomery CDs. One of the first melodies I learned was Wes’ version of Eleanor Rigby.”
He’s pursued that eclectic approach ever since those early days and now, at 42 years old, can navigate anything from Santana to jazz, soul, funk, and beyond with aplomb. Indeed, it’s the breadth of these players’ shared interests that sets Black Cream apart from most power trios. Of course, it helps that they have the talent to execute all those stylistic left turns. But to hear them describe it, they’re not using a road map.
As Barnes notes, “Organic — that’s our guiding word. How we came together was organic. We didn’t say, ‘Hey, let’s try this one thing!’ It kind of just happened.”
Brassel adds, “And our covers come together as organically as the originals do. And I think this sets us apart as well. People have said our sound, for it to be just the three of us, is a very full sound.”
And beyond that full-throated, eclectic, rocking sound, Barnes adds one last guiding principle of the band: “Keep it creamy,” he smiles. “And stay true to who we really are.”