Straight out of Chicago, Mississippi Heat has been performing and recording pure vintage blues for more than two decades.
It all began one night at a 1991 gig at the now-closed Cafe Lura in Chicago, where guitarist and singer Jon McDonald invited Pierre Lacocque to join him onstage. Jon had hired drummer and vocalist Robert Covington (with Sunnyland Slim at the time) and bassist Bob Stroger (also with Sunnyland Slim and with Jimmy Rogers). It went so well that the three musicians decided to form Mississippi Heat. His brother Michel–also in attendance that night–volunteered to become the band’s manager. Since then, the band’s current and former members have released a total of 11 albums, touring North America, South America and Europe. Throughout it all, the band’s always stuck to its motto: “Traditional blues with a unique sound.”
Mississippi Heat’s unique sound has its roots in the diverse upbringing of Pierre Lacocque, born in Israel to a Christian Belgian family and raised in Europe.
Over the years, Mississippi Heat has received praise from blues giants. Guitarist Buddy Guy has gone on record saying that it’s “been a long time since I heard a good blues band like [Mississippi Heat].” Grammy Award-winning harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite wrote that the band gave “a phenomenal performance” on Warning Shot.
Mississippi Heat has also made waves on the blues charts. Warning Shot reached the number one spot on Living Blues Magazine’s radio chart between October and December 2014. Two years earlier, Delta Bound made the chart’s number one spot, and in 2005, Glad You’re Mine reached the number 4 spot.
Along the way–from Tunisia to Spain, Canada and Serbia, among other countries–touring has been an integral part of Mississippi Heat’s work. The band has given repeat performances at such prestigious events as the Chicago Blues Festival, Montreal International Jazz Festival, Lucerne Blues Festival and Ecaussinnes Spring Blues Festival, in Belgium (interviews filmed during their 1994 performance at the Belgian festival were made into a feature-length film, Back To The Roots).
Mississippi Heat are:
Pierre Lacocque – harp
Inetta Visor – lead vocal
Michael Dotson – guitar / vocals
Brian Quinn – bass
Terrence Williams – drums / vocals
latest album: Warning Shot (Delmark)
