A Few Items of Interest

This week marks TWO YEARS since Friday Blues Fix was launched. To everyone who stops by on a weekly (at least) basis to see what's going on, a great big thank you for your continued support. I have really been amazed at how many folks from all over the world stop by every week. I will do my best to continue to make this a worthwhile stop for blues fans.

Last week marked the 28th annual Internation Blues Challenge (IBC), a huge talent competition where blues acts from around the world converge on the city of Memphis. Past IBC's have seen performances from current artists like Grady Champion, Eden Brent, Barbara Blue, Micheal Burks, Albert Castiglia, Fiona Boyes, Larry Garner, Delta Moon, Zac Harmon, the Homemade Jamz Band, Jason Ricci, Super Chikan, Watermelon Slim, Teeny Tucker, Susan Tedeschi, the late Sean Costello, Joe Moss, the late Robin Rogers, and Tommy Castro. Pretty impressive list, eh?

This year's lineup included 200 different acts playing all over Beale Street and other neighboring clubs. Each act was sponsored by a blues foundation, from points all over the world. The winner of the Band Competition was The WIRED! Band, sponsored by the Washington Blues Society, and the winner of the Solo/Duo Competition was Ray Bonneville (sponsored by the Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas). Congratulations to both acts and all the others who competed.



The WIRED! Band - Winner of 2012 IBC Band Competition



Ray Bonneville - Winner of 2012 IBC Solo/Duo Competition

The Gipson Guitarist Award went to Bart Walker of The Bart Walker Band, who placed second in the Band Competition.  The Lee Oskar Top Harmonica Player was Randy McQuay.  The Best Self-Produced Blues CD was Dave Keller's excellent ......Where I'm Coming From...

There's a nice change of pace in the latest issue of Living Blues magazine.....a focus on blues piano players.  There are some wonderful articles about keyboard wizards like Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, Papadon Washington, and the great Jimmy McCracklin.  Naturally, there are plenty of great pictures as well, including several by FBF favorite, Bill Steber.  There are also reviews of new releases from Ruthie Foster, Joe Louis Walker, Sharon Lewis, and many, many more.  There are lots of fine blues magazines out there, but you can't go wrong with Living Blues, which should be available at newstands and bookstores everywhere.






FBF will be talking about some other new releases in the coming weeks, but wanted to mention a new release that is definitely worth a listen from a California duo called Sista Jean and C.B.  Sista Jean has worked as a session vocalist with Cher, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, and Bobby Caldwell, and she can also be heard on several of Joe Henry's recent blues productions with Solomon Burke, Allen Toussaint, and Hugh Laurie).  She also recorded R&B in the  90's as Pepper MaShay.  C.B. is guitarist Carlyle Barriteau, a native of Aruba, who plays with Caldwell, and is currently making a name for himself on the smooth jazz scene.

Their first release as a duo is called Back to the Root and is a warm, relaxed, intimate set of blues that also mixes R&B, soul, jazz, and gospel.  They wrote all the tunes, which are uniformly excellent.  Sista Jean's vocals are strong, yet understated, which suits this material perfectly and Barriteau's guitar work is fantastic in support (they are backed on several tracks by Troy Dexter, on dobro or Fender Rhodes, and David Vidal, on harmonica or pedal steel).  This is a great set for late night listening or for just relaxing on the front porch.  Here's hoping that we hear more from this team.

I mentioned one of my favorite older releases a few weeks ago, Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials' Roughhousin'. Frontman Ed Williams is an awesome slide guitarist whose uncle, J. B. Hutto, was a master slide guitarist in his own right who recorded for Delmark and Rounder's subsidiary Varrick in the 60's, 70's, and 80's.  Williams and his band were selected by Alligator Records' head man Bruce Iglauer to be a part of the label's anthology, The New Bluebloods, and during their time recording their selection for the album (with Williams still wearing his uniform from his day job at a car wash), they caught on fire.  Iglauer had time to burn in the studio, so the band more or less started playing their typical live set while he caught it all on tape.  In the process, they ended up recording around thirty tunes....no second takes and no overdubs.

