Jumpin' The Gunn

This blues trio was formed in Inverness, Scotland, but it was in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, in the summer of 1992, that the three members, Andy Gunn (guitar), Steve Skelton (keyboards) and Vikki Kitson (vocals), began jamming together in a neighbourhood bar on Beale Street. Their name was taken from an album title of 70s US rock band Jo Jo Gunne. John Wooler of the PointBlank Records label initially spotted the trio at a folk festival, and he recognized in them the talent and potential that merged their own resolute songwriting with US and native blues influences. Highlighted by Kitson’s rock-edged delivery (natural comparisons to Janis Joplin followed), the trio’s debut album, Shades Of Blue, was recorded in Memphis in 1992. Songs such as ‘More And More’, ‘Green All Over’ and ‘Crossed Wires’ confirmed the promise, with Gunn’s songwriting providing Kitson with ample ammunition to produce a range of moods from screaming defiance to emotive resignation. Gunn pursued a solo career following the band’s demise.