Rickey “Quicksand” Martin was born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y. and drums became his passion as a little boy.
With roots in Little Rock, Ark., Martin moved there and started playing and singing gospel at a local church.
“After hearing the blues in bars and juke joints, I was hooked,” said Martin, adding blues is his favorite type of music.
Martin eventually moved to Helena-West Helena, Ark., where he still resides, but he was playing the drums in Clarksdale four days a week before the COVID-19 pandemic. His efforts earned him the 12th annual Clarksdale Drummer’s Association award and he received the honor during the Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art’s 18th anniversary party Saturday afternoon.
“I chose him because he’s been playing for years and years, but he really came from New York,” said Derick Kemp, president and founder of the Clarksdale Drummer’s Association. “He’s been over in Little Rock, but he’s playing with a lot of musicians around the south. He’s in the south now and he’s right here around Arkansas. He’s been playing in Clarksdale a lot.”
Kemp said Martin has been playing for more than 45 years.
Martin said soul, R&B, gospel and African rhythms influenced him at a young age. He attended an African culture camp where he learned to play the African drums.
“It came natural and quickly became my passion,” Martin said.
Martin got his first job throwing papers for the sole purpose of purchasing his first trap kit, which is a five-piece drum kit.
“I have been able to jam with numerous artists as well as travel and work in the studio with blues greats Albert King, Albert Collins, Ruth Brown, James Cotton and Charlie Musselwhite, just to name a few,” Martin said. “I am proud to have been blessed with this talent and to pass the legacy of blues music to future generations.”
Musicians Terry “Big T” Williams helped introduce Martin to Clarksdale and set it up for him to play at Red’s Blues Club several years ago.
“They heard about a drummer over in Helena, Ark., that had a shuffle that wouldn’t quit,” Martin said.
Martin said Helena-West Helena and Clarksdale are each keeping the blues alive in their own way.
“Years ago, Helena was a blues town,” Martin said. “All of the other small towns went to Helena. Helena was a port town. They went to Helena to play. That was a spot. Clarksdale wasn’t even on the map.”
Now, Martin said Clarksdale is the town keeping the blues alive.
“It’s in Clarksdale now,” he said. “There’s nothing really in Helena going on except King Biscuit (Blues Festival). I have a stage during King Biscuit also.”
Martin said he would be playing during the virtual King Biscuit Blues Festival in October.
Martin said he teaches “Blues in School” at the Boys & Girls Club in Helena-West Helena.
“It helps to keep the blues alive,” he said. “That’s what the old cats used to tell me about the legacy of the blues itself is to be able to pass it on so it could carry on. Because, for so many years, blues was forgotten. What God gave me, that’s a way for me to do it.”
Kemp, a 1976 Immaculate Conception High School graduate, who took business courses at Coahoma Junior College, has made a living as a cook, bricklayer and drummer. He plays the drums at churches, most recently at AME Church in Leland.
“I figured it was time to recognize,” Kemp said. “They’re always recognizing guitar in other places and piano, but they never do recognize the drummers.”
The drummer award will be given at the 2021 Juke Joint Festival, as it had in the past. It was delayed this year since JJF was only virtual with the COVID-19 pandemic. He plans to add a second award for the bass guitar at JJF that will go to Harvell Thomas.