The results are about as live and raw a studio album as you may ever hear.  It's interesting to note that during the recording session, Ed did his usual stage antics...backbending, duck-walking, tiptoeing, and sliding across the floor....and maybe that gave the set even more authenticity.  Williams had some great original songs, like the outstanding slow blues, "Everything I Do Brings Me Closer To The Blues," "Pride and Joy," and the autobiographical "Car Wash Blues."  The group covered Percy Mayfield's "You Don't Exist Any More," Arthur Crudup's "Mean Old Frisco," and the classic "Walkin' The Dog," which allowed each band member a moment to shine on their own.  The CD reissue also includes their track from the Bluebloods set, "Young Thing."

Williams & the Blues Imperials have recorded several more discs for Alligator over the past twenty-plus years, and though they're all good in their own way, none of them come close to capturing the passion of their debut release.  If you haven't experienced this amazing group, Roughhousin' is a great place to start.  I wouldn't mind hearing the other twenty songs that were recorded during that session sometime in the future.







From Jeff Konkel's Facebook page on Thursday.......

It is with deep sadness that I report the passing of The Mississippi Marvel, an outstanding blues artist and a true gentleman. He was 81 years old. I was fortunate to work with him over the past several years. In 2008, Broke & Hungry Records released his debut CD, The World Must Never Know. Later that year he appeared in our film M For Mississippi. His dual (and conflicting) roles as a bluesman and a church deacon led us to use a pseudonym when discussing him in public. Out of respect for his family and his church, we will continue to honor this request. Farewell to a great artist and a gentle soul.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue #5

It's time once again for one of FBF's favorite topics.  As always, Something Old brings you a real blast from the past, Something New brings you an up and coming talent, Something Borrowed features a blues man playing a rock tune (or vice versa), and Something Blue showcases somebody who is the epitome of the Blues.....a person whose picture might appear in the dictionary next to the definition of the Blues.  Let's get started, shall we.....



Lonnie Johnson


For Something Old, let's go back to the 1920's, to perhaps the most influential guitarist of all time.  Lonnie Johnson influenced the influences.  When you hear artists like B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Robert Johnson, Robert Lockwood, Jr., and just about anybody else that ever slung a guitar over their shoulder play the blues, chances are you're hearing a riff originated by Lonnie Johnson somewhere in one of their solos. 

Johnson was not years, but decades ahead of his time, the first guitarist to play single-string solos and enjoyed a highly successful and prolific career that spanned five decades.  He played blues, jazz, and popular ballads with such fluidity and grace that even today's jaded listeners are still subject to goose bumps when hearing him.  He recorded jazz tracks with white guitarist Eddie Lang (as Blind Willie Dunn) and Louis Armstrong, and recorded hundreds of blues tracks well into the fifties. 

After a dry spell in the late 50's, he was rediscovered, working as a janitor in Philadelphia and was able to restart his career during the 60's, one of the high points being an appearance at the 1963 American Folk Blues Festival, where this video (complete with an introduction for the ages from Sonny Boy Williamson) was taken.  As you watch, please note that as good as Lonnie Johnson sounds here, he was simply a force of nature nearly forty years earlier.  Every blues fan needs a few Lonnie Johnson recordings in their collection.  After all, they've heard most of his guitar work from his disciples already.






Gary Clark, Jr.


For Something New, let me just say that there's still time to get on the Gary Clark, Jr. bandwagon, but it's taking off soon.  The Austin, TX guitarist has already had ample face time recently on projects like the 2007 John Sayles motion picture, Honeydripper, and on the most recent DVD of Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, but with a new release in the works, previewed by last year's Bright Lights EP, word is getting out fast.  With dynamic guitar work that brings to mind SRV and Jimi Hendrix, Clark is definitely turning heads.  If he chooses to do so, Clark could redefine the blues for the next few generations, taking it to a new level.  Thing is....he could easily move from the blues to other genres, so cross your fingers that he sticks with the blues and enjoy the ride.

Elvis Presley & B.B. King

For Something Borrowed, let's go to the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley.  Everybody knows that Elvis covered lots of blues and R&B tunes over his career and did very well with them.  Not only were they hits, but he did a great job interpreting them.  Presley was raised around this type of music during his early years in Mississippi and during his coming-of-age years in Memphis, where he was a regular visitor to Beale Street.  Presley got sidetracked during most of the 60's, with the new popularity of the Beatles and his management's determination to corner the market on cheesy movies, but he managed to reinvent himself with his intimate 1968 TV special, featuring him and several fellow musicians on a stage surrounded by adoring fans.  Presley reached way, way back to his roots, to the music that he first embraced as a teenager, during this set.  One of his chosen tunes was an old reliable, Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me To Do."  Just watch as Elvis slips into this song like he was slipping into a pair of house shoes.  It was an easy fit for him, obviously.



Honeyboy Edwards (seated) with Homesick James, Henry Townsend, Robert Lockwood, Jr.




For Something Blue, I don't think we can sum up the Blues any better than with this clip, featuring over 250 years of blues experience on the same stage.  Robert Lockwood, Jr., Honeyboy Edwards, Henry Townsend all played the music well into their 90's, and were witness to many events and changes to the genre over the years.  We've discussed the merits of Honeyboy Edwards here before, and Lockwood will be the subject of his own FBF post in the coming months.  Henry Townsend was the only blues artists who recorded over NINE decades, from the late 1920's to his last recordings shortly before his death at 96 in 2006.  He was also as indispensible as Edwards as far as being a source of the music's history, especially regarding the St. Louis scene, where he spent most of his life. 

Veliotes and Hawkins

Last week saw the passing of two blues icons, Etta James and Johnny Otis.  Without one, we might never have heard of the other.  Both made an indeliable impact on the music and while most current blues fans were definitely familiar with Ms. James, Johnny Otis might not be as familiar a name, but his impact as the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues" was even greater.

Johnny Otis was born Ioannis Alexandros Veliotes in 1921.  He was the son of Greek immigrants, but opted to live his personal and professional life as an African-American because of his love for R&B and jazz.  He changed his name to Otis as a teen and developed a passion for the drums, playing in a number of swing bands.  In 1945, he formed his own band, and had one of the year's, and the genre's, biggest hits, "Harlem Nocturne."  The band also played with Wynonie Harris and Charles Brown (as part of Johnny Moore's 3 Blazers).  He played on Brown's "Drifting Blues," and Johnny Ace's "Pledging My Love."  He also opened a nightclub during that time, the Barrelhouse Club, in Watts, and his interests moved more toward Rhythm & Blues.




Otis (center) with Mel Walker and Little Esther Phillips


Over time, Otis reduced his band's size and began recruiting singers.  Among his discoveries were sax man Big Jay McNeely, the vocal group, the Robins (who later became the Coasters), Mel Walker, and the teenage singer Little Esther Phillips, who won one of the Barrelhouse's talent shows.  That band became known as the California Rhythm & Blues Caravan and enjoyed a lot of success for the rest of the 1940's.  Otis had TEN Top 10 hits in 1949.  He also expanded his musical repertoire to include piano and vibraphone.







After 1950, Otis' own impact on the charts began to decrease, but his band continued to back some successful musicians (including Big Mama Thornton on her hit, "Hound Dog") and he became a highly successful talent scout, discovering legendary acts like Jackie Wilson, Hank Ballard, Little Willie John....and Etta James.

James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in 1938.  Her mother was 14 years old at the time and James never knew her father, but she speculated that it might be the pool player Minnesota Fats.  Her mother was rarely around either, so she was raised by several different people, including her grandparents, who took her to church regularly.  At the age of five, she became a soloist with the choir and even appeared with them on several radio shows.  When she was twelve, she ended up living with her mother in San Francisco, with little adult supervision, and started getting into trouble.  Still, her love for music prevailed and, with two of her friends, she formed a group called the Creolettes.  It was during this time that Jamesetta Hawkins crossed paths with Johnny Otis.

Stories vary on how the two actually met, but Otis took the group under his wing, changing Jamesetta's name to Etta James and the group to the Peaches, and got them a deal with Modern Records, where they recorded "Roll With Me, Henry," an answer song to Hank Ballard's "Work With Me, Annie."  The song was later released as "Dance With Me, Henry," due to the suggestiveness of the original title.  The song hit #1 on the R&B chart, but was quickly covered by pop singer Georgia Gibbs, under the title "The Wallflower."  Gibbs' version hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which infuriated James.

James left the Peaches soon after and eventually signed with Chess Records.  Leonard Chess envisioned James as a potential pop sensation and loaded her songs up with strings.  Many of her early hits followed this pattern, including her signature song, "At Last," but she also recorded numerous blues, R&B, jazz, and doo-wop songs along the way.  Some of her other hits during this time were "I Just Want To Make Love To You," "Sunday Kind of Love," and "Something's Got A Hold On Me."



After a brief absence from the charts, James returned with an R&B focus that resulted in two of her biggest hits, "Tell Mama" and "I'd Rather Go Blind."  She continued to record with Chess until the late 70's, branching out into rock and funk on several of her later recordings.  During this time, she struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism and basically dropped off the scene for nearly a decade.

Though she continued to perform in clubs as she battled her addictions, James resurfaced for all to see in the late 80's, as part of the Chuck Berry documentary, Hail!  Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, where she performed "Rock & Roll Music," with Berry (James contributed backing vocals to several of Berry's Chess sides).  Soon, she signed a record deal with Island Records, and enjoyed a long string of successful recordings, mixing pop, jazz, the blues, and R&B.  She also found time to release her autobiography, Rage To Survive (co-written by David Ritz), and received a boatload of honors, including induction into the Blues Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll  Hall of Fame, a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and even induction into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

During James' run, Johnny Otis continued to enjoy success as a songwriter and producer.  In 1958, he had a hit with "Willie and the Hand Jive," which has been covered by Eric Clapton, George Thorogood, and at least a million other artists.  By this time, Otis was clearly established as a pioneer not only in blues and R&B, but also rock and roll.   



He continued performing off and on, occasionally performing with his son, guitarist Shuggie (who wrote and sang "Strawberry Letter 23," later a Pop and R&B hit for the Brothers Johnson in the late 70's).  Otis also worked in journalism, tried his hand at politics, became a pastor, owned a health food emporium, and hosted a longtime radio program in the San Francisco area.  He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.  He continued performing and recording well into the last decade, with Shuggie on guitar, son Nick on drums, and a couple of grandsons who also played guitar.  Otis passed away on January 17 at the age of 90.

Etta James' last public appearance was in 2010, as she had to cancel her tour due to failing health.  It was revealed that she was suffering from leukemia and dementia.  Her final recording, The Dreamer, was recorded in 2009, but released this past November to critical acclaim.  James passed away on January 20, five days shy of her 74th birthday.

Etta James leaves behind a huge fan base, many of whom only found out about her in recent years and have backtracked to discover her incredible early body of work.  However, Johnny Otis, the man who started her on her path, though largely working behind the scenes since the 1960's, had an even bigger impact on the early development of modern blues and rock & roll.

Selected Recordings

The Greatest Johnny Otis Show (ACE) - 26 of Johnny Otis' mid to late 50's recordings for Capitol.  This set includes two of his biggest hits ("Willie and the Hand Jive," "Crazy Country Hop").   Features Mel Walker, Marie Adams, guitarist Jimmy Nolen (future James Brown guitarist), Three Tons of Joy (see above), Jeannie Sterling, and Jackie Kelso.

The Johnny Otis Rhythm & Blues Caravan (Savoy Jazz) - This is a three-disc set (77 tracks) covering Otis' early years from 1949 - 1951.  This was Otis' most successful period on the R&B charts and there's lots to enjoy for fans of early R&B.  It features Walker and Little Esther Phillips on vocals.

Her Best (Geffen) - 20 of James' classic sides for Chess from the 60's and 70's.  Pretty much everything you need is right here.....all the hits and should-have-been-hits.  People who want to hear more of the Chess years can opt for the Chess Box, a three-disc set.

The Essential Etta James (Sony) - This is a pretty complete set of James' best moments from the past twenty years.  Unfortunately, she got next to no radio play over that time, due to the crappy situation that passes for modern radio during that time, which is sad because she had some really great recordings in that time span.

Heart & Soul:  A Retrospective (Hip-O Select) - A comprehensive set that covers James' career from "The Wallflower" in 1955 to 2008.  This four disc set is really for the die-hard fans, but you can rest assured there's some great music on it from start to finish.

  

The Dreamer (Verve Forecast) - James' final disc finds her singing in a lower register than usual, but still as effective as ever.  Though she was battling numerous health problems during this time (2009), she definitely showed she was going out on a high note with this effort. 

My Favorite Things - Blues Around Midnight

When I first started listening to the blues, I started receiving a catalog from Roundup Records in Cambridge, MA.  As I stated a few months ago, I found an ad in a Jazz Fest program for Roundup and mailed a request (remember those days) for a catalog.  When I got, it was almost overwhelming.  The number of recordings available was staggering.  I didn't know where to start, so I would try to order three or four at a time.  I was getting cassettes at the time, which made my choices a little easier since most of their stock (particularly the ones I'd heard of and wanted to buy) was either available on LP or CD (the story of my life).

About a year into collecting, I saw one particular album called Blues Around Midnight that featured songs by B.B. King, Ray Charles, T-Bone Walker, and Johnny Copeland.  It looked like mostly after-hours blues, maybe on the jazzy side, so I decided to order it, along with a few others.  Talk about a worthwhile purchase.  Not only were the above mentioned artists there, but many others that I'd never heard of, but liked just as much.  I've always been a sucker for anthologies because they feature so many different artists and a variety of tunes.  Even though many of these are usually budget collections, they almost always end up costing me more money because I have to track down releases from the previously unknown artists that I hear on them. 

 

Larry Davis

One of the first posts I did on Friday Blues Fix was about Larry Davis, who was one of those most under-appreciated blues singers ever.  Davis was a triple threat talent....a wonderful singer in the B.B. King tradition, a strong guitarist in the Albert King tradition, and also a talented songwriter (composer of "Texas Flood," among others).  However, he was injured in a motorcycle accident just as his career was gaining momentum in the early 70's and was unable to perform for a few years.  Although he did record a couple of excellent albums in the 80's, they were few and far between.  When he finally did get a big break, recording for Rounder's Bullseye Blues label in the early 90's, he was unable to fully enjoy it because he died from cancer in 1994.  Davis had two tracks on Blues Around Midnight, including his impressive version of B.B. King's "Three O'Clock In The Morning," which opened the disc.

Johnny Copeland

Johnny Copeland was a few years away from his success with Rounder Records when he cut "Old Man Blues," with backing from the Jazz Crusaders, better known by many jazz fans after they dropped the "Jazz" from their names and became known as The Crusaders.  The Crusaders, who ruled the Jazz air waves in the 70's with their soulful take on jazz, got their start as high school students in Houston, which is where Copeland hung his hat as well.  Copeland, of course, went on to greater success with Rounder, then later as part of the Showdown! collaboration with Albert Collins and Robert Cray, then finally cutting a few albums with Verve before passing away after complications from heart surgery in 1997.





Lowell Fulson

Oklahoma native Lowell Fulson recorded the title track and was also the author of several other memorable blues standards, including "Reconsider Baby" (made famous by Elvis Presley), "Sinner's Prayer" (later done by Ray Charles), and "Tramp" (later covered by Otis Redding).  He also recorded definitive versions of "Blue Shadows," 'Every Day I Have The Blues," and "Black Nights."  Fulson continued to perform and record regularly until the late 90's, when his health began to fail and he passed away in 1999, after a successful five-decade career.

Jimmy "T-99" Nelson

Jimmy Nelson was a star for a very short time.  He recorded the song, "T-99 Blues," which became a chart-topper in 1951 for RPM Records.  He never reached those lofty heights again, but recorded some quality material during his lifetime for other labels, like Chess and Music City.  He resurfaced in the late 90's with a fine recording for Bullseye Blues and continued to perform up until shortly before he passed away in 2007 at age 88.





Jimmy Witherspoon

Jimmy Witherspoon is showcased on two tracks, including "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You."  Witherspoon is considered one of the greatest of the post-war blues singers, but he was as comfortable singing jazz as he was the blues.   He started recording with Jay McShann's band in the mid 40's and his first big hit was the classic "Ain't Nobody's Business."  By the time the mid 50's rolled along, 'Spoon's brand of shouting blues was out of vogue, though he continued to record some great music for various labels, but got back on the map with a wonderful jazz recording in the late 50's from the Monterey Jazz Festival.  He also cut his finest record, "Evening Blues," with T-Bone Walker backing him on guitar in the early 60's.  He briefly retired from performing, but continued to record and worked as a DJ.  He later returned to performing and recorded several albums with artists like Eric Burdon and Robben Ford.  He contracted throat cancer in the 80's, which affected that powerful voice, but he continued to perform until his death in 1997 at 77.
 

Ray Charles

Ray Charles cut "I'm Wonderin' and Wonderin'" in the early 50's, just before he hit it big with Atlantic.  In his early recordings, Charles was heavily influenced by Charles Brown, but on this track, while the Brown influence can still be heard musically, you can hear him slowly developing his own distinct style, especially on vocals.  From this point, the young singer progressed quickly, single-handedly (some say) creating soul music during his tenure with Atlantic, then making an amazing transition toward country in the 60's, then developing into a music legend from that point on.  On Blues Around Midnight, you get a glimpse of the early Ray Charles.

B.B. King

Since Blues Around Midnight contains tracks from Kent, Modern, and other labels, it's only natural that B.B. King should appear, since he spent many years during the 50's with Kent and RPM Records.  He gets a great pair of tunes on this set.  For my money, one of the greatest guitar solos ever kicks off "You're Breaking My Heart."  Your feelings may differ, but the opening thirty seconds or so still give me chill bumps some twenty-five years after hearing it for the first time.  I think every blues fan has a favorite B.B. King song and this one is mine.  Though King has had a lot of great years since, I have always thought that some of his best output was during those wonderfully productive years in the 50's and early 60's.

T-Bone Walker

The set also features a previously unreleased track from T-Bone Walker from his nomadic period in the 60's, when he hopped from label to label.  As you can hear, though Walker had problems finding a permanent home after successful long term label associations in the 40's and 50's, the quality of his music was still first-rate.  Unfortunately, the times had changed and his style of blues was no longer as popular.  "Love Will Lead You Right" is as strong as anything he ever released and would have been a hit in a perfect world.

Frankie Ervin

There are many other great tracks too, including a pair of songs from Frankie Ervin, who replaced Charles Brown in Johnny Moore's 3 Blazers.  Ervin's two tracks were the amusing "Dragnet Blues" (which drew the ire of Jack Webb, who sought a restraining order and wrecked the song's momentum on the charts) and the witty "Playing the Numbers."  Ervin had a star-crossed career in the 50's, serving as lead vocalist with the Shields after he left Moore.  He resurfaced in the 80's and 90's for a time, passing away in 2009 at the age of 84.



Ace Records has released many quality recordings from many genres of music for a long time.  There have been some fantastic compilations during that time.  Their recordings are highlighted by outstanding sound and some of the best liner notes you'll ever read, with loads of information about the featured artists from some of Britain's foremost blues scholars.

For blues fans who enjoy the late-night, after-hours, jazzy urban blues from the 50's and 60's, you won't find a better collection than Blues Around Midnight.  Unfortunately, it's out of print, but copies can still be found at various music sites, including a few listed in the links on the right sidebar.



                                                   

Blues Legends - Howlin' Wolf

 "When I heard Howlin' Wolf, I said, 'This is for me.  This is where the soul of man never dies." - Sam Phillips

I wonder what went through Sam Phillips' mind when he saw Howlin' Wolf walk into his Memphis recording studio back in 1950.  I mean, he had heard Wolf on his radio show, and he had probably even seen him before, but walking through the door toward him, standing 6' 3" and nearly 300 pounds, the Wolf had to be quite an imposing, and imtimidating sight.  Whatever Phillips thought when he saw the Wolf probably couldn't hold a candle to whatever he thought when he heard him behind the microphone, as he snarled his vocals and breathed fire through his harmonica.





Howlin' Wolf (center) at Sylvio's, 1964, with (L to R) Willie Young (sax), Cassell Burrow (drums), Hubert Sumlin (guitar), Johnny Jones (piano), Andrew McMahon (bass) (photo by Raeburn Flerlage)

 Howlin' Wolf was the blues' version of Mr. Hyde.  He was the music at its most raw and primal.  He had the rare ability to rock his listeners to their knees and scare the devil out of them at the same time.  I can remember that series of Raeburn Flerlage photos of him in action at Sylvio's, and how he seemed to glide across that postage stamp of a stage like a man half his size, with an almost childlike pleasure at being able to do what he was doing....perform for his audience, who were probably watching in wonder, mixed with a little fear, trying to figure out what he was going to do next.

Howlin' Wolf was born Chester Arthur Burnett near West Point, MS in June, 1910.  His parents split up when he was young and his mother threw him out of the house when he was still a child because he wouldn't work around the farm, so he lived with his uncle for awhile.  After his uncle treated him badly, he ran away and found his father, where he ended up living happily. 

Wolf's father was a farmer and for a while, it appeared that the son might follow in the dad's footsteps.  However, his path crossed that of Delta blues legend Charley Patton and everything changed.  Every night, he would listen to Patton play outside of a local juke joint.  From this experience, the Wolf was able to pick up on Patton's inimitable growl and his showmanship.  He learned harmonica from Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II), who had married Wolf's half-sister.  Miller taught him the basics of harmonica and by the early 30's, Wolf was performing, mostly as a Patton imitator, but he was also influenced by other artists at the time, such as Tampa Red, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Tommy Johnson, Blind Blake, Ma Rainey, and country music star Jimmie Rodgers.  Wolf tried to emulate Rodgers' famous "blue yodel," but it came out sounding more like a growl or howl.

Wolf continued throughout the 30's, performing solo and performing with others, like Honeyboy Edwards, Floyd Jones, Johnny Shines, Robert Lockwood Jr., Son House, and even Robert Johnson.  In 1941, he was inducted into the Army, but was discharged in 1943, without ever going overseas, because he found the adjustment to Army life too challenging.  He returned to farming with his family around West Memphis, Arkansas, while continuing to perform on the weekends. 



Howlin' Wolf with (L to R) Jody Williams, Earl Phillips, and Hubert Sumlin

 By 1948, he had formed a band with guitarists Matt "Guitar" Murphy (who helped Wolf improve his guitar playing) and Willie Johnson and a piano man remembered only by the name, "Destruction."  Wolf hosted a 15-minute radio show at KWEM in West Memphis, where he promoted his appearances, sold farm equipment and gave farm reports.  By now, his band's sound was expanding to include electric instruments and Willie Johnson's highly combustible guitar style complemented Wolf perfectly.

In 1950, his radio show was heard by Sam Phillips, who eventually recorded Wolf in his Sun Records studio.  These recordings, which captured Wolf's raw urgency and passion nearly perfectly, were sold to TWO record labels....the Bihari brothers' RPM Records in California and Chess Records in Chicago.  He had two hits at the same time on two record labels, who were now fighting over him.  Wolf ended up with Chess Records and made the permanent move to the Windy City.


Hubert Sumlin and the Wolf

Wolf's next recording session for Chess had more of an urban Chicago sound that his previous recordings, in part due to the addition of Hubert Sumlin's guitar to the band.  Sumlin started out as a rhythm guitarist, but gradually became as big a part of the Wolf's sound as the Wolf himself.  His guitar style can best be summed up as unorthodox....he rarely played chords, skittering terse, stinging notes all over the place, sometimes even over Wolf's vocals.  Other than a brief stint in Muddy Waters' band in the mid 50's, Sumlim remained a vital part of the Wolf's band for the duration.

The Wolf enjoyed a large amount of success in the 50's, charting with four of his songs ("How Many More Years," "Moanin' At Midnight," both from his early recordings, the immortal "Smokestack Lightning," and the ominous "I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline)").  As he moved into the 60's, Wolf enjoyed success with "The Red Rooster," "Evil," "Spoonful" (a variation of an old Charley Patton tune), "Back Door Man," "Wang Dang Doodle," and "I Ain't Superstitious." 







Many of these tunes were written by Willie Dixon, who teamed up with Wolf in the late 50's/early 60's and gave the bluesman's career a bit of a boost.  From the 60's onward, Wolf mostly recorded Dixon songs, many of which became standards over the years and were covered by many different rock bands of the 60's, notably Cream, Jeff Beck, the Doors, and the Rolling Stones, whose version of "The Red Rooster" went to #1 in England. 

Also during this time, the Wolf took part in the American Folk Blues Festival tour in Europe in 1964 and also appeared on the TV show Shindig!  The Rolling Stones had come to America to appear on the show and one of their stipulations for appearing was that Howlin' Wolf had to appear as their special guest.  He did and, with the Stones sitting at his feet and millions watching on TV, blew the place apart with a scorching version of "How Many More Years." 



Over the years, Wolf enjoyed a long-running, but generally friendly rivalry with Muddy Waters.  Waters helped Wolf get work when Wolf arrived in Chicago and they actually shared a grudging admiration for each other.  Wolf did pull little stunts occasionally, like stretching out his set at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1969 to prevent Waters from coming onstage, and Waters did recruit Sumlin into his own band briefly when Wolf and Sumlin were at odds.

One of the last classic tunes the Wolf did was one of his own compositions, the wondrous "Killing Floor."  Sumlin unleashed one of his most memorable guitar riffs and the Wolf's throat-shredding vocal made this one a keeper.  This song was later covered by Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin (who actually claimed composer credits).


Howlin' Wolf at Newport, 1966, with (L to R) Eddie Shaw, Andrew McMahon, Hubert Sumlin (photo by David Gahr)

The late 60's were an interesting time for Wolf.  Observing that many of the new rock bands were recording his old songs, Chess tried to "update" his sound by making a psychedelic album (which Wolf later described as dog excrement).  In 1970, he and Sumlin went to England to record a session with Eric Clapton, Bill Wyman, Steve Winwood and others.



As the 70's progressed, the Wolf's health regressed.  He suffered several heart attacks and was in a car accident which sent him flying through the windshield and caused permanent damage to his kidneys.  Bandleader and sax player Eddie Shaw began rationing his songs to about six per show and he had to schedule his appearances in proximity to V.A. hospitals, so he could receive dialysis.  He died in one of the V.A. hospitals in Illinois after surgery on January 10, 1976.

Wolf's legacy continues to this day.  If you watch sports of any kind on TV, you will hear "Smokestack Lightnin'" at least fifteen times on Viagra commercials during any televised sporting event, but his real legacy is the fact that blues acts still perform his songs, singers try to emulate him, and performers still try to match his stage presence all over the world.  They try, but no one has ever come close to matching Howlin' Wolf' on stage or recording.


Recommended Discography

I realize that these albums have been re-repackaged in recent years, putting a different cover and title on the same collections of songs (don't even get me started on this practice), but these are the formats in which I listened to these tunes on CD.  My first exposure to Howlin' Wolf was on the cassette collections that MCA released in the mid 80's (His Greatest Sides, Vol. 1 and as part of the wonderful five-volume The Blues series) that are sadly no longer in print.

There's also an excellent biography, written by James Segrest and Mark Hoffman, and a very good DVD that was released seven or eight years ago, if you want to find out even more about Howlin' Wolf.

The Chess Box (MCA/Chess) - A three-disc set that is really all you can ever ask for.  One disc full of the Memphis tracks and his early Chicago sides, one disc with the bulk of his 50's hits, and one disc that wraps up with his 60's classics.  There's also a couple of cuts from an interview in 1968.  This set pretty much has all the Wolf that anyone would ever need.

His Best, Volume 1 and Volume 2 (MCA/Chess) - These two are a good place to get started with Howlin' Wolf.  Volume 1 features 20 of his greatest sides, pretty much all a casual fan could ask for, but Volume 2 features many of his lesser-known, but equally excellent sides spanning his years with Chess.  Actually, these two discs provide a pretty complete look at the Wolf and cover the bulk of the box set at a much lower price.