J.C. Burris

Johnny "J.C." Burris, nephew of Sonny Terry, likewise specialized in blues harmonica yet left behind a modest discography. He gained recognition for incorporating African rhythm bones—two sticks struck together in the manner of castanets and capable of being played in tandem with the harmonica. During the 1950s Burris appeared on New York stages and participated in Folkways Records sessions alongside Terry, Sticks McGhee, and additional musicians. Toward the close of that decade he moved to California, where he secured occasional engagements in San Francisco folk clubs until a 1966 stroke deprived him of mobility on his right side. Years afterward he recovered that mobility, resumed performing in 1973, and cut unaccompanied solo tracks in 1975–1976 that later surfaced on Arhoolie’s Blues Professor album. He kept appearing at schools, clubs, and festivals until his death in 1988.