Helmut Grahl, Ukulele und Gesang Peter Fassauer, Kontrabaß und Gesang
Anfangs spielte das Duo mit Klavier, Kontrabaß und Gesang und diese Besetzung ist auch heute noch aktuell, wenn das Klavier ausdrücklich gewünscht wird oder wenn ein Marathon-Auftritt ansteht. Zunächst als kleine Einlage innerhalb des Programms brachte die Ukulele ein unerwartetes Maß an Dynamik mit ein. Die dadurch vermehrte Spielfreude und die deutlich spürbare Akzeptanz der Zuhörer für diese minimalistische Besetzung führte schließlich dazu, daß normale Auftritte in dieser Form wahrgenommen werden. Damit gibt es nun wirklich akustische Musik pur, gemacht mit nur zwei mal vier Saiten.
Beide Musiker der Rhythm Rascals blicken auf eine lange musikalische Tätigkeit als Solisten und auch als Mitglieder in unterschiedlichen Gruppen zurück. Die im Laufe von Jahrzehnten gewonnenen Erfahrungen sind die wesentliche Basis für das vielseitige Repertoire des Duos: Jazz, Blues, Rhythm and Blues aus fast allen Stilepochen, dazu auch Stücke aus dem populären Bereich und der lateinamerikanischen Musik sorgen trotz der "kleinen" Instrumentierung für ein abwechslungsreiches Programm.
Die beiden Obertshäuser Geschwister Ute und Thomas Jeutter (Tom Jet) gingen bislang ihre eigenen, musikalischen Wege. Beide sind mittlerweile wohl etablierte Profimusiker im Musikbusiness.
Ute Jeutter hat sich einen hervorragenden Namen als überregional arbeitende Jazzinterpretin und Vokalcoach gemacht. Mit ihren Solo- Band- und Chor-Projekten ist Sie eine feste Größe in den angesagten Jazzklubs und ihre Gesangsworkshops in Italien und Frankreich erfreuen sich größter Beliebtheit!
Tom Jet, mehrfach prämierter Entertainer, Musiker, Sänger und Bandleader (u.a. 2 x Künstler des Jahres und 2 x Fachmedienpreis), mit internationalen Auftritten, kommt aus der Jive- Boogie- & Rockabilly-Ecke. Er hat sich insbesondere im Galasegment eine Top Position erspielt und ist Herzen immer ein waschechter "Blueser" geblieben.
Mit dem Maler und Harpspieler Hayko Spittel und dem Kontrabassisten Peter Fassauer, bilden sie die „comin´ home bluesband".
Die Rhythm Rascals auf dem Künstlermarkt im Wiener Hof Helmut Grahl und Peter Fassauer auf dem Offenbacher Künstlermarkt im Wiener Hof. Ein sonniger Morgen mit Kunst und Musik.
Big Maybelle (eigentlich Maybelle Louise Smith; * 1. Mai 1924 in Jackson, Tennessee; † 23. Januar 1972 in Cleveland, Ohio) war eine vor allem in den 1950ern populäre US-amerikanische R&B-Sängerin. Leben und Wirken Big Maybelle - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On Big Maybelle sang schon als Kind im Kirchenchor der Church of God in Christ; mit neun Jahren gewann sie einen Gesangswettbewerb beim Memphis Cotton Carnival. Sie begann dann ihre Karriere als professionelle Sängerin im Jahre 1936. Erste Plattenaufnahme mit dem Orchester von Christine Chatman war am 6. April 1944 der Titel Hurry, Hurry (Decca #8660). Eigene Plattenaufnahmen entstanden allerdings erst im November 1947, als sie kurzfristig für lediglich drei Singles bei King Records sang. Zwischen 1947 und 1950 sang sie im Orchester von Tiny Bradshaw. Erste Hitparadenerfolge brachte der Wechsel zu Okeh Records, deren am 8. Oktober 1952 entstandener Gabbin' Blues (OKeh #6931) einen beachtlichen dritten Rang in den Rhythm & Blues-Charts erreichen konnte. Hier konnte sie noch zwei weitere Singles in die Top 10 bringen und blieb dem Label bis Ende 1955 treu. Während dieser Zeit bei OKeh erschien auch das Original von Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (später ein Hit für Jerry Lee Lewis). Ihr Wechsel zu Savoy Records konnte ihren Erfolg nicht stabilisieren. Mit ihrer dortigen ersten Single Candy drang sie lediglich auf Rang 11 der R&B-Hitliste vor. Weitere zahlreiche Labelwechsel zu Brunswick oder Scepter Records, mit teilweise nur einer einzigen Single, haben der künstlerischen Laufbahn eher geschadet. Bei Rojac wurde die Blues-Shouterin gar überredet, aktuelle Pophits zu covern - ebenfalls ohne Erfolg. Sie ist zu sehen im Dokumentarfilm Jazz on a Summer's Day, aufgenommen beim Newport Jazz Festival 1958. In ihren späteren Jahren verfiel Big Maybelle immer mehr dem Heroin. Sie starb 1972 in einem diabetischen Koma. 2011 wurde sie in die Blues Hall of Fame aufgenommen.
Mabel Louise Smith (May 1, 1924 – January 23, 1972),[1] known professionally as Big Maybelle, was an American R&B singer and pianist. Her 1956 hit single "Candy" received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999.[2] Childhood and musical background Born in Jackson, Tennessee, United States, Big Maybelle sang gospel as a child and by her teens had switched to rhythm and blues. She began her professional career with Dave Clark's Memphis Band in 1936, and also toured with the all female International Sweethearts of Rhythm.[3] She then joined Christine Chatman's Orchestra as pianist, and made her first recordings with Chatman in 1944, before recording with the Tiny Bradshaw's Orchestra from 1947 to 1950.[4] Her debut solo recordings, recorded as Mabel Smith, were for King Records in 1947, when she was backed by Oran "Hot Lips" Page, but she had little initial success. Okeh Records In 1952 she was signed by Okeh Records, whose record producer Fred Mendelsohn gave her the stage name 'Big Maybelle' because of her loud yet well-toned voice.[5] Her first recording for Okeh, "Gabbin' Blues", was a number 3 hit on the Billboard R&B chart, and was followed up by both "Way Back Home" and "My Country Man" in 1953. In 1955 she recorded the song "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On", produced by up-and-coming producer Quincy Jones,[6] a full two years before rockabilly then rock and roll singer Jerry Lee Lewis's version. Lewis has credited Smith's version as being the inspiration to make his version much more louder, raunchy and raucous, with a driving beat and a spoken section with a come-on that was considered very risque for the time. Savoy Records More hits followed throughout the 1950s, particularly after signing with Savoy Records later in 1955, including "Candy" (1956), one of her biggest sellers. During this time she also appeared on stage at the Apollo Theater in New York City in 1957, and at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival she sang Jazz on a Summer's Day, which was filmed at the festival along with Mahalia Jackson and Dinah Washington onstage.[7] Career decline and health problems After 1959 she recorded for a variety of labels but the hits largely dried up. She continued to perform into the early 1960s. Her last hit single was in 1967 with a cover of "96 Tears" by Question Mark & the Mysterians[8] Death Smith died in a diabetic coma in 1972, in Cleveland, Ohio. She was survived by her only child Barbara Smith, and many grandchildren.[1] Her final album, Last of Big Maybelle, was released posthumously in 1973. Legacy The album The Okeh Sessions on the Epic label, won the 1983 W. C. Handy Award, for "Vintage or Reissue Album of the Year (U.S.)."[9] In 2011, she was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.
Born in Sunflower, Mississippi, in 1943, David Lee Durham was raised in the blues. He never darkened the door of a schoolhouse and moved from farm to farm to pick cotton. He could pick 400 pounds of cotton by the age of thirteen. Music was his release.
Durham was a self-taught musician. Like many other bluesmen, he rigged wire to wall to have some strings to pluck. He finally got his hands on a four-stringed guitar when he was twelve years old and taught himself to play the Jimmy Reed songs he heard on the radio. Once he got down Jimmy Reed’s sound, he went on to practice the styles of other Delta bluesmen. Durham can’t read music; his ear taught him all he knows.
As a young man, Durham would visit the Harlem Club in Inverness, Mississippi, where he would stand on a five-gallon bucket to peek in on Howlin’ Wolf performing for a local crowd. Eventually, Durham began performing in front of an audience himself, and he and his friend, W. H. Lowe, spent many a night playing at country jukes for twenty-five cents or a nickel. During those early days, Durham didn’t sing. Finally, though, he found his voice and the nerve to perform for an audience.
Durham performed with a handful of famous bluesmen over the years and was part of a few different bands. But most knew him as the front man for The Ladies’ Choice Band, which originated in 1975. The band was the Sunday night house band at Club Ebony in Indianola for several years, where they also opened for B. B. King at his annual homecoming concert. In 2004, the band won the Delta’s Regional Blues Challenge.That same year, the Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola named Durham “Blues Musician of the Year.”
Durham’s style was an amalgamation of all of the bluesmen he listened to over the years: B. B. King, Albert King, and Little Milton Campbell. That signature sound inspired his last group, The True Blues Band. The band recorded a CD, "Struggling and Straining," released in 2006 which included a couple of original songs by Durham.
Durham passed away unexpectedly on January 24, 2008 at the age of sixty-five.
Lacy
Gibson (* 1. Mai 1936 in Salisbury (North Carolina)[1]; † 11. April
2011 in Chicago[2]) war ein US-amerikanischer Bluesmusiker (Gitarre und
Gesang). Lacy Gibson kam im Alter von 13 Jahren mit seiner Familie
nach Chicago, wo er seine Karriere im Umfeld bekannter Blues-Größen wie
Willie Dixon, Sunnyland Slim, Lefty Bates, Matt Murphy, T-Bone Walker
oder Muddy Waters begann. Ab den 1950er Jahren trat er mit Pop- und
Jazzgruppen in den Clubs von Chicago auf. Außerdem wirkte er als
Session-Gitarrist bei Aufnahmen zahlreicher Blues-Musiker mit, wie bei
Son Seals, Otis Rush, Jimmy Reed, Billy „The Kid“ Emerson, Billy Boy
Arnold, Big Time Sarah und bei seinem Schwager Sun Ra, mit dem er drei
Bluesnummern wie „The Sky is Crying“ einspielte, erschienen auf The
Singles. Unter eigenem Namen legte er drei Alben vor, beginnend mit
Wishing Ring, die 1971 auf dem Label Sun Ras erschien. Gibson nahm auch
für das Label Chess Records auf, als er 1963 den Vokalpart zu Buddy Guys
Song My Love Is Real beisteuerte. 1980 nahm er vier Titel für die
Anthologie Living Chicago Blues von Alligator Records auf; auf dem Label
Black Magic erschien das Album Switchy Titchy. Seine letzte
Veröffentlichung war Crying for My Baby, das 1996 bei Delmark Records
erschien.[3] In seinen letzten Jahren betrieb er den nach seiner Frau
Ann benannten Club an Chicagos West Side namens Ann's Love Nest, in dem
er auch gelegentlich auftrat.
Lacy Gibson (May 1, 1936 – April 11, 2011)[2] was an American Chicago blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He most notably recorded the songs, "My Love Is Real" and "Switchy Titchy", and in a long and varied career worked with Buddy Guy and Son Seals.[2] One commentator noted that Gibson "developed a large and varied repertoire after long stays with numerous bands, many recording sessions, and performances in Chicago nightclubs".[3] Biography Gibson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina,[2] but relocated with his family to Chicago in 1949.[1] Initially, he was taught guitar playing by his mother.[4] His early influences included Sunnyland Slim, Muddy Waters, Lefty Bates, Matt Murphy, and Wayne Bennett. Gibson's earliest work was as a session musician, playing mainly rhythm guitar. In 1963 alone, he recorded backing for Willie Mabon, Billy "The Kid" Emerson and Buddy Guy.[1] Gibson's own recording debut was also in 1963 with Chess Records, who recorded his song "My Love Is Real", with Buddy Guy on guitar.[5] The track remained unreleased at that time, and when it was finally issued, initial pressings credited the work to Guy. Two self-released singles followed, before Gibson recorded his debut album, Wishing Ring in 1971.[6][5] It was released on El Saturn Records, which was partly owned by Gibson's then brother-in-law, Sun Ra.[1] The family connection continued when Ra recorded Gibson's co-written song, "I'm Gonna Unmask the Batman".[7] In 1977, Ralph Bass produced another Gibson album, although this was not released, on Delmark Records, until 1996. His following work with Son Seals was heard on Seal's 1978 Live and Burning album.[1] Alligator Records then included four tracks by Gibson on their 1980 Living Chicago Blues, Vol. 3 compilation album.[8] Gibson released Switchy Titchy in 1982 on the Netherlands-based Black Magic Records label.[3] His appearances after the release were reduced due to health problems, but he performed locally around Chicago, both on his own or backing Billy Boy Arnold and Big Time Sarah. Despite the reduction in his engagements, Gibson played at the Chicago Blues Festival in 2004.[1] Gibson also operated the Chicago after-hours nightclub "Ann's Love Nest" with his wife, for whom it was named.[5] Gibson died of a heart attack in Chicago in April 2011, aged 74.
Little
Walter (eigentlich Marion Walter Jacobs; * 1. Mai 1930 in Marksville,
Louisiana; † 15. Februar 1968 in Chicago, Illinois) war ein
US-amerikanischer Bluesmusiker.
Der Einfluss von Little Walter auf
die Harmonika im Blues ist mit dem von B. B. King auf der Gitarre zu
vergleichen. Kritiker vergleichen Little Walter gar mit Charlie Parker.
Dieser Vergleich rührt wahrscheinlich auch daher, dass Little Walter als
einer der ersten seine Harmonika über ein Mikrofon und einen
Gitarrenverstärker spielte und dabei einen Klang erzielte, der dem eines
Saxophons sehr ähnlich war. In ihrer kurzen Biographie Little Walters
schreibt Madison Deniro: "Er war der erste Musiker überhaupt, der mit
Absicht elektronische Verzerrung benutzte."[1]
Inspiriert von
Bluesmusikern wie Sonny Boy Williamson I. und Big Walter Horton kreierte
er im Chicago Blues einen neuen Stil, dessen Soli aus originellen
Akkordfolgen bestanden und einen sehr „elektrischen“ Sound hatten.
Mitte
der Vierziger war Little Walter von Louisiana über Helena, Memphis und
St. Louis nach Chicago gekommen. In Helena hatte er Kontakt zu den
Gitarristen Houston Stackhouse und Robert Lockwood Jr. gehabt. In
Chicago angekommen, hielt sich Walter oft am Maxwell Street Market auf,
der Treffpunkt vieler Bluesmusiker aus dem Süden war. Dort traf er auch
auf Jimmy Rogers, der viel Zeit mit Muddy Waters verbrachte.
Muddy
Waters erkannte das Können des Ausnahmemusikers und nahm den jungen
Walter in seine Band auf. So spielten sie in der Besetzung Muddy Waters
(git, voc.), Jimmy Rogers (git.), Little Walter (hca.), Ernest „Big“
Crawford (bs) und „Baby Face“ Leroy Foster (dr.), später ersetzt durch
Elgin Evans. Aufnahmen entstanden im Mai 1949 für das kurzlebige Label
Tempo-Tone.
Die ersten Schallplatten erschienen 1950 auf dem
gleichnamigen Label der Brüder Leonard und Phil Chess. Chess sollte in
den folgenden Jahren zur marktbeherrschenden Plattenfirma des Blues
werden. Ein großer Anteil dieser Marktposition wird den Erfolgen von
Muddy Waters und Little Walter zugeschrieben.
Eher einem Zufall
ist es zu verdanken, dass Little Walter als Solist von den Chess-Brüdern
aufgenommen wurde. Das Instrumental Juke, das am 12. Mai 1952
aufgenommen wurde, sollte als Erkennungsstück für die Band von Muddy
Waters dienen. Es wurde zu einem ganz großen kommerziellen Hit und zum
Einstieg in eine Solokarriere für Little Walter. Durch den Erfolg der
Aufnahme wurde er der erste Bluesmusiker aus Chicago, der im Apollo
Theater in New York auftrat. Juke war auch die erste
Harmonikainstrumentalnummer, die es in die Billboard R&B Charts
schaffte. Dort hielt sich die Aufnahme 20 Wochen lang, darunter acht auf
Platz 1.
Bis 1957 erscheint Little Walter noch in den
Besetzungslisten bei den Schallplattenaufnahmen der Muddy Waters Band.
Dann wurde er ersetzt vom jungen Junior Wells, der Jahre später mit
Buddy Guy ein erfolgreiches musikalisches Duo bilden sollte.
Little
Walter übernahm im Gegenzug die Band von Junior Wells, die Aces, die er
in „Jukes“ umbenannte, in der Besetzung Louis Myers (git.), Dave Myers
(bs.) und Fred Below (dr.). Mit der Band hatte Little Walter eine Reihe
von Hits wie zum Beispiel Mean old world, Off the wall und Blues with a
feeling.
Aber der musikalische Erfolg hatte für Little Walter
nicht nur positive Seiten – er war streitsüchtig, arrogant und versuchte
andere zu übervorteilen. Little Walter trennte sich von den Myers.
Ihren Platz nahm der Gitarrist Robert Lockwood jr. ein, den Walter
bereits Jahre zuvor in Helena getroffen hatte. Den Bass übernahm Willie
Dixon, eine bekannte Größe im Chicago Blues. Walter kannte Dixon schon
aus dem Umfeld von Muddy Waters. Dixon hatte eine Anzahl der Hits
geschrieben, die der Grundstein für den Erfolg von Muddy Waters waren.
Für Walter schrieb Dixon das Stück My Babe, mit dem er noch einmal die
ersten Plätze der Hitparaden errang. Aber für Little Walter war es der
Anfang vom Ende.
1959 verließ Robert Lookwood jr. die Band. Wohl
auch, weil es selbst für den schweigsamen Gitarristen immer schwieriger
wurde, mit Walter klarzukommen. Das allgemeine Interesse für Little
Walter ließ rapide nach, und er wird in dieser Zeit als sehr launisch
beschrieben. Chess nahm ihn nur noch selten auf, er war zu Beginn der
sechziger Jahre kommerziell am Ende.
In den Jahren 1964 und 1967
kam Walter im Rahmen des American Folk Blues Festival nach Europa. Aber
das Blues Revival in Europa konnte diesem Könner auf der Blues Harp
nicht mehr auf die Beine helfen. Einige Monate nach seiner zweiten
Europatour war er in eine Schlägerei geraten, als er in einer
Konzertpause auf die Straße in der South Side von Chicago gegangen war.
Die relativ geringe Verletzung, die er sich zuzog, zusammen mit früheren
Verletzungen aus Gewalttätigkeiten, führten dazu, dass er im Schlaf
verstarb. Er hatte sich im Appartement seiner Freundin in der 209 E.
54th Straße zu Bett gelegt. Als offizielle Todesursache steht im
Totenschein „Herzthrombose“ (ein Verschluss im Herzbeutel); es wurden
keine äußerlichen Verletzungen festgestellt. Er wurde auf dem St. Mary's
Friedhof in Evergreen Park, IL am 22. Februar 1968 beerdigt.
Im
Jahr 1980 wurde er in die Blues Hall of Fame aufgenommen. Auch sein Song
My Babe ist in ihr zu finden (2008). 2008 wurde er in die Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame aufgenommen. Im gleichen Jahr erschien auch der Spielfilm
Cadillac Records, der zum Teil auch seine Lebensgeschichte erzählt.
Columbus Short spielte in diesem Film Little Walter.
Little
Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968),
was an American blues musician and singer, whose revolutionary approach
to the harmonica earned him comparisons to Charlie Parker and Jimi
Hendrix,[2] for innovation and impact on succeeding generations. His
virtuosity and musical innovations fundamentally altered many listeners'
expectations of what was possible on blues harmonica.[3] Little Walter
was inducted to the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 in the
"sideman" category[4][5] making him the only artist inducted
specifically as a harmonica player.
Biography
Early years
Jacobs
was born in 1930 in Marksville, Louisiana and raised in Rapides Parish,
Louisiana, (although recently uncovered census data suggests he may
have been born earlier, possibly as early as 1925) where he first
learned to play the harmonica. After quitting school by the age of 12,
Jacobs left rural Louisiana and travelled around working odd jobs and
busking on the streets of New Orleans, Memphis, Helena, Arkansas and St.
Louis. He honed his musical skills on harmonica and guitar performing
with much older bluesmen such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Sunnyland
Slim, Honeyboy Edwards and others.
Arriving in Chicago in 1945, he
occasionally found work as a guitarist but garnered more attention for
his already highly developed harmonica work. According to fellow Chicago
bluesman Floyd Jones, Little Walter's first recording was an unreleased
demo recorded soon after he arrived in Chicago on which Walter played
guitar backing Jones.[6] Jacobs reportedly grew frustrated with having
his harmonica drowned out by electric guitarists, and adopted a simple,
but previously little-used method: He cupped a small microphone in his
hands along with his harmonica, and plugged the microphone into a public
address system or guitar amplifier. He could thus compete with any
guitarist's volume. However, unlike other contemporary blues harp
players such as Sonny Boy Williamson I and Snooky Pryor, who like many
other harmonica players had also begun using the newly available
amplifier technology around the same time solely for added volume,
Little Walter purposely pushed his amplifiers beyond their intended
technical limitations, using the amplification to explore and develop
radical new timbres and sonic effects previously unheard from a
harmonica, or any other instrument.[2] Madison Deniro wrote a small
biographical piece on Little Walter stating that "He was the first
musician of any kind to purposely use electronic distortion."[7]
Success
Jacobs
made his first released recordings in 1947 for Bernard Abrams' tiny
Ora-Nelle label, which operated out of the back room of Abrams' Maxwell
Radio and Records store in the heart of the Maxwell Street market area
in Chicago.[8] These and several other early Little Walter recordings,
like many blues harp recordings of the era, owed a strong stylistic debt
to pioneering blues harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson I (John Lee
Williamson). Little Walter joined Muddy Waters' band in 1948, and by
1950, he was playing acoustic (unamplified) harmonica on Muddy's
recordings for Chess Records. The first appearance on record of
amplified harmonica was Little Walter's performance on Muddy's "Country
Boy" (Chess 1952), recorded on July 11, 1951. For years after his
departure from Muddy's band in 1952, Chess continued to hire Little
Walter to play on Waters' recording sessions, and as a result his
harmonica is featured on most of Muddy's classic recordings from the
1950s.[9] As a guitarist, Little Walter recorded three songs for the
small Parkway label with Muddy Waters and Baby Face Leroy Foster
(reissued on CD as "The Blues World of Little Walter" from Delmark
Records in 1993), as well as on a session for Chess backing pianist
Eddie Ware; his guitar work was also featured occasionally on early
Chess sessions with Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers.[2]
Jacobs had
put his career as a bandleader on hold when he joined Muddy's band, but
stepped back out front once and for all when he recorded as a bandleader
for Chess's subsidiary label Checker Records on May 12, 1952. The first
completed take of the first song attempted at his debut session became
his first hit, spending eight weeks in the number-one position on the
Billboard R&B chart. The song was "Juke", and is still the only
harmonica instrumental ever to be a number-one hit on the Billboard
R&B chart. (Three other harmonica instrumentals by Little Walter
also reached the Billboard R&B top 10: "Off the Wall" reached number
eight, "Roller Coaster" achieved number six, and "Sad Hours" reached
the number-two position while Juke was still on the charts.) "Juke" was
the biggest hit to date for Chess and its affiliated labels, and one of
the biggest national R&B hits of 1952, securing Walter's position on
the Chess artist roster for the next decade.[2]
Little Walter
scored fourteen top-ten hits on the Billboard R&B charts between
1952 and 1958, including two number-one hits (the second being "My
Babe"[1] in 1955), a level of commercial success never achieved by his
former boss Waters, nor by his fellow Chess blues artists Howlin' Wolf
and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Following the pattern of "Juke", most of
Little Walter's single releases in the 1950s featured a vocal
performance on one side, and a harmonica instrumental on the other. Many
of Walter's vocal numbers were originals that he or Chess A&R man
Willie Dixon wrote or adapted and updated from earlier blues themes. In
general, his sound was more modern and uptempo than the popular Chicago
blues of the day, with a jazzier conception and less rhythmically rigid
approach than other contemporary blues harmonica players.[2]
Upon
his departure from Muddy Waters' band in 1952, he recruited a young band
that was already working steadily in Chicago backing Junior Wells, The
Aces, as his new backing band. The Aces consisted of brothers David and
Louis Myers on guitars, and drummer Fred Below, and were re-christened
"The Jukes" on most of the Little Walter records on which they appeared.
By 1955 the members of The Aces/Jukes had each left Little Walter to
pursue other opportunities, initially replaced by guitarists Robert
"Junior" Lockwood and Luther Tucker, and drummer Odie Payne. Others who
worked in Little Walter's recording and touring bands in the '50s
included guitarists Jimmie Lee Robinson and Freddie Robinson. Little
Walter also occasionally included saxophone players in his touring bands
during this period, among them a young Albert Ayler, and even Ray
Charles on one early tour. By the late 1950s, Little Walter no longer
employed a regular full-time band, instead hiring various players as
needed from the large pool of local blues musicians in Chicago.[2]
Jacobs
was frequently utilized on records as a harmonica accompanist behind
others in the Chess stable of artists, including Jimmy Rogers, John
Brim, Rocky Fuller, Memphis Minnie, The Coronets, Johnny Shines, Floyd
Jones, Bo Diddley, and Shel Silverstein, and on other record labels
backing Otis Rush, Johnny Young, and Robert Nighthawk.[2]
Jacobs
suffered from alcoholism and had a notoriously short temper, which in
late 1950s led to a series of violent altercations, minor scrapes with
the law, and increasingly irresponsible behavior. This led to a decline
in his fame and fortunes beginning in the late 1950s, although he did
tour Europe twice, in 1964 and 1967. (The long-circulated story that he
toured the United Kingdom with The Rolling Stones in 1964 has since been
refuted by Keith Richards). The 1967 European tour, as part of the
American Folk Blues Festival, resulted in the only film/video footage of
Little Walter performing that is known to exist. Footage of Little
Walter backing Hound Dog Taylor and Koko Taylor on a television program
in Copenhagen, Denmark on October 11, 1967 was released on DVD in 2004.
Further video of another recently discovered TV appearance in Germany
during this same tour, showing Little Walter performing his songs "My
Babe", "Mean Old World", and others were released on DVD in Europe in
January 2009, and is the only known footage of Little Walter singing.
Other TV appearances in the UK (in 1964) and the Netherlands (in 1967)
have been documented, but no footage of these has been uncovered. Jacobs
recorded and toured only infrequently in the 1960s, playing mainly in
and around Chicago.[2]
In 1967 Chess released a studio album featuring Little Walter with Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters titled Super Blues.[2]
Death
A
few months after returning from his second European tour, he was
involved in a fight while taking a break from a performance at a
nightclub on the South Side of Chicago. The relatively minor injuries
sustained in this altercation aggravated and compounded damage he had
suffered in previous violent encounters, and he died in his sleep at the
apartment of a girlfriend at 209 E. 54th St. in Chicago early the
following morning.[2][10] The official cause of death indicated on his
death certificate was "coronary thrombosis" (a blood clot in the heart);
evidence of external injuries was so insignificant that police reported
that his death was of "unknown or natural causes",[10] and there were
no external injuries noted on the death certificate.[2] His body was
buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Evergreen Park, IL on February 22,
1968.[10] His grave remained unmarked until 1991, when fans Scott Dirks
and Eomot Rasun had a marker designed and installed.[11]
Legacy
Music
journalist Bill Dahl described Little Walter as "king of all post-war
blues harpists", who "took the humble mouth organ in dazzling amplified
directions that were unimaginable prior to his ascendancy."[3] His
legacy has been enormous: he is widely credited by blues historians as
the artist primarily responsible for establishing the standard
vocabulary for modern blues and blues rock harmonica players.[2][3] His
influence can be heard in varying degrees in virtually every modern
blues harp player who came along in his wake, from blues greats such as
Junior Wells, James Cotton, George "Harmonica" Smith, Carey Bell, and
Big Walter Horton, through modern-day masters Sugar Blue, Billy Branch,
Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza, William Clarke, and Charlie Musselwhite, in
addition to blues-rock crossover artists such as Paul Butterfield and
John Popper of the band Blues Traveler.[2] Little Walter was portrayed
in the 2008 film, Cadillac Records, by Columbus Short.
Little
Walter's daughter, Marion Diaz Reacco, has established the Little Walter
Foundation in Chicago, to preserve the legacy and genius of Little
Walter. The foundation aims to create programs for the creative arts,
including music, animation and video. Stephen King's novel Under the
Dome (2009) features a character named Little Walter Bushey, based on
Little Walter.
Awards and recognition
1986 – Blues Hall of Fame: "Juke" (Classics of Blues Recordings – Singles or Album Tracks
category)[12]
1991 – Blues Hall of Fame: Best of Little Walter (Classics of Blues Recordings — Albums
category)[12]
1995 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: "Juke" (500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll)[13]
2008 – Grammy Awards: "Juke" (Grammy Hall of Fame Award)[14]
2008 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Little Walter inducted (Sideman category)
2008 – Blues Hall of Fame: "My Babe" (Classics of Blues Recordings — Singles or Album
Tracks category)[12]
2009 – Grammy Awards: The Complete Chess Masters: 1950–1967 (Best Historical Album
Winner)
2010 – Rolling Stone: Best of Little Walter (#198 on list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All
Time)
b. 1 May 1937, Estabuchie, Mississippi, USA. Also known as Lucky Lopez, Evans was inspired by the singing and playing of his father and began to play the guitar at the age of eight. As a teenager he worked with a band in Milwaukee and then travelled throughout the southern states until 1964 when he settled in Chicago, having joined Howlin’ Wolf’s band. He worked with many of the city’s leading bluesmen in the 60s and made his debut recording in 1967 (only one track was released). He next recorded in 1973, financing the session himself. In 1988, he visited Britain, touring incessantly and slowly establishing a reputation as one of the great, underrated blues singers. He recorded in England for the JSP and Borderline labels.
Steve Baker (* 1. Mai 1953 in London) ist ein britischer Mundharmonikaspieler und Bluesmusiker. Er lebt seit vielen Jahren in der Nähe von Hamburg.
Biografie
Wegen seiner Fachbücher und Workshops, besonders aber wegen seines virtuosen Spiels auf der Blues Harp, ist Steve Baker der bekannteste Mundharmonikaspieler in Deutschland. Er kam 1976 mit der anglo-amerikanischen Band Have Mercy nach Hamburg. In den 1980er Jahren arbeitete er sowohl mit der Rocklegende Tony Sheridan wie auch mit dem Liedermacher Franz Josef Degenhardt, mit dem er mehrere LPs aufnahm. Seit Ende der 1970er Jahre ist er als Studiomusiker tätig und hat auf hunderten Aufnahmen mitgewirkt, unter anderem für Schlager- und Popkünstler wie Dieter Bohlen, Truckstop oder Howard Carpendale, aber auch für Liedermacher Hannes Wader oder den avant-garde Komponisten Irmin Schmidt von der Gruppe Can. 2014 ist er u.a. auf neuen Veröffentlichungen von Stefan Stoppok und Achim Reichel zu hören. Steve Baker hat bei verschiedenen Film- und Fernsehproduktionen musikalisch mitgewirkt, zum Beispiel von 1995 bis 2001 beim NDR Tatort mit Manfred Krug und Charles Brauer unter der musikalischen Leitung von Klaus Doldinger oder bei Fatih Akıns Film Soul Kitchen aus dem Jahr 2009. Seit 1987 arbeitet Baker als Berater für den weltweit führenden Mundharmonikahersteller Hohner. Hier hat er bei der Entwicklung zahlreicher neuer Modelle mitgewirkt. Er spielt seit 1990 regelmäßig mit der deutschen Bluesikone Abi Wallenstein zusammen und bildete mit dem 2005 verstorbenen Gitarristen und Sänger Chris Jones ein hoch angesehenes Duo. Die Musiker Steve Baker, Abi Wallenstein und Martin Röttger bilden die Band "BluesCulture". Seit 2010 arbeitet er mit dem kanadischen Sänger, Komponisten und Gitarrenvirtuosen Dave Goodman zusammen. Steve Baker gibt seit 1990 regelmäßig Harp Workshops im In- und Ausland, darunter in Westeuropa, den USA, Australien, Russland und Indien.
