Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Review: Blind Boy Paxton sings the blues

By Carol Lyons
Bay of Plenty Times·
13 Feb, 2018 12:22 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Blind Boy Paxton specialises in pre-1940s blues, where it all started. Photo / BOPT

Blind Boy Paxton specialises in pre-1940s blues, where it all started. Photo / BOPT

Blind Boy Paxton is the embodiment of the blues in the 21st Century, but plays it all in the true folk songster tradition - ragtime, hokum, old time, French reels, Appalachian mountain music, blues and more.

Blind Boy' Paxton sings the blues, but he's also vocal at educating his fans about black culture where the blues originated.

The true bluesman with family roots deep in Louisiana says the blues is part of American culture so people can be "gung ho" about the genre, but it's important to remember where the blues came from.

His speciality is pre-1940s blues, straight from the south.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Having said that, the blues can come from anywhere, you don't need to be from the deep south to be immersed in its culture, Jerron says. Jerron himself was brought up on the rough streets of South Los Angeles.

With his easy, personable conversational style and effortless musical talent, he took us on a trip through the Deep South (with humid weather to match).

Moving from guitar to piano through harmonica, and fiddle, there is more to Blind Boy Paxton than an amazing musical talent.

Songs explored the usual themes of lost and unrequited love, but his explanation that 'baby' in many blues songs is actually the slave master gave a sombre touch.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ending on his whimsical signature tune 'When an Ugly Woman Tells You No' brought some humour back to the blues. Audiences in the "Deep South" of NZ on the rest of his tour are in for a roller coaster treat.

Blind Boy Paxton.
Blind Boy Paxton.

Blind Boy Paxton is on a six-date New Zealand tour, which is his third tour in this country Having already played Auckland and last night in Tauranga, he continues to Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington and Hawkes Bay.

February 13 - The Piano - Christchurch
February 15 - Theatre Royal - Nelson (click here for tickets)
February 16 - Old St Pauls - Wellington
February 17 - Black Barn – Hawkes Bay

Review

• Blind Boy Paxton at Totora Street.
• Review Carol Lyons.
• The blues visited Tauranga for one night only, Jerron "Blind Boy " Paxton charmed a laid back audience at Totara street on Monday.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

'Current hotspot': Back-to-back national titles for Tauranga basketballers

10 Jul 06:13 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Kaitiaki fight pathogen endangering iconic Mauao pōhutukawa

10 Jul 06:03 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Highly venomous': Deadly sea snake washes up on Coromandel beach

10 Jul 05:38 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'Current hotspot': Back-to-back national titles for Tauranga basketballers

'Current hotspot': Back-to-back national titles for Tauranga basketballers

10 Jul 06:13 AM

The Under-18 and Under-20 women's teams won their championships.

Kaitiaki fight pathogen endangering iconic Mauao pōhutukawa

Kaitiaki fight pathogen endangering iconic Mauao pōhutukawa

10 Jul 06:03 AM
'Highly venomous': Deadly sea snake washes up on Coromandel beach

'Highly venomous': Deadly sea snake washes up on Coromandel beach

10 Jul 05:38 AM
Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

10 Jul 12:40 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP