Pokey Bear

Pokey Bear, the Southern bluesman from Baton Rouge, brings an outsized confidence to his R&B-tinged bayou soul. His classic tone and energy align closely with Willie Clayton, yet he remains at core a soul performer shaped by James Brown. Joining Tyree Neal and Adrian Bagher in the Louisiana Blue Brothas, the trio delivered Love on the Bayou in 2014, while Pokey Bear simultaneously issued his own Josephine Son Pokey that year. The set contained steamy dance numbers including “The Gingerbread Man” and “Mr. Hit It and Quit It,” along with his signature cut “They Call Me Pokey.” January 2016 brought Mr. It Ain’t Fair, which spotlighted the regional club favorite “Good Foot” and “Shake That Money Maker” with Mystikal.