Steve Baker gehört zu den bedeutendsten Harpspieler unserer Zeit und ist aus der heutigen Mundharmonika Szene nicht wegzudenken. In London aufgewachsen, lebt er seit Ende der 70er Jahre in Deutschland. Seit 1975 spielt er das Instrument als Vollprofi und wurde neulich von Detlev Hoegen, Chef vom angesehenen Label CrossCut Records, zu den "Top 10" der Harpstilisten weltweit gezählt. Mit ausgefeilten und rhythmisch geprägten Melodiebögen vermittelt seine ausdrucksvolle und lyrische Spielweise eine bemerkenswerte emotionale Intensität. Nicht zuletzt deshalb gilt Steve als einer der Erneuerer dieses Instruments in Europa und als einer der führenden Exponenten weltweit. Sein unverwechselbarer Stil verbindet Elemente aus der Blues-Tradition mit Country, Folk, Funk, Soul und Jazz zu einer eigenwillige und aufregende Mischung, die gewöhnliche stilistische Grenzen sprengt.
"Wenn Steve Baker spielt, ich höre zu! Er ist mein Lieblingsharpspieler in Europa und eines der kraftvollsten, emotionell ergreifendsten Spieler, den ich jemals gehört habe. Dazu hat er einen fantastischen Ton. Er spielt sowohl lyrisch und ruhig, als auch rockig und bissig und erzeugt dabei eine kreative Spannung, die mich fasziniert.“ - Joe Filisko
In den letzten Jahren war Steve Baker häufig mit BluesCulture zu sehen, ein aufregendes Trio um die deutsche Blueslegende Abi Wallenstein, mit dem Steve insgesamt 6 CDs veröffentlicht hat. Bis zu dessen frühem Tod im Herbst 2005 war Steve regelmässiger Duopartner des Ausnahmegitarristen und Songschreibers Chris Jones. Jones und Baker veröffentlichten vier hochgelobte gemeinsame CDs auf Acoustic Music Records und tourten nicht nur in Westeuropa, sondern auch in Australien, Russland und den USA.
Steves neuestes Projekt ist eine Kollaboration mit dem kanadischen Gitarrenzauberer, Komponisten und Sänger Dave Goodman. Ihre erste gemeinsame CD „The Wine Dark Sea“ erschien September 2012 auf Acoustic Music Records. Goodman & Baker spielen nun regelmäßig zusammen live, ihre aufregende Konzertauftritte wurden mit begeisterter Kritiken quittiert.
Als Studiomusiker hat Steve Baker bei hunderten von Aufnahmen für die verschiedensten Künstler mitgewirkt und ist auf zahlreichen CD-Produktionen für Künstler so verschieden wie Klaus Doldinger, Dieter Bohlen, Irmin Schmidt, Brixton Boogie u.v.m., sowie in Film- und TV-Produktionen vertreten. Er spielte auf dem Soundtrack zum Kultfilm „Soul Kitchen“ vom Fatih Akin und ist auch auf dem NDR Tatort mit Manfred Krug und Charles Brauer zu hören.
Seit 1987 arbeitet er als Berater eng mit dem weltweit führenden Mundharmonika-Hersteller HOHNER zusammen und hat u.a. mehrere erfolgreiche Modelle für die Firma mitentwickelt, zuletzt die Marine Band Deluxe, Marine Band Crossover und Marine Band Thunderbird.
Steve ist außerdem ein angesehener Fachbuchautor und hat mehrere Lehrwerke für Mundharmonika verfasst, darunter das 1990 erstmals veröffentlichte Kultbuch "The Harp Handbook" (Bosworth/Music Sales), das mittlerweile als Standardwerk für die diatonische Harp gilt und als „Bibel der Mundharmonikaspieler“ bezeichnet wurde. Zwischen 2000 und 2007 veröffentlichte er die 3 Bänder seiner Buch/CD Reihe "Blues Harmonica Playalongs", hochwertiges Übungsmaterial für fortgeschrittene Harpspieler und andere Instrumentalisten, die auf starke internationale Resonanz stiessen. Er verfasste auch das erfolgreiche Buch/CD Package für Anfänger, „Step by Step“, das mittlerweile in 5 Sprachen erschienen ist.
Neben diesen vielfältigen Aktivitäten gibt Steve auch häufig Workshops bei Fachhändlern und ist eine der Aktivsten im Bereich der Mundharmonika-Ausbildung. Im Jahr 2000 präsentierte er den ersten Kurs für Mundharmonika bei den renommierten Schorndorfer Gitarrentage. Trotz anfänglicher Skepsis seitens der Organisatoren wurde seine Klasse als erste ausgebucht, was den Weg für regelmässige Mundharmonikakurse bei dieser Veranstaltung ebnete. 2003 rief Steve die Harmonica Masters Workshops in Trossingen ins Leben; die große Publikumsresonanz führte zu regelmäßigen Fortsetzungen, 2012 fand das Event mit großem Erfolg zum 8. Mal statt. Die Harmonica Masters werden mittlerweile als die Nr.1 Bildungsveranstaltung für Blues Mundharmonika in Europa angesehen. Im Sommer 2009 gründete Steve zusammen mit dem französischen Journalisten Robert Koch die „European Music Workshops“, um einen musikalischen Bildungsurlaub im Elsass mit Kurse für Mundharmonika, Gitarre und Cajon anzubieten. Dieses Event findet 2013 zum 5. Mal statt und hat bereits zahlreiche Anhänger gefunden:
http://www.european-music-workshops.com
Nur wenige Musiker schaffen es, von der Mundharmonika leben zu können. Noch weniger konnten eine solche einflußreiche Rolle in der Entwicklung ihres Instrumenten spielen. Ohne Zweifel gehört Steve Baker dazu.
Steve Baker is one of today's most influential harp players and an integral part of the modern harmonica scene. He was born and raised in London, England and now lives near Hamburg, Germany, where he first came in the late 1970s with the Anglo-American jugband "Have Mercy". Steve has been a full-time professional for over 35 years, developing an instantly recognizable style which is both expressive and lyrical. His subtle and rhythmically accented phrasing, combined with a rich command of timbre and tone, communicates a powerful emotional intensity and depth of feeling. He is often regarded as one of those players who have revitalized the instrument in Europe, and as one of its leading exponents worldwide. His unique sound draws on the blues harmonica tradition and combines it with elements from country, folk, funk, soul and jazz to create an exciting and individual fusion, which transcends stylistic boundaries while sounding totally natural.
Steve Baker frequently appears live with BluesCulture, an exciting trio led by German blues legend Abi Wallenstein, with whom Steve has released a total of six CDs. Until the latter's untimely death in autumn 2005, Steve performed and recorded regularly with guitarist/songwriter extraordinaire Chris Jones. Jones and Baker released four critically acclaimed CDs together on Acoustic Music Records and toured in Australia, Poland, Russia and the USA as well as in western Europe.
Steve's latest project is a collaboration with Canadian guitar wizard, composer and singer Dave Goodman and their first CD together, "The Wine Dark Sea", was released in September 2012, also on Acoustic Music Records. Goodman & Baker perform regularly live and their exciting concert appearances have generated rapturous reviews.
Steve has made hundreds of recordings as a studio musician and can be heard on a wide variety of CD, film and TV productions ranging from commercial pop and country to contemporary R&B. Since 1987 he has worked as a consultant for the worldwide leader in harmonica manufacture, HOHNER, and has been closely involved in the development of several new models including the recently released Marine Band Deluxe, Marine Band Crossover and Marine Band Thunderbird.
A highly regarded author of harmonica literature, Steve has written a number of instructional books. "The Harp Handbook" (Music Sales), first published in 1990 and now in its 4th edition, is still considered the standard work on the diatonic harp and has been referred to as the "harmonica player's bible". Between 2000 and 2007 he published a three volume series "Blues Harmonica Playalongs", composing and recording a total of 34 harmonica instrumentals in a wide range of blues and related styles. Alongside these activities, Steve presents regular clinics in music stores and is one of the most active figures in harmonica education in Europe. In 2003 he initiated the Harmonica Masters Workshops in Trossingen, home of the HOHNER production facilities in Germany.
Titus Turner (May 1, 1933 – September 13, 1984) was an American R&B and East Coast blues singer and songwriter.[1] His best remembered recordings were "We Told You Not To Marry" and "Sound-Off," plus he wrote "Leave My Kitten Alone," and "Tell Me Why."[2] Biography Born in Atlanta, Georgia,[2] Turner's debut single release in 1950 was "Where Are You" on Aladdin Records, billed as Mr. T and his Band. In 1951 his follow-up "Stop Trying to Make a Fool Of Me" appeared on Regal Records.[3] He followed this a year later on Okeh, issuing eight tracks including "Got So Much Trouble." He had a spell with Mercury Records's imprint, Wing, but was not commercially successful until 1955, when Little Willie John recorded Turner's "All Around the World". The track, re-titled "Grits Ain't Groceries," was covered by Little Milton.[1] Turner and John then co-wrote "Leave My Kitten Alone", later covered by Johnny Preston, The Beatles and Elvis Costello. In 1959 the King label issued Turner's first hit single, "The Return of Stagolee," an answer song to Lloyd Price's "Stagger Lee". He repeated the trick with his next release, "We Told You Not To Marry," an antidote to Price's "I'm Gonna Get Married." In 1960, Ray Charles recorded the Turner song, "Sticks and Stones", which has also seen many cover versions over the years. By 1961 Turner had his biggest solo success with "Sound-Off," which came from the only album he ever released.[1] The track was described by Joel Whitburn in Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 as a "popular US Army marching drill chant," which was originally a no. 3 hit for Vaughn Monroe in 1951.[4] Later singles failed to find a market, and Turner recorded for a plethora of labels throughout the 1960s without further tangible success.[1] These included "Eye to Eye" (Okeh, 1966).[5] In 1969 his self-penned track "His Funeral, My Trial" was his final release.[1] Turner died in Atlanta in 1984. Notable songwriting credits "All Around the World" - also known as "Grits Ain't Groceries" (Turner) "Big John" (Turner) "Get on the Right Track Baby" (Turner) "Hey Doll Baby" (Traditional/Turner) "Hold Your Loving" (Bernice Snelson, Turner) "If It's Good" (Julia Lee/Turner) "Leave My Kitten Alone" (Little Willie John/James McDougal/Turner) "Little Girl Lost" (Luther Dixon/Lou Harrison/Turner) "Living in Misery" (Turner) "Lotus Blossom" (Julia Lee/Turner) "People Sure Act Funny" (Bobby Robinson/Turner) "Soulville" (Henry Glover/Morris Levy/Dinah Washington/Turner) "Sticks and Stones" (Turner) "Stop The Pain" (Turner) "Tell It Like It Is" (Turner) "Tell Me Why" (Turner)[6]
Out of the rowdy San Francisco blues scene self taught Harmonica Player David Burgin began performing in 1970 with slide guitarist Roy Rogers. During David's 15 year career he toured the US and Canada, sharing the stage and recording with; Harry Chapin, Jerry Garcia, Johnny Cash, Maria Muldaur, Sammy Hagar and many more. Look for Burgin to re-issue his solo album Wild Child soon. . David has also played on a variety of film and TV scores including "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" and the Peanuts-Charlie Brown cartoons.
Charles "Skip" Pitts (April 7, 1947 – May 1, 2012)[1] was an American soul and blues guitarist. He is best known for his distinctive "wah-wah" style, prominently featured on Isaac Hayes' title track from the 1971 movie Shaft. He is widely considered to have been one of the architects of soul, R&B, and funk guitar.[2] Early career Pitts learned to play guitar at age 11 on the street corners of his childhood hometown, Washington D.C., often receiving tips from his neighbor, Bo Diddley. Pitts' uncle owned a hotel next to the Howard Theater, where he was introduced to soul and R&B musicians such as James Brown and Otis Redding. At the age of 17, Pitts performed on Gene Chandler's "Rainbow '65," which would become his first appearance on many hit recordings. Pitts soon became the guitarist and bandleader for Wilson Pickett's Midnight Movers, backing Pickett and Sam & Dave. In 1969, Pitts joined the Isley Brothers band, for whom he created the signature riff for their chart-topping hit "It's Your Thing." Isaac Hayes (1971-2008) In 1970, Pitts moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to join Isaac Hayes' band. A year later, Pitts created the wah-wah guitar intro for "Theme From Shaft", a song which earned Hayes an Academy Award. Pitts went on to work with Hayes over the next three decades, appearing on many of Hayes' hit albums and soundtracks. He can been seen onstage performing with Hayes in the documentary Wattstax (1973) and in the blaxploitation film Truck Turner (1974). In the 1990s and 2000s, Pitts collaborated with Hayes on the John Singleton remake of Shaft as well as the soundtrack for the animated series South Park, for which he received a gold record. Pitts remained the band's guitarist and bandleader until Hayes' death in August 2008.