Jimmy Witherspoon
One of the great blues singers of the post-World War II period, Jimmy Witherspoon was also versatile enough to fit comfortably into the jazz world. Witherspoon was born on August 8, 1920 in Gurdon, Arizona. As a child, he sang in a church choir, and he made his debut recordings with Jay McShann for Philo and Mercury in 1945 and 1946. His own first recordings, using McShann's band, resulted in a number one R&B hit in 1949 with "Ain't Nobody's Business, Pts. 1 & 2" on Supreme Records. Live performances of "No Rollin' Blues" and "Big Fine Girl" provided 'Spoon with two more hits in 1950.
The mid-'50s were a lean time, with his style of shouting blues temporarily out of fashion; singles were tried for Federal, Chess, Atco, Vee Jay, and others, with little success. Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival (HiFi Jazz) from 1959 lifted him back into the limelight. Partnerships with Ben Webster or Groove Holmes were recorded, and he toured Europe in 1961 with Buck Clayton, performing overseas many more times in the decades to follow. Witherspoon's best 1960s recording is generally considered to be Evening Blues (Prestige), which features T-Bone Walker on guitar and Clifford Scott on saxophone.
As the '70s began, Witherspoon decided to take a short break from live performances, settled in Los Angeles, took a job as a disc jockey, and continued making records. In 1971, Witherspoon teamed up with former Animals vocalist Eric Burdon for the album Guilty. By 1973, Witherspoon was ready to get back on the road and assembled a band featuring a young Robben Ford on lead guitar. Those live shows had received positive reviews, rejuvenating Witherspoon's move toward a definite rock/soul sound. He traveled to London in 1974 to record Love Is a Five Letter Word with British blues producer Mike Vernon, who had produced critically acclaimed British blues albums by John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, and Ten Years After. By the early '80s, Witherspoon was diagnosed with throat cancer. Although he remained active and was a popular concert attraction, the effect of the disease on his vocals was obvious. Witherspoon passed away on September 18, 1997 at the age of 77.
© Bob Porter, Scott Yanow & Al Campbell /TiVo
-
Sleepless Times
Jazz - Released by Sleepless Times 2020 on 11 Aug 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christmas Collection
Jazz - Released by 33x digital on 2 Nov 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Collection 1957-1962
Blues - Released by Marmot Music on 13 Apr 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Diamonds Club
Jazz - Released by fsp analog media on 27 May 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Guitar Town Music
Jazz - Released by GTM restart rec. on 7 Jun 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blues For Spoon And Groove (Hq Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Vintage Recordings on 25 Nov 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Back To Black And White
Jazz - Released by btbaw sounds on 20 Jul 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Essential Jimmy Witherspoon Vol 2
Blues - Released by Leverage on 1 Jan 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Confessin' The Blues / Ooo Wee When The Lights Go Out (All Tracks Remastered)
Blues - Released by Hit Singles Records on 17 Aug 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Feelin' the Spirit
Blues - Released by SINETONE AMR on 2 Jun 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kansas City Blues
Blues - Released by SINETONE AMR on 12 Jan 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Witherspoon, Mulligan, Webster At The Renaissance
Blues - Released by Marmot Music on 20 Feb 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Litter Of Kittens
Jazz - Released by cappo digital on 14 Aug 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Mysterious Stories
Jazz - Released by golden times on 19 Jun 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -