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John “The Doctor” Jochem has been active in the Chicago blues scene since his arrival to the city in 1979. Those were heady days for Chicago blues. At that time it was possible to drift into a club and discover that The Aces, Big Walter, Eddie Taylor, Floyd Jones, Sunnyland Slim, Blind John Davis, Otis Rush, Mighty Joe Young, Fenton Robinson or some other blues great just happened to be gigging there that night. For better or for worse (better for fans, worse for the musicians), crowd sizes were small and artists who packed stadiums in Europe would be playing for a small house on their home turf. You could get to know the musicians and the relaxed scene included frequent sitting-in by musicians in the audience. The Doctor soaked up the scene and gigged regularly around the city, developing his chops.

Rollin’ & Tumblin’

One day in the early ’90’s, John stopped by the photography studio of James Fraher, who has since gone on to be one of the most widely published photographers of the blues. A staff photographer for Living Blues (he holds the record for most cover photos), Jim’s photos have also appeared in Downbeat, Guitar Player, in numerous other publications and on more than 150 record covers. A 1996 recipient of the Keeping The Blues Alive Award, Jim’s work can also be seen in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution, the Chicago Blues Archive at the Harold Washington Library Center, and the University of Mississippi Blues Archive. He is the author of The Blues is a Feeling: Voices and Visions of African-American Blues Musicians, published in 1998. James has also collaborated with Houston writer Roger Wood to produce two books published by the University of Texas Press, Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues and Texas Zydeco. More on Jim’s work, as well as that of his wife, Connie, is available at www.bogfire.com.

James and The Doctor soon found that they had shared musical interests and commenced to jamming together in an acoustic duo format. In short order, they developed a repertoire of acoustic blues classics and originals and launched themselves on the playing scene as Rollin’ & Tumblin’.

Throughout the ’90’s the duo gigged widely around the Chicago area and throughout the Midwest, playing clubs, bars, coffeehouses, blues fests, sometimes teaming up with local acoustic blues stalwarts such as Fruteland Jackson and Jimmy Lee Robinson. Like many blues acts, they found a very warm and welcome reception in Europe, touring Ireland in 1997.

Rollin' & Tumblin' promo shot, 1995

I Walk the Line

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I Walk the Line

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The Doctor with great friend and musical partner, James Fraher, County Sligo, Ireland, 2009

Rollin’ & Tumblin’ continued to gig on a regular basis around the Chicago area into the early ’00’s until Jim’s move to Ireland in 1995.