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Post by Admin on Jan 23, 2014 11:08:30 GMT -5
Jimmy Witherspoon Witherspoon had his first—and biggest—hit in 1949 with the two-part “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” on Supreme Records. The eight-bar blues, also known as “Tain’t Nobody’s Biz-Ness if I Do” was first popularized by Bessie Smith in 1923. Witherspoon’s version rose to number one on Billboard’s Best Selling Retail Race Records chart and remained his signature song. Four more Top Ten hits followed: “In the Evening” on Supreme in 1949, “No Rollin’ Blues” and “Big Fine Girl,” both on Modern in 1949 (and both recorded in front of an effusive live audience), and “The Wind Is Blowin’” on Modern in 1952. A gap of 23 years followed.
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Post by Admin on Jan 23, 2014 19:30:56 GMT -5
James Cotton - Harmonica genius in my opinion
James Cotton is an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who has performed and recorded with many of the great blues artists of his time as well as with his own band. Wikipedia
Born: July 1, 1935 (age 78), Tunica, MS
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Post by AlanB on Jan 24, 2014 5:07:01 GMT -5
James Cotton - Harmonica genius in my opinion UK musician Chris Barber brought Cotton to Britain for a tour in July & August 1961. One of the events took place at the Beaulieu Jazz Festival held in the grounds of a vintage motor car museum, Hampshire. He was dressed in a smart white shirt, jacket and wearing a bow tie! Val Wilmer took the photos that day.
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Post by AlanB on Jan 24, 2014 9:01:11 GMT -5
Witherspoon had his first—and biggest—hit in 1949 with the two-part “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” on Supreme Records. The eight-bar blues, also known as “Tain’t Nobody’s Biz-Ness if I Do” was first popularized by Bessie Smith in 1923. Witherspoon’s version rose to number one on Billboard’s Best Selling Retail Race Records chart and remained his signature song. Four more Top Ten hits followed: “In the Evening” on Supreme in 1949, “No Rollin’ Blues” and “Big Fine Girl,” both on Modern in 1949 (and both recorded in front of an effusive live audience), and “The Wind Is Blowin’” on Modern in 1952. A gap of 23 years followed. I knew if I hunted long enough I'd find this. Rather tatty but...now all I need do is locate my concert program for the event. Attachments:
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Post by Admin on Jan 24, 2014 14:26:22 GMT -5
Thanks Alan. Great lineup wasn't it.
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Post by Admin on Jan 25, 2014 12:21:57 GMT -5
Great Post War Blues artists include harmonica greats like Lazy Lester Lazy Lester Lazy Lester is an American blues musician, who sings, and plays the harmonica and guitar. His career spans the 1950s to the 2010s. Wikipedia Born: June 20, 1933 (age 80), Torras, LA Albums: Harp & Soul, I Hear You Knockin'! The Excello Singles, More Movies: Wentus Blues Band: Family Meeting Record labels: Telarc International Corporation, Excello Records, Alligator Records www.lazylester.net/index.cfm?do=biography
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Post by AlanB on Jan 26, 2014 12:07:38 GMT -5
Great Post War Blues artists include harmonica greats like Lazy Lester Here's the first published appreciation of Lester Lazy Lester by Mike Leadbitter R&B Scene, April 1965 p. 6 &9One of the most neglected harmonica players today, in spite of his genius in this medium, is Excello's Lazy Lester. This neglect is mainly due to the fact that what recognition he has achieved has been mainly for the brilliance of his backings for other artistes. Other harmonica players like Little Walter or Junior Wells made the transition from session men to solo performer with a lot of success, but unfortunately Lester never really did. Probably because of his relative youth Lester's voice is still rather weak, and lacks tone and variation. This may be a bad thing for Lester the blues singer, but when he opens up with his harp you hear nothing but the blues! However, good records aren't made by solos alone. I am not saying that all his recordings lack interest; most do, but there are still one or two that are worthwhile additions to anyone's collection, showing great promise for the future if the right material is available. He was born Lester Johnson in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1936, and became a professional musician while still in his teens. He has perfected his technique as well as becoming very proficient on guitar. (Harry Oster recorded Lester playing guitar behind a woman singer in Louisiana a couple of years ago). One of his first professional jobs was with the little combo that backed guitarist/singer Ashton Savoy, another Louisiana bluesman. With Ashton he recorded for the Goldband outfit in Lake Charles, and although these recordings have not been commercially released, so that everyone has a chance to judge, Lester's harmonica sound was as distinctive then as it is today. In 1956 the big break came in the form of the local "record man" Jay Miller, who picked him up in Baton Rouge to back his top artiste, Lightnin' Slim. At the studios in Crowley, Miller was so impressed by Lester's playing that he recorded solo as well as signing him as a house musician. Thus Lester found himself in a very enviable position, as far as the deep South music scene is concerned at the very young age of twenty! Since 1956 Lester has recorded a steady stream of singles for Excello via Jay Miller. Although the gimmick conscious Miller has incorporated saxes into Lester's backing recently, in the main his only accompaniment has been two guitars and a drummer, with the accent on beat. These performances include everything from pure blues to very average straight forward R&B sides, saved only at times by the sheer talent of the session men. His greatest record was undoubtedly "They Call Me lazy"/"Go Ahead" (Excello 2107). It is hard to say which side is best, they are both so good. Both numbers are medium paced, predominantly featuring a bass guitar behind Lester who sings and plays superbly. As he sings "they call me Lazy, but God knows I'm only tired ....you're with him all the way. The only other record made that could be classed as good as this is "Lonesome Highway Blues" (Excello 2230). A slow haunting blues with Lester's voice coming over very well, as the guitar and washboard backing is kept in the background. The harmonica which was dubbed on afterwards, moans in a very mournful way throughout. The rest of his output can be summed up by listening to Lazy Lester tracks on "Authentic R&B" Stateside L.P. They are rather average, and are aimed at the commercial market, and that voice and harp just aren't given a chance to shine. To anyone who wants to hear the best of the rest I'd recommend "Hear You Knockin' (Excello 2155), which is not the Domino/Smiley Lewis number, but a very fast item with changed lyrics. Although this again is straightforward R&B, the backing is first rate, and the musicians really demonstrate how to get the best out of poor material. The drumming is some of the best I ye ever heard on an R&B session it really does swing! Then, "Strange Things Happen" (Excello 2235), another downhome blues with some great interplay between voice and harmonica, and lastly, "I Love, I Need You" (Excello 2166), on which Lester does an excellent take off of Jimmy Reed.
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Post by dadfad on Jan 27, 2014 9:41:35 GMT -5
I've known Lester for many years. Last time I saw him was at his birthday party in Pontiac, Michigan in June of 2005 (I think).. We've jammed quite a few times together. His best stuff was from the late-50s/early-60s. (I/m/o)
I first learned about Lester from an old one-man band guy I used to open for (Buddy Folks... "Biggest One Man Band in Dee-Troit!") back in the late eighties. He played some of Lester's stuff and I said I liked it. He told me Lester was still alive and local (more or less, maybe fifty miles or so) to the Detroit area so I looked him up and got to know him.
A friend of mine from that area told me Lester recently moved out to California.
"Sugar-Coated Love" is probably my favorite Lester-Tune.
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Post by Admin on Jan 27, 2014 11:47:35 GMT -5
"Sugar-Coated Love" is probably my favorite Lester-Tune. John, great Excello single released in 1958. Flip side was I'm A Lover Not A Fighter.
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Post by dadfad on Jan 27, 2014 16:45:48 GMT -5
"Sugar-Coated Love" is probably my favorite Lester-Tune. John, great Excello single released in 1958. Flip side was I'm A Lover Not A Fighter. Thanks, Jim. It was good listening to it again. You can hear why it was such a great one-man band tune. Buddy (the old one-man guy I used to open for) did it just about every night. Buddy played guitar-harp-drums, (and very rarely he'd also play a keyboard sitting on the floor in front of him using a popsickle-stick taped to the toe of his boot). When I mentioned to Buddy I liked that tune and he said it was Lester's, he couldn't believe I'd never heard of Lazy Lester before. The next Friday night he brought a cassette tape of some of Lester's tunes to our gig for me to hear. I looked him up soon after that. Now that I think about it, it was maybe only five years ago, maybe less, I saw Lester. He and me and my wife went to see bluesman Joe Louis Walker at a club not far from where Lester was staying. Joe Louis recognized Lester and called him up from our table to stand in with him on a few tunes. (I had a Key-of-D harp in my coat-pocket and Lester had a Key-of-A in his, between the two harps Lester and Joe Louis did probably half a set together. Great night. Even my wife enjoyed it! :lol: (And my wife is no big-time "blues-lover" either. She says after thirty-five years of me dragging her to (more often than not) squalid little clubs and dive bars where I'm playing while she (in her words) "sits alone and watches roaches run up and down the wall while the hookers go in and out of the men's-room with a bottle of mouthwash, the "thrill is gone." [laughing]
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Post by Admin on Jan 31, 2014 15:35:13 GMT -5
From the British Blues
Savoy Brown
Band· savoybrown.com
Savoy Brown, originally known as the Savoy Brown Blues Band, are a British blues rock band, formed in 1965, in Battersea, South West London. Wikipedia Active from: 1966 Origin: Battersea, London, United Kingdom Members: Kim Simmonds, Pat DeSalvo, Garnet Grimm, More Lead singers: Jumpin' Joe Whiting (1991–1992), Jumpin' Joe Whiting (2009–)
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Post by AlanB on Aug 19, 2014 2:58:26 GMT -5
T-BONE WALKER - Low Down Blues - Original Black & White Recordings - Charly CD7 This 1985 CD is long out of print but there's bound to be a current equivalent. Well worth investing in. Attachments:TBWCD7.pdf (97.16 KB)
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