Brother Yusef has been described as a master solo guitarist, as well as a uniquely passionate vocalist. He has honed down his guitar skills and god-given vocals for over thirty years and has created a sound that had to be christened with a new name, Fattback Blues. Fattback Blues combines "traditional" finger picking and slide guitar playing with the contemporary feel of urban blues to create a full band sound with one guitar. He uses his right hand thumb to beat out a percussive bass-line and shuffle, while the index finger plays rhythm and lead lines.

He remembers first hearing the call of the Blues as a young child attending church with his grandparents in Bakersfield, California. Like any young musician, hungry for musical enlightenment he picked up a guitar at age 19 and began experimenting with reggae, R&B and jazz. He would find himself at a musical crossroads in 1989 while paying his last respects to his grandfather at the same little Bakersfield church from his childhood. A soloist at the funeral played a soothing church hymn on guitar that instantly connected Yusef to his grandfather, elders, and ancestors in the rich tradition of the blues.

Brother Yusef has gained recognition from audiences and musicians throughout North America and Europe for his range of sounds and emotions - sadness, joy, anger and laughter. His fans are also found in places as far as Asia, Australia, and parts of Africa. Sharing the joy of the Blues with the world is his deepest passion. 

visit the Brother Yusef website