Vaughn, now 43, began his
musical career while attending Juliet Low grade school on Chicago's
South Side, playing drums, guitar and clarinet in the school band. He
moved on to playing in various Top 40 cover bands. In 1968, he
concentrated on the saxophone in order to join a local jazz trio.
"They wanted a sax player, and I wanted to be Li the band,"
Vaughn recalls. He made his very first recording with an R&B group
called the Chosen Few for Chi-Sound records in 1976. But soon after that
the saxophone jobs were drying up, so Vaughn turned his attention to his
guitar. Echoes of Albert King, Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker and B.B.
King can be heard in Vaughn's unique guitar style< In 1979, Vaughn
entered the blues world after Phil Guy — brother of legendary
guitarist Buddy Guy and a guitarist and bandleader in his own right —
sat in with Vaughn's soul band which was playing behind Professor Eddie
Lusk. After the gig, Guy invited Vaughn and band to join him for an
upcoming Canadian tour. Soon Vaughn was playing with the top Chicago
blues talents: Luther Allison, Son Seals (with whom he toured Europe)
and A.C. Reed (whose Alligator recording, PM IN THE WRONG BUSINESS (AL
4757), features Vaughn on guitar).
Maurice's
musical vision and self-guided career helped land him with Alligator
Records. In 1986, Maurice played, produced, recorded and financed his
own solo album. He was, as he says, "tired of waiting in line for
producers to call," so he formed his own Reecy label, and released
GENERIC BLUES ALBUM. On the strength of this recording, Alligator
president Bruce Iglauer invited Vaughn into the studio to cut a track
for THE NEW BLUEBLOODS (AL 7707) compilation album. Alligator then
worked out a distribution deal for GENERIC BLUES ALBUM (AL 4763) with
Maurice, reissuing the album with an additional track. Guitar World
declared, "Blues album of the year!"
As well
as writing up-to-the-minute urban blues songs, Vaughn loves to perform.
A typical Vaughn show involves a close rapport with the audience. His
style is comfortable and inclusive. He'll talk to the audience as if
they were all sitting in his living room. "You won't just see me
stand there with my guitar," Vaughn says. One way he has learned to
keep his live show fast paced and always fun is by playing for kids.
Vaughn often plays in schools for children who have never heard blues
music. He'll update Sonny Boy Williamson's "Help Me" to
include lyrics about homework. "Kids have short attention spans, so
I need to keep things fun and exciting or I'll lose them. I always keep
this in mind when I'm performing in clubs."
Vaughn
loves to travel and is constantly updating his sound and style. His
abundant talent and experience place him at the forefront of the
contemporary blues world. His innovative songs, passionate singing, blistering
guitar playing and romping saxophone mark IN THE SHADOW OF THE CITY as a
visionary work from a true blues original. With IN THE SHADOW OF THE
CITY, Maurice John Vaughn is moving out of the shadows and stepping
directly into the spotlight.