[3] Stax When not working with Hayes, Pitts served as a session musician at Stax Records. His performances included hits by Rufus Thomas ("The Breakdown"), The Temprees ("This is Dedicated to the One I Love"), The Soul Children, and Albert King. More recently, Pitts' guitar playing was introduced to a new generation, when the hip-hop community began sampling classic Stax recordings. His guitar riffs have been sampled by Dr. Dre with Snoop Dogg, Beastie Boys, Massive Attack, Eazy-E, and DJ Shadow with Cut Chemist. The Bo-Keys In 1998, Pitts became a founding member of The Bo-Keys, a soul/jazz group formed by producer Scott Bomar as an homage to Memphis' rich musical tradition. He appeared with the band at venues and festivals nationally and internationally, including The Ponderosa Stomp, London's Barbican Performing Arts Centre, and Lincoln Center's Midsummer Nights Swing Series. He is prominently featured on The Bo-Keys 2011 release, Got to Get Back! The album led to a feature in the July 2011 issue of Guitar Player Magazine.[4] Elmo and The Shades Pitts was associated with the eclectic Memphis blues and soul band Elmo and the Shades from the early 1990s, and occasionally appeared as a duo with Elmo Lee Thomas called The Skip and Elmo Show. He performed on the band's 2009 album Blue Memphis. Other Notable Recordings Pitts appeared on Al Green's Grammy nominated record I Can't Stop, produced by Willie Mitchell, as well as Cyndi Lauper's Grammy nominated Memphis Blues. He performed singles from the album with Lauper on the television shows The Apprentice and Late Night with David Letterman. Film Work In addition to Wattstax and Truck Turner, Pitts appeared in the award-winning Forty Shades of Blue, Craig Brewer's Black Snake Moan, and Soul Men featuring Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson, for which he also contributed three songs to its soundtrack. The song "Soul Music" by Anthony Hamilton was nominated for a Grammy. Further, he performed on the score for the Academy Award winning film Hustle and Flow with The Bo-Keys.[5] Due to his association with the wah-wah pedal, Pitts was interviewed for the documentary Cry Baby: The Pedal That Rocks the World alongside Slash, Buddy Guy, Eddie Van Halen, and Kirk Hammett.[6] Awards and Outreach Pitts taught at-risk youth at Memphis' Stax Music Academy in the early 2000s. He was the voice of the Memphis Police Department's "Blue Crush" advertisement campaign, an effort to reduce street crime in the city. In 2011, Pitts received a brass note on the Beale Street Walk of Fame. Death Pitts died of cancer in Memphis, Tennessee, on May 1, 2012. He was 65 years old.
Andrew 'Smokey' Hogg (* 27. Januar 1914 bei Westconnie, Texas; † 1. Mai 1960 in McKinney, Texas) war ein Country Blues-Sänger und Gitarrist Smokey Hogg war einer der populärsten Sänger/Gitarristen des Texas-Country Blues-Stils der Nachkriegszeit. Er wuchs auf einer Farm auf und bekam von seinem Vater Frank Hogg Gitarrenunterricht. Als Jugendlicher spielte er mit dem Slidegitarristen und Sänger B.K. Turner alias Black Ace und die beiden tourten und spielten in Dance halls rund um Kilgore, Tyler, Greenville und Palestine im östlichen Teil von Texas. 1937 hatten Smokey und Black Ace die Gelegenheit, in Dallas bei Decca Records Aufnahmen zu machen; so entstand Smokey Hoggs´ erste Aufnahme ("Family Trouble Blues"/"Kind Hearted Blues"), veröffentlicht unter seinem eigentlichen Namen Andrew Hogg. In den frühen 1940er Jahren heiratete Hogg und lebte in der Nähe von Dallas, wo er schon bald bekannt wurde. 1947 erlangte er die Aufmerksamkeit von Herb Ritter, dem Chef des Plattenlabels Bluebonnet Records in Dallas, der verschiedene Titel mit ihm aufnahm und die Masterbänder an das Label Modern Records schickte. Dieses kalifornische Blueslabel war mit der Aufnahme von Big Bill Broonzys Song "Too Many Drivers" bekannt geworden. In Los Angeles nahm Hogg den Titel "Long Tall Mama" (1949) und ein weiteres Broonzy-Stück namens "Little School Girl" (1950), das Platz 9 der amerikanischen Rhythm and Blues-Charts eroberte. Hogg's Country Blues-Stil, der stark von Big Bill Broonzy, Peetie Wheatstraw and Black Ace beeinflusst war, war während der 1940er und in den frühen 1950er Jahren bei Plattenkäufern im Süden der USA sehr populär. Hogg nahm bis zum Ende der 1950er Jahre Platten auf und starb 1960 an Krebs. Mit Titeln wie Country Gal, Shake A Leg und I Love You Baby machte sich Smokey Hogg auch in Jazzkreisen einen Namen.
Andrew "Smokey" Hogg (January 27, 1914 - May 1, 1960)[1] was an American post-war Texas and country blues musician. Life and career Hogg was born near Westconnie, Texas, United States and grew up on the farm and was taught to play guitar by his father Frank Hogg. While still in his teens he teamed up with the slide guitarist and vocalist, B.K. Turner aka Black Ace and the pair travelled together playing the turpentine and logging camp circuit of country dance halls and juke joints that surrounded Kilgore, Tyler, Greenville and Palestine in East Texas. In 1937 Smokey and Black Ace were brought to Chicago, Illinois by Decca Records to record, and Smokey had his first gramophone record ("Family Trouble Blues"/"Kind Hearted Blues") released, as by Andrew Hogg. It was an isolated occurrence - he did not make it back into a recording studio for over a decade.[1] By the early 1940s Hogg was married and making a good living busking around the Deep Ellum area of Dallas, Texas. Hogg was drafted in the mid-1940s and after a brief spell with the U.S. military, he continued working in the Dallas area where he was becoming well known. In 1947 he came to the attention of Herbert T. Rippa Sr, boss of the Dallas based record label, Bluebonnet Records, who recorded several sides with him and leased the masters to Modern Records. The first release on Modern was the Big Bill Broonzy song "Too Many Drivers", and this racked up sufficient sales to encourage Modern Records to bring Hogg out to Los Angeles, California to cut more sides with their team of studio musicians. These songs included his two biggest hits, "Long Tall Mama" in 1949 and another Broonzy tune "Little School Girl" (#9 U.S. R&B chart) in 1950. His two-part "Penitentiary Blues" (1952) was a remake of the prison song, "Ain't No More Cane on the Brazos".[2] Hogg's country blues style, influenced by Broonzy, Peetie Wheatstraw and Black Ace was popular with record buyers in the South during the late 1940s and early 1950s. He continued to work and record until the end of the 1950s, but died of cancer, or possibly a ruptured ulcer, in McKinney, Texas in 1960.[3] Relations and confusion Smokey's cousin, John Hogg, also played the blues, recording for Mercury in 1951. Smokey was reputed to be a cousin of Lightnin' Hopkins, and distantly related to Alger "Texas" Alexander, although both claims are ambiguous.[4] He is not to be confused with Willie "Smokey" Hogg, a New York based musician of the 1960s with a similar name.
