Pokey Lafarge

About

Pokey LaFarge, born Andrew Heissler in Bloomington, Illinois, has spent his career doing something genuinely rare: making hot swing, early jazz, ragtime, country blues and Western swing feel alive and urgent rather than nostalgic. His repertoire is a deep dive into Americana's roots, drawing on everyone from Howlin' Wolf and Fats Waller to Bill Monroe and Jimmie Rodgers. His big break into wider visibility came through Jack White, who produced the band's Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County for Third Man Records and recruited LaFarge and the South City Three to play on White's own album Blunderbuss. A string of label deals followed, including Rounder Records and New West, resulting in albums like Something in the Water, Manic Revelations, and Rock Bottom Rhapsody. His 2024 release Rhumba Country, made with co composer Elliot Bergman, marks a tropical, summery shift in sound from his earlier roots focused work.