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
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Ain't Nobody's Business (Hq Remastered 2023)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Vintage Recordings am 06.11.2023
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Roots (Hd Remastered, Jazz Best Edition, Doxy Collection)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Doxy Records am 06.05.2019
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Star Dreams Live (Live)
Blues - Erschienen bei jazz2jazz am 31.05.2017
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The 'Spoon Concerts (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 09.05.2019
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Blues Around the Clock (Hd Remastered, Obc Edition, Doxy Collection)
Blues - Erschienen bei Doxy Records am 09.05.2019
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Tryin' Not to Fall
Jazzgesang - Erschienen bei nagel heyer records am 28.11.2018
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Blue Spoon (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 08.07.2019
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Rockin' with the Spoon (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 08.07.2019
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The Remasters (All Tracks Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Millennium Digital Remaster am 01.05.2020
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Jimmy Witherspoon On Hit Single Records (All Tracks Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Hit Singles Records am 12.05.2021
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The 'Spoon Concerts (Hq remastered)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Vintage Recordings am 21.08.2022
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Milestones of a Jazz Legend - Ben Webster, Vol. 6 (1959, 1962)
Modern Jazz - Erschienen bei Intense Media GmbH am 15.03.2019
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Mean Old Frisco (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 08.07.2019
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Roots (HD Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 06.05.2019
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Goin' To Kansas City Blues (Hq remastered)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Vintage Recordings am 19.09.2022
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Roots (Hq Remastered)
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Spoon so Easy: The Chess Years (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 09.05.2019
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Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues (Hd Remastered)
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Trying Not to Fall (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 08.07.2019
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Baby, Baby, Baby (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 09.05.2019
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Goin' to Chicago (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 08.07.2019
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