Guitar Slim
No 1950s blues guitarist even came close to equaling the flamboyant Guitar Slim in the showmanship department. Armed with an estimated 350 feet of cord between his axe and his amp, Slim would confidently stride on-stage wearing a garishly hued suit of red, blue, or green, usually with his hair dyed to match! It's rare to find a blues guitarist hailing from Texas or Louisiana who doesn't cite Slim as one of his principal influences: Buddy Guy, Earl King, Guitar Shorty, Albert Collins, Chick Willis, and plenty more have enthusiastically testified to Slim's enduring sway.
Born Eddie Jones in Mississippi, Slim didn't have long to make such an indelible impression. He turned up in New Orleans in 1950, influenced by the atomic guitar energy of Gatemouth Brown. But Slim's ringing, distorted guitar tone and gospel-enriched vocal style were his alone. He debuted on wax in 1951 with a mediocre session for Imperial that barely hinted at what would soon follow. A 1952 date for Bullet produced the impassioned "Feelin' Sad," later covered by Ray Charles (who would arrange and play piano on Slim's breakthrough hit the next year).
With the emergence of the stunning "The Things That I Used to Do" on Art Rupe's Specialty logo, Slim's star rocketed to blazing ascendancy nationwide. Combining a swampy ambience with a churchy arrangement, the New Orleans-cut track was a monster hit, pacing the R&B charts for an amazing 14 weeks in 1954. Strangely, although he waxed several stunning follow-ups for Specialty in the same tortured vein -- "The Story of My Life," "Something to Remember You By," "Sufferin' Mind" -- as well as the blistering rockers "Well I Done Got Over It," "Letter to My Girlfriend," and "Quicksand," Slim never charted again.
The guitar wizard switched over to Atlantic Records in 1956. Gradually, his waxings became tamer, though "It Hurts to Love Someone" and "If I Should Lose You" summoned up the old fire. But Slim's lifestyle was as wild as his guitar work. Excessive drinking and life in the fast lane took its inevitable toll over the years, and he died in 1959 at age 32. Only in recent years has his monumental influence on the blues lexicon begun to be fully recognized and appreciated. Incidentally, one of his sons bills himself as Guitar Slim, Jr. around the New Orleans circuit, his repertoire heavily peppered with his dad's material.
© Bill Dahl /TiVo
Artistas semelhantes
-
Sufferin' Mind
Pop - Lançado por Fantasy Records em 1 de jan. de 1991
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The ATCO Sessions
R&B - Lançado por Rhino Atlantic em 8 de fev. de 2005
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carolina Blues
Blues - Lançado por Arhoolie Records em 1 de jan. de 1997
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Magic Guitar of Limber Leg (Remastered)
Blues - Lançado por Master Tape Records em 17 de jul. de 2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
1956-1958 Sessions
Blues - Lançado por Tsk Music em 18 de jun. de 2012
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Complete Releases 1951-58
Blues - Lançado por ACROBAT em 8 de mar. de 2019
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Things That I Used to Do
Jazz - Lançado por Redwood Records em 10 de mar. de 2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
1951-1954
Blues - Lançado por Classics Blues & Rhythm Series em 4 de ago. de 2008
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
New Orleans Guitar, CD D
Blues - Lançado por JSP Records em 1 de ago. de 2006
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Volume One 1951-1957
Blues - Lançado por FOUNDATION OF AMERICAN MUSIC em 9 de jul. de 2023
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
New Orleans Guitar, CD C
Blues - Lançado por JSP Records em 1 de ago. de 2006
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Very Best Of 1951-1954
Blues - Lançado por Stardust em 1 de jan. de 2008
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Well, I Done Got over It / Things That I Used to Do (Remastered)
Blues - Lançado por HOT BLOOD em 12 de jan. de 1953
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les pionniers du Blues, Vol. 16 : Guitar Slim
Blues - Lançado por Mpm em 6 de out. de 2019
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Got Sumpin' for You. The 1953-1958 Recordings
Soul - Lançado por Yeah Mama Records em 24 de jul. de 2016
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Quicksand
Blues - Lançado por Diamond Days em 5 de mai. de 2008
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sufferin' Mind (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Lançado por Reborn recordings em 10 de jul. de 2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Guitar Slim: Singles
Blues - Lançado por Ancien Prodige em 30 de jan. de 2023
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Guitar Slim 1951-1954
Rock - Lançado por Crazy Warthog Media em 1 de jan. de 2022
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Things That I Used to Do (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Lançado por Reborn recordings em 10 de jul. de 2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Atco Sessions (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Lançado por Reborn recordings em 5 de jul. de 2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo